This is one of the best games I've ever played. This is if not THE HARDEST - ONE OF THE HARDEST strategy games out there. you constantly have to make tough strategic decisions as you are playing: -should I send my army this way or that way to penetrate the enemy base? -should I conquer this enemy building and use it to my advantage or that one? -how should I position the hero units so they don't get destroyed by those horrible enemy wizards? -should I proceed with this type of unit or that type into a known enemy ambush? -how and where should I make my defense fortifications to withstand a gigantic enemy attack? These are all questions you would have to rethink over and over again as you play this game. If you go on normal difficulty like I did - only a couple of the levels will literally take you 40 HOURS to complete. It's that challenging. You will have to read the strategy guide for some of the levels. The negative reviews were made by stupid people who probably got stuck at levels 5 or 6 and gave up. Ignore those reviews. Make no mistake, this will be the hardest strategy game you've ever played. And this is certainly if not the best - one of the best strategy games out there. Every mission is unique and interesting. You build up armies; you go on explorations; you set up long stone wall fortifications with towers and gates. There is also a level where you have to get a spy into an enemy base full of patrols and counter-spies hiding in the houses. Make one wrong move and they'll catch you and you have to restart the mission. And also this game features three races: Europeans, Arabs, and East Asians; so it's very appealing to a world audience. I definitely recommend it.
