Legends of Kingdom Rush is arriving on Apple Arcade this week, so we caught up with Leonardo Clavijo from the title’s development team. He’s been part of the Legends of Kingdom Rush team from day one – first in the role of game programmer and now as Project Manager.
We chatted about how Legends of Kingdom Rush fits into the Kingdom Rush universe, how it’s not just for experienced RPG fanatics, and the many influences that went into its development.
Hello Leonardo! Can you tell us what Legends of Kingdom Rush is about?
Legends of Kingdom Rush is the new game from Ironhide Games Studio. It’s based on the same franchise that’s behind one of the best tower defense games of the past ten years.
We wanted to give players a closer view of the Kingdom Rush universe, expanding the lore and adding visual details to heroes, foes, and the environments.
We took the franchise and expanded it into a new game genre. Legends of Kingdom Rush continues the story started in Kingdom Rush: Vengeance, but swaps the tower defence genre for an RPG, hex grid-based combat system with rogue-like elements.
What is unique about Legends of Kingdom Rush compared to similar titles?
Being part of the Kingdom Rush universe, Legends of Kingdom Rush offers deep and detailed lore. We put in a lot of work and love to create a fun and replayable game. Also, every adventure is different; the events and map visuals change every time you start a new adventure.
You will be able to set your own strategy depending on the party you chose, and every player will be able to discover their own unique strategy.
As you play and progress, you will find awesome Easter Eggs, a real signature of all our games at Ironhide.
What were your team’s main influences when developing the game?
Obviously, the Kingdom Rush series played the main basis in the game’s lore influences. However, during development, we took inspiration from numerous other games, including XCOM, Curious Expedition, FTL, Oregon Trail, Slay The Spire, Darkest Dungeon, Blood Bowl, Pit People and many others.
Is Legends of Kingdom Rush a game that anyone can pick up and play?
Yes, it is! We have an Adventure tutorial that welcomes new players to the genre and guides them to the hardest part, keeping them (hopefully) engaged enough to play it again and again.
On the other hand, if you are an experienced strategy RPG player, you will quickly be able to set different strategies and experience a whole host of challenges while playing.
What tips do you have for people playing Legends of Kingdom Rush for the first time?
Try with different legends and companions to set your strategy, and remember that the game is supposed to be hard. The roguelike progression elements mean that you are supposed to lose, learn and improve as you get better. It is a good thing that the game rewards you handsomely with amazing new characters as you progress throughout your adventures.
Keep trying and getting better!
Also, you will unlock heroes and achievements through your adventures. Enjoy the Easter Egg hunting; you’ll need to pay attention to every detail to find them all!
Is there controller support for the game?
Yes, there is! You can play using Apple Arcade supported gamepads, also Siri Remote (on Apple TV) and your finger on touch screen devices as well!
Do you have anything planned in terms of future updates for the game, and if so, can you give us any details of what these might include?
I can’t give further information at this moment. However, I can confirm that we’re already working on an update for Legends of Kingdom Rush. Stay tuned to our social media for upcoming information!
Our thanks to Leonardo for his time. You can pre-order Legends of Kingdom Rush via Apple Arcade by clicking here.