BALANCING ACCURACY WITH ENTERTAINMENT
To reach and connect with the target age group, it was critical that the game was tested throughout development to ensure the gameplay and subject matter were as focused and playable as possible. The game balances this factual core with some of the freshest ideas in game design, drawing on such acclaimed and varied titles as Advance Wars, WarioWare and Patapon. We developed a distinctly unique online strategy game, enabling the target audience to play an educational re-enactment of the English battles and the Norman conquest. Offering a multiplayer option on top of this was key, giving players the chance to test their mettle against friends or other 1066 players.
The game puts you in the thick of the action with direct control over every arrow barrage, cavalry charge and defensive stand taken by your armies. Mini-games add to the tension of resolving issued commands, and a striking visual style using dramatic animation delivers a distinctive portrayal of Medieval warfare.
The game depicts a factual representation of units, troops, numbers and formations, all accurately depicted as they would have been in real battle. Taunts used in battle are also accurately portrayed as they would have been at the time, using insults like ‘raven starver’ and ‘dog scutt’ to damage your opponent’s morale.
Rather than just relying on factual statistics, victory also depends on the morale of your troops, which played a crucial role on the 11th century battlefields. Taunts, chants and the presence of a strong leader will all prove key to winning the day. Rattle an opponent and raise your own troops’ flagging spirits by typing the required random taunt (PUNY POTLICKER, FOX BEARD, OOZING PUS-WOUND and so on).
1066 tells its stories through vivid animations voiced by Oscar-nominated Ian Holm, famous for his roles in Alien and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. All animations, blood splatters and audio were created to ensure resonance with the demographic.
