Elemental: Fallen Enchantress

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 173 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 113 out of 173
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 173
  3. Negative: 30 out of 173

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  1. quekwoambojish
    Oct 25, 2012
    8
    If you wish to play a game that is similair to Civ 5, but has more of a old world fantasy feelm I would recommend this game to you. I figure people generally like data organized, so here is some goods and bads for you to consider before buying...Goods: Customization extroardinaire regarding unit equipment and abilities, the game can be very difficult giving veteran strategy players aIf you wish to play a game that is similair to Civ 5, but has more of a old world fantasy feelm I would recommend this game to you. I figure people generally like data organized, so here is some goods and bads for you to consider before buying...Goods: Customization extroardinaire regarding unit equipment and abilities, the game can be very difficult giving veteran strategy players a competetive experience, a large variety of just about everything including wierd enemies, many options for the expansion of your territory and cities. Bads: The graphics are ok but not great, the AI is sometimes unfair and is able to complete things that are for lategame during early game phase, managing cities can sometimes be irritable depending on random occurences, the combat system is nothing astounding, customization of your new faction is not unique as it takes traits from already existing factions. What Price? Worth getting? I like the game, I knew what I was buying so I bought it. If I were to put an appropriate price tag on this game, it would be 25$ (it just released for 40$). What can make this better in the future? If the devs change this, I would bring my rating from an 8 to an 8.5...Add multiplayer, even if it is LAN, and take away the AI quest advantages.… Expand
  2. Zanadar
    Oct 24, 2012
    8
    Think of this game as one part HoMM, one part Civ 5 and one part Warlock: Master of the Arcane. It takes most of the good (though not all) of the elements from all those games and puts them together quite competently.
    From HoMM we have the hero system and the tactical grid-based combat, which Civ 5 and Warlock sorely missed, making combat much more interesting and dynamic. We also have    Think of this game as one part HoMM, one part Civ 5 and one part Warlock: Master of the Arcane. It takes most of the good (though not all) of the elements from all those games and puts them together quite competently.
    From HoMM we have the hero system and the tactical grid-based combat, which Civ 5 and Warlock sorely missed, making combat much more interesting and dynamic. We also have the tactical spell system with plenty of schools and variety.
    From Civ 5 we have the city founding system with it's plethora of upgrades, the research system with even more research options than Civ had and the diplomacy system.
    From Warlock we have the dynamic city building and resource nodes which built upon the Civ system so successfully and much of the monster and unit variety that gave that gave some decent replay value. Also here are the tactical spells that game had so many of.
    On the whole this game has combined these disparate elements quite successfully, addressing many of the individual problems the other games had like the city spamming of Civ 5 and Warlock, the boring combat of those same, or the set piece feel of HoMM. On the whole, I'd say this: The game is probably the best entry in the genre for the past few years, and manages to be superior to each of the games it draws inspiration from, even though it doesn't manage to surpass them all on every individual point (HoMM had a story, Civ 5 had more diverse gameplay, Warlock had more unit types).    … Expand
  3. Dariune
    Oct 25, 2012
    9
    Before I give you my review of the game, can I advise you to forget Elemental: War on magic and judge this game on its own merits. It's very different from the original. So ... to the game. Fallen Enchantress is heralded as a modern 4x game and for the most part, it does it's job really well. You control your leader, your soverign through a dangerous world, founding a settlement and thenBefore I give you my review of the game, can I advise you to forget Elemental: War on magic and judge this game on its own merits. It's very different from the original. So ... to the game. Fallen Enchantress is heralded as a modern 4x game and for the most part, it does it's job really well. You control your leader, your soverign through a dangerous world, founding a settlement and then doing your best against a harsh environment and other factions. There are 8 factions for you to play against, all with different stats and special abilities. SOme of which offer better equipment and some which improve aspects of your diplomacy or building abilities. All are different enough but aethetically and statistically they could be better varied still. A minor quibble though. You can also create your own faction choosing colors, and talets. Once that's done you can create your soverign. There are lots of options in terms of talents, magic, weapons, clothes, aethetics and more but, like with the factions, I would still like to see more choice here. Though it's far more than you would get in most games of this type. Once your in the game it is familiar grounds for those used to the genre. The difference being the stunning atmosphere and myriad of personalisations the game puts before you. There are creatures to slay (And slay them you must should you wish to get pioneers through the lands to settle more cities), there are quests to complete, loot to get your champions, buildings to build, resources to discover and claim and battles to be fought. The battles are played out in a Heroes of Might and Magic style. They start out being hit for hit skirmishes but soon escalate into army battles. My largest complaint here is that the troops are generally no match for the champions but its not a terrible problem. Talking of troops, you can customize your troops almost as much as you can your champions and with real battle advantages rewarding you for your efforts. This game is much much improved on War on Magic and it genuinly my game of the year. XCOM was ok, but this game is fun and LONG after I am done with XCOM, I will still be playing this game. Should the vanilla game ever become repetative there are already mods being made for the game. My advice, if you like the genre, buy this game. Its fun, atmospheric and ticks the majority of the boxes.… Expand
  4. kozzy420
    Oct 24, 2012
    10
    Fantastic strategy game from Stardock!

