No stranger to Stardock and their commitment to excellence in the PC strategy experience, I did however hold off from purchasing Fallen Enchantress—until now. After catching the title at half off the purchase price through Stardock's website, I grabbed a copy and skeptically downloaded. And let me just say I'm so glad I did.
One familiar with Stardock's recent products might right away see the integration of a single experience with FE. You've got a lot of Gal Civ II and even a little SOSE as well as some new implementations namely the fantasy themed upgrades to character and city. The game is similar to CIV5, but much more enjoyable in my opinion. Sid and the gang really seemed to dumb down CIV5 in order to accommodate consoles, but with FE you get the PC game CIV5 should have been—rich and rewarding.
On graphics: One might read either good things or bad things concerning the look and texture of the game. As for aesthetics let me just say the game gives off a refreshing art design, that although to some might appear simple or bland, is in my opinion unique and pleasing. I get tired of reviewers always looking for shiny new bling in a game rather than appreciate the graphics as an integral whole. With FE, the artwork and graphic fit the overall ambiance and genre of the game perfectly. They also fit Stardock and their signature look as expected. It's called “branding” folks.
Bottom line: don't just trust the still shots posted by the naysayers. You can zoom in and out of tactical and strategical views; animation is smooth and engaging, especially when you see the enemy topple to the ground in defeat. The rich colors used are eye pleasing and not in-your-face, which makes long play more comfortable. As a fantasy turn-based strategy, what SD has done works well. If you go in knowing this is a strategy and not a first person shooter, you'll be satisfied if not pleased overall.
On Sound: The music is very hero-inspiring and makes you want to go out and conquer some badlands. Some of the scores that play remind me of movie scores such as, Gladiator and the latest Batman series. Some of the old tracks from GalCivII are in there, which is expected. The sound effects during tactical play satisfy, but at times seem absent when a sound should be present. With sound effects the general rule is: see a sound, hear a sound. This isn't always the case. To be fair, the rule is more bendable in gaming however. Still, every bone-crunching blow from a mace or cut from a sword, every whizzing arrow that thuds into its mark, every wound produced grown, is backed by an engaging sound effect that makes you almost feel it. UI clicks are suitable for this game genre and actually gives me gratifying nostalgia from the older fantasy strategy games I once played as a boy.
Bottom line: The sound is good, even great in areas, but could have used a touch more polish.
On Gameplay: I had read that the game quickly becomes boring. This is not the case for me. I can't stop hitting the enter button and changing turns. I might also add that with CIV5, I did get bored quick and I haven't played it more than 12 hours or so. FE however, I'm 30 plus in and still going strong.
At the start there's so much to do. There's customization of character if you desire as well as creating your own kingdom or empire. In-game, quests are engaging and satisfying, especially knowing that experience gained from combat, etc., empowers your character so that when you go to war with enemy factions you're not beat down right away. This is also the main cause that drives you to level up your cities, increase gildar, mine those ore and crystal deposits, expedite research and upgrade sovereign and soldier alike as quickly as possible. Why? Because war is inevitable and either you're up to the challenge or you're not. This is the main underlying conflict that drives the player to engage him or herself turn after turn. It is for me at least. There's items to forge to aid in battle and new units to design until your hearts content. But first and foremost, there's the pioneers and the expanding of your settlements to enlarge your borders. Kraxis is a pro at this, and the bastard won't stop until you make him stop, or beat him to the land grabs.
Bottom line: The game goes deep if one really wants to plug into it. Trust me, once I ditched my reservations and bought the game, I got hooked. Actually, in truth I had an itch for a particular game that just wasn't out there or so I thought. I wanted a fantasy environment. I wanted strategic warfare. I wanted customizable and progressive characterization, both leader and army. I wanted settlements that could grow and become fortresses to defend. I wanted an adventure, a quest. What I had wanted was Fallen Enchantress. And now, I'm eager to upgrade to Legendary Heroes. Thanks Stardock for your commitment to satisfying PC gamers and keeping the market alive for me anyway. You get it. You get what true PC strategists are looking for. Stay the course; you've done well.
It's games like this that remind me of why I continue to shell out thousands of dollars in upgrades and new computers over the years rather than going console. You've dared dream up a unique concept with Elemental, and FE, and hopefully, it will come to complete fruition with LH.
