The Bad
- Interesting and diverse quests
- Long single-player campaign
- Good graphics
- Plenty of customization options for the avatar
- Questionable in-game cinematics
- The RTS part of the game is too simplistic
- Anti-climactic ending
Review
The RTS and RPG genres are quite different, and not many studios have succeeded in combining the two into a single game with a satisfactory result. Phenomic did a good job in this matter with the first Spellforce and its add-ons, and now they’ve decided to take it to the next level with Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars.
The story of the game is a usual one for a fantasy RPG, in a world filled with humans, orcs, elves and dark elves, full of magic, a world which seems to always be needing heroes. So you’ll assume the role of an unknown character, out on a mission to rescue his people, mission which in time gets more substance and takes the hero through no less than 20 islands in the universe of Spellforce.
At the first contact with the game you will notice its RPG features. Just like in the first Spellforce, before you can start the single-player campaign you’ll have to create a character (avatar) that will see your adventures through to the end of the game. There aren’t many customization options at first, having the possibility to chose the sex, one of some predefined faces and the name of your avatar. One thing to note is that the avatar belongs to the Shaikan, a race that shares their blood with that of a dragon, which makes them very powerful and almost immortal. When a Shaikan dies, he or she can be resurrected by another Shaikan hero with the help of a special ritual, but that can be done in a limited amount of time after his or her death. When one of your heroes dies, he can also be resurrected at an “altar of life” which will cost you some lenya.
With each level up, the avatar will gain a point to be spent in the talent tree for new spells and abilities. There are two different talent trees: combat and magic. Each category has a considerable variety, having more choices the deeper you go into a tree (there are over 100 skills to learn). Besides the talents there are also the items found in the game which also offer a boost to the overall strength of the hero. These are split into five big categories: helmets, necklaces, armor sets, rings and weapons (melee, ranged or shields) each of them having different requirements so that they can be equipped. Besides these there are of course items with other uses, quest items or items to be sold, all of these being kept in a bag with infinite storage space.
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