Clash Royale is a multiplayer online battle area (MOBA) developed and published by Supercell, released on March 6, 2016. While the game may seem old, it’s still incredibly popular, specifically with esports events. It takes characters and creatures from Clash of Clans and puts them in a tower defense environment.
Want to know why the game is so addictive and how you can play it for free on PC? Perhaps you’d like to know if it’s a good game and which are the best cards to use? Read more in our detailed Clash Royale review below.
Clash Royale story
While there’s no real central plot in Clash Royale, there are a few story elements and a few aspects to look at in this regard.
A king and his land
The main premise of Clash Royale is that you’re a king who needs to protect his castle. You have an assortment of creatures and minions you can summon in the form of cards. As the round evolves, you need to attack your opponent and defend your two towers and base simultaneously.
You’ll receive a crown for each tower and the enemy’s castle that you destroy. These crowns go towards points you can use later on to compete in more challenging events. It’s all about who is top of the leaderboard at the end of the day.
Army and minions
As you play each battle in Clash Royale, you’ll start amassing a huge army. There are different creature types, and you’ll need to learn the benefits and weaknesses of each one if you want to succeed. It all boils down to the most effective strategy so you can win the match.
Each card has an information panel describing details about your minions. When you play a battle, the card slots at the bottom randomly fill with your creatures, so you’ll need to make the best of it while you can. There’s also a meter with points, and you can only use cards if you have enough score to unleash them.
A King’s Journey
One other element that can be seen as part of the story for this Clash Royale review is the King’s Journey. At the top of the screen near your profile, you can access this path to see when you’ll earn your next reward. There are chests and other prizes along the way you can unlock when you meet the requirements.
How long to play Clash Royale
How long you play Clash Royale is entirely up to you. Being a MOBA game, there’s no end to it at all. Sure, there are events and competitions you can participate in, but the fun never really ends. You’ll just play for as long as you enjoy it, which can be infinitely long as it’s quite addictive.
Clash Royale Gameplay
With a better understanding of the theme behind Clash Royale, let’s look at the gameplay elements. This section is where the game really shines, and there’s plenty for you to enjoy. All that matters is how much time you have on your hands.
Learning how to play Clash Royale
When you start playing Clash Royale, the first few missions take you through a small tutorial. You’ll learn how to launch an attack, how to defend your base, and how to combine cards to make your offense stronger. Once you’re done with that, there will be a final test before you can progress further.
You’ll notice that it has a tower defense mechanism similar to League of Legends and DOTA 2, just simpler. There are different lanes to send your minions across, and each side has two towers. You can play 1v1 or 2v2 as soon as you unlock the multiplayer section. Your main task is protecting your castle at the back.
If the round ends with no clear victor, there’s extra time to see who will win. Should there still not be a winner, sudden death goes into effect, and the next player to topple a tower obtains victory. You then receive a chest and other rewards.
Cards and levels
Your minions are cards that you’ll unlock as you progress through battles. These form part of your battle deck. There are some heroes among them, and the colors donate common and rare items. The rarer they are, the more powerful their impact is against opponents.
However, it’s essential that you level the cards up as you receive enough points for them. You’ll soon learn in the tutorial that you’ll struggle to pass the final test with just the base cards. If you want to compete against others online in Clash Royale, you’ll need to make your minions stronger. It’s pretty much the same mechanic that you’ll find in mobile games like Fishing Clash.
Strategic elements
One of the most important aspects of Clash Royale is strategy. You’ll need to save enough points during a match to unleash 2 or more cards at the same time. Sometimes, the battle becomes so intense that you don’t have time to do so.
There are also environmental attack cards you can use, such as shooting arrows from your castle or throwing a bomb. These powers can save you just in the nick of time. You should also analyze which minions are best to use in every situation. A Giant may be strong, but he offers little attack when surrounded by the enemy.
Game maps and modes
Clash Royale has about 15 arena maps you can play across, each one with a different theme. Some of the more popular ones include Bone Pit, Spell Valley, and Royal Arena. As you level up and receive trophies, these will unlock so that playing the game doesn’t become stale.
There are also a few other game modes. They play out basically the same, but you can change some of the elements. You can use various elixirs or change how the cards are drafted. It makes Clash Royale more challenging and interesting to play.
