Interview: Paula Bentancur tells us why we should be excited for Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance
It arrives on iOS and Android on July 25th
Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance's release is just around the corner, bringing another premium tower defence experience to mobile. I had a chance to play about 15 minutes at Gamescom Latam last month and, despite having questionable micromanagement skills, had a great time. It had a nice curve of being fairly relaxing at the start before becoming delightfully hectic as the last waves of enemies stormed past my towers.
That's not our official review, of course. You can expect that sometime around launch. For today, though, you can read my chat with Paula Bentancur, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the event. Together, we chatted about Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance, including Ironhide Studios' post-launch plans.
Could you please introduce yourself and your role in Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance?My name is Paula Bentancur, I am the Head of Marketing at Ironhide Game Studio.
What's new in Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance?From a storytelling perspective, Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance marks a new chapter in the saga. Building upon the established narrative from Kingdom Rush Vengeance, it also forges a connection with Legends of Kingdom Rush, our RPG on Apple Arcade. This time, Vez'nan and the Linirea army (eternal rivals) join forces to face a greater evil. To bring this storyline to life, players can now command both armies, wielding an expanded arsenal of towers and controlling two heroes simultaneously.
Kingdom Rush games are designed to be accessible to newcomers. Each game introduces players to the core mechanics and gradually ramps up the difficulty. Players won't be missing any crucial story elements by jumping right into the latest title.
However, if players are interested in the overarching narrative, then playing the games in this order might be preferable: Kingdom Rush Origins, Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Kingdom Rush Vengeance, and Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance. This way, they can experience the story unfold chronologically. But again, they can feel free to start with whichever game appeals to them the most.
What Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance does well is to offer a premium experience. We prioritize polished and enjoyable gameplay. The accessibility and depth of the game are also characteristics that I think make it stand out, it’s easy to learn but hard to master. Also, the game's charm goes beyond its strategic depth, thanks to a vibrant and detailed art style.
You decided to make the game premium. Why is this the approach you took rather than going free-to-play like so many other entries in the genre?Ironhide Game Studio is known for its premium games. While the premium model is seeing less viability on mobile platforms, we remain committed to creating these experiences for our core fans as we explore other avenues.
When it comes to heroes, I enjoy the fast-paced and powerful options like Nyru and Kosmyr. These heroes reward strategic micromanagement, allowing you to directly influence the course of battle. For towers, I like a diverse mix that covers different enemy types and functions.
The classic Necromancer provides a steady stream of summons, while the Elven Stargazer excels when placed near Paladins. Ballista Outposts deal high single-target damage. Rounding it out with an Arcane Wizard provides strong magic damage. This combination offers a well-rounded approach to handling various enemy waves.
We're already developing the mini-expansions, with the first one launching in October. We aim to deliver at least two more content updates post-release.
We met during Gamescom Latam, where a big focus was on Brazil – and Latin America generally – becoming a bigger force in gaming. Do you have any thoughts or insights on this?Gamescom LATAM is a fantastic boost for the LATAM gaming industry. The wealth of talent developing games here is evident, and this event showcases their immense potential.
