This game is very entertaining. It has aged moderately so I would recommend first thing to mute the music, and alter the keyboard setting. After this the game is very fun, the tactics and weapons are in full swing here, using the rocks for cover. Destructible Trees, fences and Walls really adds to the atmosphere that you are in a real war with plastic little men, that melt, snap and shatter into little bits. To keep this short, even if you never played this game its worth a go for the price point. It does have a bit of age to it and the functions are limited due to its age but very effective.
I found this game really awesome. However I also found it to be very long, dragging out and almost too much information to digest all at once. Comparing this game to might and magic, though of course this game is different in its own right. One of the major problems I found was the turn based combat; It is very unforgiving (norm difficulty) and I felt no way near as good as the might and magic combat system as flanking exploits is basically what it is about. Secondly I really dislike the hero structure (based off the previous games as well) with the leveling up stats and items. I find the might and magic structure far superior instead of customizing your hero with special passive abilities, stat upgrades ect as it becomes tedious work referencing what can help you ect. The narration and atmosphere is excellent, the game is excellent but expect a lot of hours and a steep learning curve if you buy this game. I am sure the rewards in doing so are excellent but most people with busy lives such as myself will find this game appealing due to the slow paced nature of this game. That said if you have time to read a slab of text in the encyclopedia to learn and have time, I highly recommend this to you.
The game has probably one of the most mature and gripping storylines up there with baldurs gate and many classic rpgs. However the gameplay is extremely tedious with a lot of farming of monsters due to the overpowered nature of a lot of the enemies. Also the chests and doors need to be attacked (forced open) which takes ages due to the huge amount of health. The atmosphere is perfect however the combat is almost a chore. Worth a look but be warned you need to put a lot of effort in this game to make it worthwhile.
Really, if you are reading these reviews and like turn based combat, interesting dialog and one of the most balanced between making your hero super strong and at the same time having a huge army the game takes you to the next level of strategy. If you have ever played a total war game, I believe this is the turned based fantasy version and a must have to any gog users collection.
I remember playing this game online frequently with my friend. The barbarian faction and the Egyptian faction are far weaker than the Roman legions even when flanking. The game however is extremely fun and there is nothing like jumping out ambushing with your units or charging with the cavalry into the thick of combat. For this price its well worth the buy if you like strategy if just for the single player campaign itself.
