- Classic turn-based strategy gameplay
- Two story campaigns, one for elves and another for humans, with ending that depend on your choices
- five playable factions avaiulable for multiplayer combat across 16 scenarios
- powerful built-in game editor
Product Description
A dark Secret meant to be hidden for eternity, has been uncovered and threatens to unmake the world. A human mage, newly armed with the forbidden secrets of the elves, is the on the loose and it’s up to you to hunt him down with the Sorceress Gilwen and the ranger-lord Seagate. Over 100 units and five powerful heroes await your guiding hand. Destroy the mage…. More >>
Please see my review of the prequel of this game, Fantasy Wars, for a nearly identical review (both games share the same game engine, graphics, sound, gameplay, overlapping storyline and characters to some extent).
First the basics:
Video – 4.5; Positives include generally crisp resolution in higher settings, excellent terrain. Negatives are include character models, which are less convincing as well as some cinematics. Based on the somewhat scantily clad Elven women, one has to wonder what is wrong with the Elven males that their race is dwindling…
Sound – 5; excellent sound and musical score. Music was appealing and seemed broadly “period correct” – whatever that is for a fantasy game!
Gameplay – 4.5; Positives include ease of play and user interface, which is very intutive, as well as in-game battle sequences and sounds (though you have to get close to the action to really hear the sounds, which is realistic, I suppose). Spells effects are decent, overall, though most of the actual impact on troops is marginal. With a couple of noted exceptions, the magic takes definite second stage to the battle elements. Unlike Fantasy Wars, the elves have more magic, and there are two kick-butt spells that are the fantasy equivalent of tactical nukes which they can employ – devastating to most troops when they are concentrated together, and decent visual and sound for the spell effect. No mushroom cloud, though.
Atmosphere – 4; I found the maps and story line to be engaging and immersive, within the limits of a turn-based wargame (v. a first person game). Landscapes and buildings were overall well done and evoked the right reactions.
Replayability – 3 (5); Not much, unless you want to play it again at a differnt difficulty level or try some different units or tactics since the overall storyline is the same.
Commentary: Overall, I found the game one of the more enjoyable and engaging fantasy wargames I have played in some time. I admit I strongly prefer turn-based wargames that are NOT RTS (Real Time Strategy – but actually have little strategy and are mostly just “gather resources/build structures/produce troops” efforts with little or no real military tactics or strategy). Elven Legacy is – refreshingly – NOT an RTS, but a thoughtful turn-based strategy/tactics game with NO resource gathering, NO structure building, and troops are purchased/recruited rather than produced in structures. The only resource is gold (money), which you get for accomplishing missions or taking ground in cities.
So if you like turn-based wargames, and a fantasy theme is up your alley, this is a great game (as is Fantasy Wars, the prequel to this game and using the same game engine). On the other hand, if you really like the RTS “gather/build/produce” games, Elven Legacy probably won’t be what you are looking for.
Rating: 4 / 5
Over the years, solid turn-based strategy games have fallen by the wayside in favor of real-time strategy games. Companies seemed to have stopped producing TBS games simply because RTS games sell better. I chuckled as I read somewhere recently, in criticism of recent games, ‘why make a great game when a good one will sell better?’
While most recent PC games have been developed to market to the drooling masses of Alienware customers, Elven Legacy is true to it’s genre and will likely be a highly underrated and unappreciated game. The game doesn’t rely on high-end graphics to maintain it’s playability, it relies on it’s game play. And that’s where it shines.
You command an army of troops over a hex-grid. Each unit has different stats, and is able to level up and gain new abilities. The controls are intuitive, and the GUI layout is clean and elegant. The game itself combines elements found in games like Fallout and HeroScape.
Truly, this is the first game for gamers, and clearly by gamers, in a very long time. This is a great game, and a purchase I would recommend to any strategy fan.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a solid turn based strategy game but it does limit your options in exploring the game’s world. It has good graphics and quite a few opponent types. Music is OK. Color scheme could be tamed down a bit. One thing to remember is that I do have an affinity to the Elvish race, probably because I was a 98 pound whimp in my formative years. The Heros of Might & Magic and Disciples games are among my favorite, but this game is a fun way to fill the time between releases (are you listening Ubisoft?).
Rating: 4 / 5
I learned about this game in a conversation with a teenage relative of mine, who complained that it was impossibly difficult even on the easiest difficulty. He could not make it past the third (optional) mission, and he was getting frustrated. Together, we beat the mission, on the hardest difficulty, and with the best possible rating, but not before we had learned quite a bit about the game’s mechanics.
So I want to make a few things clear, so you know what you are getting it, should you buy this game:
o The game is rather complex. Be prepared to spend some time figuring its intricacies – unit skills, terrain effects, morale effects, temporary effects from spells, neighbors, attacks, perks, etc…
o The game is too challenging to win by throwing your men at the enemy, even if you manage to “get there fastest with the mostest”. You will have to understand the way his units interact, and you will have to devise a strategy to dismantle his formation.
o In some scenarios, there simply isn’t time to both finish quickly enough to get the best victory reward, and to explore every corner of the map to get all the goodies to be found. This can be frustrating.
o The translation is not very good. Sometimes I read the mission briefings, and could not understand what the characters were trying to say.
That said, I loved the game. It is very satisfying, the campaign is long enough, and I found myself replaying the missions, trying to improve my final results (higher difficulty, fewer losses, more artifacts, faster completion)
This is a fantasy, turn-based strategy in its purest, and arguably best form.
Rating: 4 / 5
As others have said, the game has a good atmosphere and is complex. I haven’t finished it yet but it is quite fun, just not enough time in my life for all the games. As I’m a turn based strategy gamer, it was right up my alley. If I had paid $50 for it, I might not be so happy but it is a great value for the around $20 that it is going for now.
Rating: 4 / 5