Title: Lords Mobile
Type of Game: Real-Time Strategy, MMORPG, City Building
Developer: IGG
Publisher: IGG
Released: March 26, 2016
Platforms Available: iOS, Android
Platform Reviewed: Android
Maturity: Everyone 10+
Reading Time: 10 minutes
Introduction
At first glance, Lords Mobile is a strategy MMORPG that promises an immersive experience. You get to build and expand your kingdom, train troops, and engage in battles against other players. The basic mechanics involve resource management, city building, and real-time strategy battles. However, my experience with the game was far from satisfying, as I soon discovered its less appealing aspects.
Pay-to-Win Mechanics
After investing nearly two years into Lords Mobile, reaching a might of almost half a billion and logging in daily for over 600 consecutive days, I can confidently say that the game heavily favors those who are willing to spend money. While the initial stages of the game are enjoyable, the pay-to-win aspect quickly becomes apparent. Progression becomes painfully slow unless you’re willing to invest in speed-ups, resources, and special items with real money.
Anti-Beginner Friendly
As soon as your world is unlocked (the world that you spawn in will have a protection bubble for some time), whales will jump in, making it incredibly difficult for new players to progress and forcing you to shield 24/7 if you want to make any progress instead of being a constant resources farm.
False Advertisements
Lords Mobile is not immune to false advertising. The game often promotes one-time-only discounts and special offers that, in reality, are anything but one-time-only. These misleading offers, along with gameplay ads that bear little resemblance to the actual game, are a constant presence in the game’s marketing.
Graphics and Visuals
The game’s graphics are decent, with detailed designs for buildings, troops, and heroes. The art style is cartoony, and the visual effects during battles are standard, nothing you haven’t seen before. While the graphics might initially catch your eye, they lose their charm when you realize that most impressive-looking items and features are locked behind paywalls. It’s frustrating to see other players with top-tier gear and practically unattainable upgrades without spending money.
Sound and Music
The soundtrack in Lords Mobile is generic and forgettable. The music and sound effects do their job, but they’re not memorable. After a while, I found myself turning off the sound because it added nothing to the experience. It’s disappointing that even the sound design felt like an afterthought.
Multiplayer
Now let’s talk about the central aspect of the game, Multiplayer. Lords Mobile boasts a large player base and numerous multiplayer features, including guilds, PvP battles, and collaborative events. However, as I stated already, the multiplayer experience is severely hampered by the pay-to-win mechanics. Players who spend money dominate the leaderboards and control the game’s politics, even owning in-game bots and massive whale discord channels. I’ve seen it all.
Joining a guild can provide some support and resources, but it doesn’t change the fact that paying players have a massive advantage. The stark imbalance in guild dynamics, where free-to-play players feel like they’re just there to be fodder for the spenders, can make potential players feel wary.
During my years of playing, I joined several guilds. I witnessed firsthand how the top players, who spent large amounts of money, dictated the game’s dynamics. It became clear that skill and strategy were secondary to spending power, no matter how big the guild was. I even joined some P2W guilds that still got wiped off the board by the whales.
The Player vs. Player (PvP) aspect of Lords Mobile is where the pay-to-win mechanics are most obnoxiously obvious. In PvP battles, players compete to conquer each other’s kingdoms, capture heroes, and earn rewards. Theoretically, this should be a thrilling and strategic component of the game. However, it’s once again a playground for the biggest spenders. The power disparity is so vast that even the most skilled players can’t hope to compete without opening their wallets. It is ridiculous, to say the least.
Events
Lords Mobile frequently features events that promise exciting rewards and challenges. In reality, these events are just another way to encourage spending. Here’s a look at some of the typical events:
- Guild Fest: This event involves completing tasks for your guild to earn points and rewards. The tasks often require significant resources or speed-ups, which you’re constantly reminded you can buy. And even your guild leaders encourage the spending. They will require you to obtain a certain amount of points on each guild fest, and as you join bigger guilds, you will find that obtaining those points for free is close to impossible.
- Kingdom Clash: A large-scale PvP event where kingdoms battle for supremacy. Don’t expect to make any meaningful impact if you’re not spending money. The biggest spenders always come out on top, of course.
- Special Events: Themed events with exclusive rewards. These events are usually marketed heavily, but the best rewards are locked behind paywalls or require spending to complete the necessary tasks.
During my time with the game, I participated in numerous events, and the pattern was always the same: those who spent money reaped the best rewards, while the rest of us were left with scraps.
Gear Upgrades
In Lords Mobile, upgrading your gear is crucial for staying competitive. Unfortunately, the gear upgrade system is another area where the pay-to-win model is glaringly apparent. Gathering the necessary materials for upgrades takes an unreasonable amount of time unless you purchase them, and even if you decide to do so, you will need a lot of money, and I mean A LOT!
The constant prompts to buy materials or speed up crafting are relentless. It feels like every aspect of the game is designed to squeeze money out of players. This was incredibly frustrating as someone who prefers to earn my progress through gameplay.
Over the years, I tried to upgrade my gear through grinding. Still, the pace was excruciatingly slow, and all the time, I did not manage to max out a single piece of equipment.
Replayability and Longevity
While Lords Mobile has the potential for high replay value due to its multiplayer nature and various events, the pay-to-win mechanics severely limit its longevity. Unless you’re willing to spend money, the game becomes repetitive and starts to frustrate pretty fast. Even after almost two years of playing, the lack of fair progression and the relentless push towards spending money drained any enjoyment I had left. It became more of a chore than a game. And I basically stuck around due to the friendships I made in-game.
You will spend 99% of your time under a shield, having to log in constantly to reapply it, which becomes a tedious and necessary chore to avoid attacks from higher-level players.
User Interface and Accessibility
The user interface in Lords Mobile is cluttered with prompts to buy packs and special offers, of course. Navigating through the menus can be a chore, with constant reminders to spend money at every turn. While the basic controls are intuitive, the overall experience is marred by aggressively monetizing fake “one-time only” discounts.
Technical Performance
Lords Mobile performs adequately on mobile devices. I didn’t encounter significant technical issues, such as crashes or lag. The game is optimized well, and devs maintain it well. For the amount of money they amass, it is to be expected.
Personal Impressions
This might feel like a P2W rumble, but that is literally what this game is! Playing Lords Mobile for such a long time was a disappointing experience. The game’s heavy reliance on pay-to-win mechanics overshadowed any enjoyment I might have had. It’s clear that the game is designed to prioritize spending over skill or strategy. The constant pressure to buy packs and resources made it hard to stay engaged. It felt like no matter how much effort I put in, I could never compete on a level playing field. Why did I stay so long? The social aspect of the game and friendships that I made, so at least there is that.
Comparison and Context
Compared to other strategy MMORPGs, Lords Mobile stands out for all the wrong reasons. While other games in the genre offer somewhat fair progression and skill-based competition, Lords Mobile feels like a cash grab. The imbalance between paying and non-paying players is more pronounced here than in any other game I’ve ever played.
Conclusion
Lords Mobile is a prime example of how aggressive monetization can ruin a potentially enjoyable game. The heavy pay-to-win mechanics overshadow any positives, making it hard to recommend. I can say with certainty that unless you’re willing to spend significant amounts of money, Lords Mobile offers a frustrating experience. So unless you are a casual, non-competitive player who loves playing under the shield or you are a whale, do not waste your time on this game.
Where For More Info and to Buy Lords Mobile
Google Play (Android): Available for free with in-app purchases. Download it from Google Play.
App Store (iOS): Available for free with in-app purchases. Download it from the App Store.
Official Page: Visit the official Lords Mobile page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Lords Mobile Subreddit.