    This is the best game from them since Galactic Civilization2. The game has great gameplay, good performance and optimization and it has great replay value. Any PC gamer who likes Civilization, Galactic Civilization or MOM will love this one! Do yourself a favor and go pick this wonderful game up ASAP! The last game had alot of issues (Bugs,    Fantastic strategy game from Stardock!

    This is the best game from them since Galactic Civilization2.

    The game has great gameplay, good performance and optimization and it has great replay value. Any PC gamer who likes Civilization, Galactic Civilization or MOM will love this one! Do yourself a favor and go pick this wonderful game up ASAP!

    The last game had alot of issues (Bugs, gameplay issues, crashes,etc..) but this one improves in every single way possible. The UI is also nicely improved and a good tutorial has been added. Stardock adding all these new people to help out on the game really helped in the long run.

    Up there with Borderlands2 as my favorite game so far of 2012!    … Expand
  5. Awesome_Owl
    Apr 24, 2013
    10
    after i played this game for +150 hours i can safely say that it's worth my money.it's a very addicting game and deep too.it's hard to please the 4x crowd but for me this game is a 10.customizable factions+customizable units+customizable leaders+deep strategy=9000+ Awesomeness
  6. Sharpe
    Nov 10, 2012
    9
    Fallen Enchantress has the potential to be one of the best games not only of the year, but of its kind. Unfortunately, that potential has not yet been met. Players who are familiar with the Civilization IV mods Fall From Heaven and Fall From Heaven II will recognize the influence of Kael / Derek Paxton, the lead designer on this project. It is obvious to any fan that he was trying toFallen Enchantress has the potential to be one of the best games not only of the year, but of its kind. Unfortunately, that potential has not yet been met. Players who are familiar with the Civilization IV mods Fall From Heaven and Fall From Heaven II will recognize the influence of Kael / Derek Paxton, the lead designer on this project. It is obvious to any fan that he was trying to realize his creative vision in terms of a standalone game -- an idea that should excite anyone, but that isn't "there" yet.

    Fallen Enchantress is also a great heir to the classic Master of Magic formula: It plays like a highly intuitive version of Civilization with magic and fantastic units included. When you first begin the game, you can easily find yourself pulled into the atmosphere and excited to see what your heroes, monsters, and beasts can do. For a while, it feels like you are playing both a great RPG and a great strategy game, as you build up cities from tons of building and strategy choices -- all while your customized sovereign explores the landscape, collects treasure, vanquishes monsters, and completes quests.

    However, there are a number of problems keeping Fallen Enchantress from becoming truly great:

    1) The graphics, although passable, are flat and do not create either compelling characters or landscapes.

    2) The RPG and strategy elements do not always work together effectively, leaving you quickly feeling that you have exhausted your options on the RPG side. To be fair, this is often very true with other, more highly regarded games, such as Age of Wonders.

    3) The mythology is usually very flat. While there are some fantastic late-level quests (the one related to the darklings and the Pit of Lost Voices stands out) most of the writing and flavor text is so-so. This is a result of Kael having to work with the frankly boring Elemental mythos. As we know from seeing his mods, he is great at creating an environment on his own -- but it doesn't translate well here.

    If you can look beyond these issues, you'll find that there is a great, engaging game that's already very playable and enjoyable. It looks some of its impact in comparison to what it could have been, but I for one intend to stick with the community through all the amazing modding (which has already started) and expansions that are sure to become available.