Clans, competitions, and events
The main attraction of Clash Royale is the multiplayer events and battles. You can create or join clans, where you can trade cards and emotes and join in friendly matches. Each clan may have up to 50 members, and you can join one from the start.
There are also league competitions to join, while the game lists several events you can participate in. They require you to be specific levels before you can join while many have other requirements. You can expect these battles to be more intense. The only downside is that you may find the battle map grinding a bit dull after a while.
News and esports
Since CR is so popular in esports tournaments, there’s a tab holding all the latest events that you can watch. If you qualify, you can also compete in them for a chance to win epic prizes. There’s also a video section if you want to watch specific team battles.
You won’t be left wanting to know the latest Clash Royale news. You’ll find a blog in the game that gives you all the latest information and any plans for updates. It’s a great way for developers to remain in touch, which is incredible after so many years from launch.
Gameplay performance
If you’re playing Clash Royale on mobile, you’ll need OS 4.4 for Android and 9.0 for iOS as a minimum requirement. It’s recommended that you have 1 GB memory for the best performance. As far as the screen is concerned, you’ll need at least 800×480 resolution.
Should you want to play it on PC, I did my Clash Royale review on Windows 11 with Bluestacks 5. I suspect that you can also play it on Windows 10, but you’ll need to check if Bluestacks 4 can run it. To be sure, it’s better to play it on the latest updated platform version. As far as performance goes, there was no lag, and the effect and visual performed incredibly well.
Clash Royale visual and sound
For the final section of this Clash Royale review, it’s time to see how the visuals, effects, and sound are. Please note that you may experience it differently based on what system you’re running.
Overall graphics and user interface
The colors and visuals are crisp and clear in Clash Royale. It has a top-down perspective so you can see the entire map. It’s not like LoL or DOTA 2 where you need to scroll up and down to see what’s coming your way.
The developers made sure to present each tab and section with stunning colors. You can easily find the areas with icons at the top and button, while there’s a menu for everything else. You’ll also enjoy watching videos within the app.
Character, creature, and world designs
Supercell wasn’t lazy on the character and creature designs. There are several cards you can collect, each with an adorable picture to identify your minions. You’ll also be able to tell how common they are and at what level with colors and stars.
Thankfully, there are different arenas you can play so that you don’t become bored. Each one has a specific theme, and you’ll soon determine your favorite when you play through them enough. They may have some basic details, but the effort from Supercell is appreciated.
Emotes and skins
You can change skins for the game. There are some castle ones you can begin with, but you’ll unlock more over time. In this way, everyone’s towers and buildings don’t look the same.
You can also unlock emotes, much like in Fortnite and Call of Duty: Vanguard. These let you express yourself to your enemies and clan friends in a fun way. They may have limited functionality, but there are many players that enjoy them.
Animations and effects
The animations and effects are enjoyable to watch sometimes. Sure, you’ll mostly be stressing about how to overcome your enemy and not paying attention to them. However, it’s always fun to see what a new power or ability card will look like once you’ve unlocked it.
Sound elements
Most of the dialogue is done with text, so you’ll primarily hear sound effects in the battles. You can expect explosions, grunts from the Giant, arrows whistling through the air, and so much more. As with the visuals, Supercell made sure that you have as much of a pleasant gaming experience as possible.
What amazes me is how much detail they put into each creature and ability card. When you look at the information panel, there’s a small preview video with the imagery and sound you can expect during a battle. It’s not often you find so much detail in a mobile game.
Final verdict of Clash Royale
Mobile and PC gamers will love the initial casual gameplay of Clash Royale, while competitor gamists will thrive in the intense multiplayer arenas. Those who don’t like PvP battles against experienced players will probably enjoy Clash of Clans more, but there’s no denying just how entertaining this MOBA game can be.
Your engagement and involvement in the game will depend on how far you’re willing to go. If you find it too challenging, you’ll probably uninstall it within the first few weeks. If you’re into online competitions and can hold your own against the best, I suspect you may be playing it for months to come.
Pros
- Intense MOBA action
- Several cards to unlock
- Creature level advancement
- Visuals and sounds are superb
- Ideal for mobile gameplay
- Online events and esports competitions
- Unlimited game time
Cons
- Not for casual gamers
- Packs become harder to unlock
Developer & Publisher: Supercell
Game Modes: Multiplayer
Platform reviewed: Windows 11 – Bluestacks 5
