Asophix

Despite being somewhat skeptical about the sudden alpha for Stronghold 4, I gave it a try. 
I'm not quite sure how to put this, but I really feel that we have seen enough Stronghold so that it shouldn't warrant a new release.

The truth is: Stronghold 4 looks good - even if unusual and overwhelming at first -, has all of its core building blocks in place, with a few quirks here and there. Rightfully, this alpha feels like the blend of its predecessors and Stronghold 3 if it ever were done right. Because we are essentially getting a well-made Stronghold 3, too little to late.

SH4 Alpha uses Unreal Engine 5 and it runs well. On my high-end computer it didn't stutter at all, raytracing gives shiny graphics, and there is no stutter at all - though the framerate must be turned up from an initial rate of 20, oddly enough.

The gameplay is nothing to write home about:

• We get the usual economic formula that feels closest to SHC2 with its expensive buildings, but this time the production chains are more sprawling and hard to get a feeling for. Gold is accessible however thru both trade and taxation, in fact the first level of taxes gives you a meager popularity loss in return for gynormous income. There is also honor to visibly rank up to unlock buildings and troops, as well as Fear Factor, the Inn and Religion for some additional popularity manipulation. There are some twists to the Granary and Kitchen layer in terms of resources, but nothing more.
• In the military aspect - of what we saw - we get Stronghold 3 with a slightly expanded repertoire of defensive structures and units. There is only the barracks for infantry recruitment, and weapons production is essential in the beginning to churn out a healthy number of troops. Ranged units seem bad against tight armor formations and moving targets, while lesser footmen die quickly: armored troops have a well-earned place in a fight. The Tower Ballista has been upgraded to instantly kill units at the expense of an abysmal firing rate, making it a must in most defenses. Catapults are just as good against clustered units as ever.

I found that the economic mission is way too easy (which must be intended as the game showers you with tutorials and self-explanatory building objectives), while the military one can give you a run for your money, if you can't keep your fortification together. It can be won by an aggressive economy build-up while continuously training troops - even the fodder unit type, the Levy, which stalls enemies for your ranged units to kill. Production chains can be somewhat to figure out, but thankfully resources are ample, and there are multiple approaches to defending your castle on top a Market being available.

I seriously want to find a highlight unique to this alpha, but all I see is recurring elements from previous games that work together in a serviceable way. We have yet to see additional scenarios and gameplay elements in the field, but from what I see, it's an evolution of Stronghold coming to a playable point. And it only seems to be taking 25 years for the Studios.