    Fallen Enchantress is a very ambitious project and a worthy successor to the games it's inspired by. When a few minor issues are worked out, it's sure to be a ten. If you're a big fan of 4X, buy it now -- otherwise, give it a few months to cook with the wider gamer feedback it's sure to get.    … Expand
  7. giskard
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Since Fraxis dumped down Civilization 5 for the kiddies, us long term civ fans have not had a lot to get excited about and I really was not expecting much from Fallen Enchantress either. But it turned out to be an excellent game. This game mixes a full blown RPG (I am not kidding) with Civilization style gaming in a fantasy world. Not only do you create your own leader character like youSince Fraxis dumped down Civilization 5 for the kiddies, us long term civ fans have not had a lot to get excited about and I really was not expecting much from Fallen Enchantress either. But it turned out to be an excellent game. This game mixes a full blown RPG (I am not kidding) with Civilization style gaming in a fantasy world. Not only do you create your own leader character like you would in any serious RPG, but he levels up as you progress. You can hire heros too which also level up. Build cities which level up as they grow and gain extra features. And do all the building that you expect inside a city in a civ style game.

    For an RPG Fan + Strategy fan, it does not get any better than this. Its a mix that works really well and drews you in pretty quickly. The only real tactic you need to know early on is to build lots of cities. Not only is it rock solid stable game with out a single crash in 15 hours of playing. But the world is just so rich and deep it has lore running like rivers across the landscape. AI players all have their own background story and special abilities and if you choose to play one your self if you want. But I like to create me own character.

    As with all good RPGs, weapon types, units, spells are all different, so are the enchantments. You get a lot of strategic options from mixing units you can build with your leader and heroes. Sometimes you can get your butt kicked simply because you had no ranged units in your army, other times you will win because you have something the enemy has no defence against. The battles you will see in the videos look crap, it nearly put me off buying the game but to be honest, its a lot more fun and lot more tactical that the videos make it appear. So before puking at the sight of the battles understand, the game is a lot better than that and you can auto fight the battles and skip that if you like too. The part I like is exploring the map, seeing a village or a temple or a ruin or something else and sending a unit to that square and either getting a quest or a bad guy to fight or both. You just do not get that in Civilization games. The games background story goes something like this.

    The old world is invaded by titans and the battle to destroy them lays waste the world. When the Titans are finally destroyed most of the life on the planet is wiped out and for the next hundred years, ancient beings called Elementals start appearing and taking over the world.

    Mean while several kingdoms and empires start to emerge, kingdoms being life loving types and empires being merchants of death. Empires follow the old titan teachings, where as kingdoms fight against it. Several premade AIs exist for both Empire and Kingdoms and to win you can either beat them to pulp, allie with them or our research them I believe. The usual stuff. Each element (pardon the pun) adds a layer or lore to the game, once that lore gets about 12 layers thick, as happens in this game, you could almost drowned in the game lore if not for the fact the campaign walks you through it in a nice fun way. Though I should add, the campaign is NOT a sandbox game and plays differently from sandbox since most of the options are disabled in the campaign which focuses more on the story than the world conquering strategies.

    Everybody I know who brought this game, loves it so far. Its turned out to be a hidden gem of a game.    … Expand
  8. Sfaxon
    Nov 2, 2012
    8
    I have mixed feelings about this game, but its the only game out right now that adequatly fills the niche left vacent by Age of Wonders. I really like the fact that Stardock is giving this game for free after its previous Elemental game failed. That to me adds A LOT of credibility to Stardock.

    The game itself has a little bit of a learning curve. At first its very hard to tell whats    I have mixed feelings about this game, but its the only game out right now that adequatly fills the niche left vacent by Age of Wonders. I really like the fact that Stardock is giving this game for free after its previous Elemental game failed. That to me adds A LOT of credibility to Stardock.

    The game itself has a little bit of a learning curve. At first its very hard to tell whats going on. The normal map graphics are just mediocre and difficult to tell whats going on. The cloth map (zoom out) is gorgeous though, and makes it easy to see whats going on. The gameplay is a mixture of Civilization + Fantasy RPG. Your cities and champions level up, and you research a tech tree. I don't really like the tech tree... too much stuff going on and it doesn't really branch off enough. The tactical battle is really fun... until you release that there is no real cover or walls or anything. They plan on adding them latter on, but thats a step backwards from Age of Wonders and really inexcusable. The wild (non civilized) NPS are really awesome looking, but the civilizations themselves are just humans with different colors. I really wish they put some more diversity in the models and skins for the civilizations. While the art in the opening scene is AWESOME, the rest of the game is lackluster. I agree that it just seems to lack a 'soul' as others have said.

