Rooks Keep is a PC based, fantasy melee deathmatch/arena game. Best described as "UT with swords", players will battle it out in a selection of game-modes, across a variery of maps. The list of game-modes includes traditional Deathmatch and Team-Deathmatch, Conversion(kill your enemy to get them on your team), Combat and Classic Chess, and more. Players will get control of two factions of six characters each, based on traditional Chess archetypes(Pawn, Knight, etc) and engage in battles using a diversity of offensive and defensive abilities and skills. Pawns will be skewered, mighty Rooks will smash their opponents with massive clubs, and sinister Beasts will tear into their foes with tenacity. Games can be played solo against AI opponents, in LAN or online multiplayer or a combination. Up to 32 players are allowed in all non-Chess modes. Players will fight in detailed, full 3D environments that use the power of the Unreal® Development Kit. Mod support is intended for Rooks Keep.
This game offers an excellent variety in play style. The chess is fun, but I'm not a real big fan of chess overall.
However, the combat offers a very nice amount of depth, playing on the highest level AI requires absolutely flawless timing and proper maneuvering while lower levels of AI gives you a nice level of complexity that will still give you a fight yet present you an excellent way to get acquainted with the combat system.
And combat chess is great too, even if you aren't necessarily a chess player. It plays almost as something like a tournament ladder, making each of your pieces a unique fighter who's health remains between fights, leaving you with the task of setting up favorable pairings. If you're best wit the Rooks, use them as your heavy hitters and wipe the board, if you're better with the Bishop, you can use them instead. It adds a lot more depth to the game in ways that might not readily be apparent.
Whether you like Chess, Third Person Hack 'n Slash with a mix of RPG thrown in, or even if you prefer a more sophisticated, traditional Fighting Game along the lines of Soul Calibur, there's probably some aspect of this you'll enjoy.