Norland Preview: A Medieval Rimworld… with a Twist

It's not by accident that Crusader Kings games made their way onto our top 100 PC games list. These medieval melodrama simulators combine RPG mechanics with grand strategy gameplay in a way that's almost totally unique to them, though their reliance on sandbox, emergent gameplay also makes them infinitely replayable. What if you could combine the nobility power plays and scheming of Crusader Kings with the awesomely in-depth survival gameplay of Rimworld, though?

This is the big question posed by Hooded Horse and Long Jaunt, the publisher and developer of Norland, respectively. Hooded Horse you might've previously heard about in discussions about Manor Lords, and with Norland, the publishing company is doubling down on its medieval sim-style Early Access titles. Today, we've got a big preview of Norland ready for you, having spent a fair bit of time playing it ahead of its Early Access release.

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Norland Preview

Norland wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Plainly informed by the many, many successes of Rimworld, this game aims to deliver a similar colony management/simulation fantasy, except during the medieval times. Well, medieval-ish, because this is a light fantasy universe where fleshwolves prowl and otherworldly religions reign supreme. Ale, though? Ale's the same.

With that in mind, this isn't the type of universe where you field mages and use telekinesis to build structures: Norland is almost entirely parallel to our own world's medieval era, except it comes with its own cultures, religions, beliefs, and behaviors, all of which make for a familiar, albeit meaningfully varied new take on the niche. It's good stuff!

As someone who did have some trouble initially onboarding with Rimworld, I'm happy to report that Norland is a bit more straightforward in its tutorialization, and thanks to its real-world roots, easier to grasp no matter which of its gameplay features you end up tackling first. There's nothing truly ephemeral here: keep your villagefolk happy, your warriors well-fed and well-aled , and your Lords just decadent enough to survive, and you're golden.

Norland delivers in ways you don't see coming

The first thing I noticed when I started up Norland was just how good it looked. Now, don't get me wrong: you don't play a colony sim for its graphics, but the likes of Rimworld are fairly rudimentary in the grand scheme of things. Norland ups the ante in this respect, though you can't necessarily tell that from the screenshots alone.

It all has to do with shadows, you see. Norland has some remarkably striking shadow-casting tech running in the background that makes the passage of time a real delight to observe. Doubly so if you crank up the passage of time! Combine these awesome shadows with high-quality artwork and a general liveliness that you really have to see to believe, and you get an immersive and interesting experience even if there's "nothing" really going on.

Graphics aside, the UI in general feels broadly sensible and it's not hard at all to figure out what's what and how it all meshes in practice. There's some sluggishness in how you interact with the UI in certain instances, but nothing really troublesome, and I'm happy to report that this is yet another Early Access game that works really, really well out of the gate.

A clever twist on a well-established concept

You genuinely can tell that the developer has been mulling over Norland's UI and interactions a fair bit. From what I've been able to tell, you're never more than two or three clicks away from almost every common operation and/or action, and dedicated UI elements pop up way more sensibly than you'd expect out of a colony sim. And an Early Access colony sim, at that.

What this means, in effect, is that Norland is very easy to play and easier still to enjoy, as what could've been a very oppressive interface might've easily overshadowed the crux of the game: your "colony". In Norland, you're only really in tenuous control over your Lords, while everyone else is effectively a resource to be exploited.

Your Lords, however, are an iffy bunch. Some of them might be carnally weak, while others might be literally weak-willed and almost eager to crumble under pressure. And, really, though you do want strong, reliable leaders to lead your peasants to glory, that's not what Norland is generally going to give you. Instead, each Lord is an opportunity to emergent storytelling and unexpected gameplay twists, and it is awesome.

Reactive and systems-driven, through-and-through

As I've only just begun my Norland journey, my goal hasn't really been to win a match just yet. Instead, I've been trying to cause as much chaos as possible and see what stories the game makes up out of my messes. Thanks to Norland's awesomely in-depth gameplay options and NPC interactions, this is a joy to behold.

Norland only really lets you control the ruling class with very many faults of their own, and the people they lead respond to their behavior. One time, one of my nobles was so unruly due to their vices that they drew the ire of a nearby ruler, which in turn led to a series of combat skirmishes that bled my city dry over just a few days' time. At the same time, a well-armed bandit militia was preparing a strike. In the end, though, my lord's own peasants rose up against him, which I hadn't seen coming.

Really, though, I've only just scratch the surface of what Norland offers, and it feels like there's so much more to see, even this early on.

Play Norland on July 18!

Norland is bound to mix things up in the colony sim niche, no matter how you flip it. The game is feature-rich and offers plenty of value even now, in Early Access, and I've got no doubt it's going to be popular with fans of Rimworld, Crusader Kings, and other related titles.

As for myself, as more a casual enjoyer of these games, I can vouch for Norland's remarkably systems-driven progression and gameplay loops. The gameplay itself keeps me coming back for more, and the stories that keep popping up from the NPCs' interactions are a joy to see in action. Good stuff, then, though I'm very much looking forward to the future of Norland's development, too!

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