    So why do I think this is an 8? Customization. Customization in this game is leaps and bounds above Age of Wonders. You can design your own units from the ground up. Its really rewarding to develop your own unit and put it to battle. What gives this game a soul for me is the custom civilizations you can build and the awesome support for mods. I wish there was more vareity in the aesthetics (what if I want to make wolfmen, or demons ect ect ?) on release.

    Overall, if you ache for a Age of Wonders in 3d and LOVE customization you will find something for you in this game.    … Expand
  9. GFireflyE
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    Overall a great game and has ALOT of potential that SD appears to be following through on. Ver 1.01 is basically the 1.0 of the game, though it has some UI problems with 32-bit machines. Am really looking forward to future updates, as this game definately has the potentialt to become MoM 2.0 and receive a score of 10!
  10. Czar
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    Overall this is an entertaining game. I have played this game for many many hours. Could it be better - yes it could. Given the amount of time the team worked on this title should it have been better - once again yes it should - and probably will be. At this time I would say it is an 8 - it could have been a 9 if a few aspects were more polished. My biggest gripe is that each game feelsOverall this is an entertaining game. I have played this game for many many hours. Could it be better - yes it could. Given the amount of time the team worked on this title should it have been better - once again yes it should - and probably will be. At this time I would say it is an 8 - it could have been a 9 if a few aspects were more polished. My biggest gripe is that each game feels too samey - i.e., you tend to play same game and strategy every time.… Expand
  11. Avloren
    Oct 25, 2012
    8
    Solid Fantasy TBS, a completely different game from War of Magic. It definitely has that one-more-turn addictiveness, although a few frustrations hold it back from being a true classic.
    Positives:
    >Good economy, research, general empire-building - nothing revolutionary here, but it has everything you'd expect and it's well done. >The RPG aspects, i.e. questing and leveling with    Solid Fantasy TBS, a completely different game from War of Magic. It definitely has that one-more-turn addictiveness, although a few frustrations hold it back from being a true classic.
    Positives:
    >Good economy, research, general empire-building - nothing revolutionary here, but it has everything you'd expect and it's well done.
    >The RPG aspects, i.e. questing and leveling with champions, are really where the game shines: they're fun and smoothly integrated into the 4X parts of the game. Champions and trained units are finally well balanced (it was out of whack throughout most of the beta), but now you need to rely on both, it leads to good strategic combined-arms play.
    >Great customization: from the very beginning, the different factions and sovereigns (not to mention custom factions and sovereigns) open up a wide variety of playstyles. Factions do play quite differently even if they look superficially similar. As the game progresses, the variety of traits for champions (particularly the path specializations), plus the great unit design, means that both your champions and trained units will be unique.
    >Pretty good AI, enough to provide a credible threat without cheating, and the higher difficulty levels (with cheating) will challenge any player.
    >Well polished GUI, empire and unit management is easy.
    >The campaign scenario is a fun addition with pretty good writing, but really, the heart of this game is the sandbox mode.

