Master of Orion 2 This game is still the perfect blend of depth and simplicity. You cannot go wrong. Hop in for a shorter game on a small galaxy or strap in for a long haul with a bigger map and more opponents.
A guaranteed classic. I have so many little quibbles about some quest and gameplay design choices. Some of the cheesy, forced mechanics the devs used to try and create a sense of heightened tension (nonsensically unavoidable forced combat triggerrs, bosses having nonsensical unavoidable scripted abilities in combat that completely undermine player build and gear choices, other hard-forced aspects that remove player agency in totally immersion breaking ways at tense moments). I took a star away for this due to the sheer frustration of having these in a game that so perfectly nails so many other aspects. I just can't forgive them. But the writing. My goodness the writing. In almost all but one glaring case I can think of, the writers don't spoonfeed you a moral or political message. They surround you with themes and let you figure out your own path. It's so subtle and well done that I almost weep for the fact that the vast majority of folks probably don't stop in the middle of the game to ponder the philosophy of the themes they are being exposed to. There ARE universal truths to be found in this game, but you have to really pay attention and THINK to find them. I wish this was a standard for writing, but sadly it seems the entire entertainment industry is moving in the opposite direction and feeding people slop. Bless you CDPR for letting your writers take the gloves off without forcing morals or politics.
I have so many little quibbles about some quest and gameplay design choices. Some of the cheesy, forced mechanics the devs used to try and create a sense of hightened tension (nonsensically unavoidable forced combat triggerrs, bosses having nonsensical unavoidable scripted abilities in combat that completely undermine player build and gear choices, other hard-forced aspects that remove player agency in totally immersion breaking ways at tense moments). I took a star away for this due to the sheer frustration of having these in a game that so perfectly nails so many other aspects. I just can't forgive them. But the writing. My goodness the writing. In almost all but one glaring case I can think of, the writers don't spoonfeed you a moral or political message. They surround you with themes and let you figure out your own path. It's so subtle and well done that I almost weep for the fact that the vast majority of folks probably don't stop in the middle of the game to ponder the philosophy of the themes they are being exposed to. There ARE universal truths to be found in this game, but you have to really pay attention and THINK to find them. I wish this was a standard for writing, but sadly it seems the entire entertainment industry is moving in the opposite direction and feeding people slop. Bless you CDPR for letting your writers take the gloves off without forcing morals or politics.
This game is still the perfect blend of depth and simplicity. You cannot go wrong. Hop in for a shorter game on a small galaxy or strap in for a long haul with a bigger map and more opponents.
The devs did an amazing job balancing respect for the OG game's unforgiving nature while still managing to allow you to make some settings choices that respect your playtime as well. Make no mistake, though, this is still a brutal dungeon crawl that will likely eat the unprepared for breakfast. (and even the well-prepared)
This game has almost all of the classic elements from HoMM3, and improves on it in many ways. One of the best parts is being able to see *each* individual unit, so no having to deal with micromanaging "stacks" and coming up with workarounds for how the stack mechanics in HoMM3 could screw you over. The Auto-Battle for combat takes a smidge of getting used to, but once you grasp it, you will not want to go back to the turn-based version. The artifacts, buildings, and spells in v2.3.2 are wonderful, with lots of depth and variety. Spellcasting is fun, and feels powerful. Mana recovery is tough, but if you can get your hands on some "Grell" troops, they help with this A LOT (you do need a lot of them, and they can be tricky to keep alive). If you are struggling with combat, you can pause combat at any time for as long as you want by holding down the RIGHT-CLICK button. This can allow you to move your pointer around safely as needed. All in all this game is fantastic. Yes it has issues, but the developer is active in his Discord, and is actively supporting and improving the game. If you managed to get this on sale, I guarantee you will not regret it.
This game got things right so long ago that it is shameful for modern games to get those things wrong. Devs need to learn from classics like this. Respect your players'/customers' time.