    Mixed/Negatives:
    >Tactical battles are fairly shallow, they get repetitive - feels like chance has far more influence than any actual tactics. Still a far better combat system than, say, Civilization 4 (i.e. roll the dice and that's it), but doesn't match up to the likes of Age of Wonders.
    >Balance has some weak spots; for example, certain champion paths (specializations) are markedly better than others. Certain races/factions are also simply better than others - it's not an insurmountable difference, I actually enjoy trying to win with weaker factions, and you always have the option of making a custom faction. Not game-breaking, but the balance could use some tweaking.
    >Magic is a little underwhelming. It's there, and it's useful, but it's not the focus of the game. On the plus side, unit buffs are varied and useful, and city buffs are a stroke of genius that really helps tie the RPG/magic aspects into the 4X side of the game. On the negative side, summons are weak, debuffs and direct damage are useful in some circumstances but too mana-intensive to rely on every battle. This makes it very difficult to play a casting-focused sovereign, magic is better in a supportive role, used to back up the melees that will do the bulk of your damage dealing/absorbing.
    >Diplomacy is all-or-nothing: if you're leading the scoreboard all the AIs will trip over each other to offer you tribute and stay on your good side, if you're falling behind they'll race each other to dogpile you in one declaration of war after another. It makes the highest difficulty settings particularly frustrating, the AI bonuses give it an inherent head start over you, and it's hard to catch up when all the AIs decide they can push you around because you're weak. Diplomacy does work decently when you're evenly matched with the AIs, so it's not game-breaking, really a matter of finding the right difficulty setting.    … Expand
  12. jackswift
    Oct 26, 2012
    9
    One thing to get right out of the gate: this game is not Master of Magic 2 (there might eventually be a mod that makes it pretty darn close, though). That being said, there are a lot of satisfying gameplay hours to be had here. FE's foundation is your typical 4X Turn Based Strategy, with cities to build, units to customize and train, spells and technology to research, monsters and empiresOne thing to get right out of the gate: this game is not Master of Magic 2 (there might eventually be a mod that makes it pretty darn close, though). That being said, there are a lot of satisfying gameplay hours to be had here. FE's foundation is your typical 4X Turn Based Strategy, with cities to build, units to customize and train, spells and technology to research, monsters and empires to subjugate (or make peace with, nobody ever said you can't have dragons and trolls on your side). There is a campaign that I have not completed yet. It is fun and gets you into the lore of the Elemental Universe, however the true gameplay is in the sandbox mode. There are many factions to pick when you create a game (or you can customize your own - this game is big on customization). I've heard some people criticize FE because "all the races are the same". That couldn't be further from the truth. Each faction has a unique abilities and traits that change how the game is played depending on which faction you pick. From slave lords to golem crafters, the factions are unique. If you really have to have elves, undead, angels, etc. there's already a mod, Stormworld, that contains 13 new unique races that are typical 'high fantasy'. The art direction is also something that has received a fair amount of criticism but I find it has its own charm. Just like Torchlight 2, people who who found the game enjoyable because the "graphics are terrible" really aren't focusing on what matters. The painted/rendered vignettes are breathtakingly beautiful. The rest of the gameplay plays out like Civ on a square grid map where you found cities, research technology and build armies. The difference here is that there's much more emphasis on developing your leader or sovereign. Standard RPG elements come in here, where you level your hero (and any other champions you recruit) based on random traits that you choose from, like choosing between magic schools, melee abilities, unit stats, etc. There are quests you can undertake and areas of the world (randomly generated, but you can pick static maps if you so choose) called 'Wildlands that feature really tough monsters and a boss fight with loads of treasure if you succeed in clearing them. All these battles happen in turn based tactical maps like HoMM 5 and 6. This is arguably the weakest part of the game, but is still satisfying. Spell animations are cool, units have a wide variety of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. You can win the game by conquest, diplomacy, the master quest and spell of making (economic/research). The AI is actually pretty robust right now, and will offer a fair challenge to TBS veterans. Currently there is no Multi-Player right now, however the developer has stated they will add it during post-release support. The other faults of FE include some minor bugs, the balance isn't quite finished and the endgame drags on considerably (surrender options and the spell of making helps).

    What it comes down to is that if you like turn-based strategy games and have the patience to learn the ins and outs of Fallen Enchantress' gameplay, a deep and rewarding gaming experience awaits. I'd give it an 8.5/10, so I rounded up to a 9.    … Expand
  13. moloh
    Oct 25, 2012
    9
    Played through beta and must say it is very nice game, regardless if you like to create mighty magic empire or powerful warrior kingdom you will find something for yourself. Character advancement, quests and RPG elements are really refined and fantastic. While game is really good, it still lacks some masterpiece quality and does not captivate player into 'one more turn' mode, maybe it isPlayed through beta and must say it is very nice game, regardless if you like to create mighty magic empire or powerful warrior kingdom you will find something for yourself. Character advancement, quests and RPG elements are really refined and fantastic. While game is really good, it still lacks some masterpiece quality and does not captivate player into 'one more turn' mode, maybe it is because the game is bland and while it has everything you can wish for it lacks overall coherency.… Expand
  14. joasoze
    Oct 26, 2012
    9
    The problem with this game is its depth. You have to play a lot to understand the inner workings of the game. I love this myself, but I can see many people that doesnt like it on first try and gives up. I have played the beta since is first version, and I have seen all the small details that are in the game for you to explore. There are still many strategies I havent tried, and I will playThe problem with this game is its depth. You have to play a lot to understand the inner workings of the game. I love this myself, but I can see many people that doesnt like it on first try and gives up. I have played the beta since is first version, and I have seen all the small details that are in the game for you to explore. There are still many strategies I havent tried, and I will play this game on and off for years. Its also very moddable. A great example of the fun in this game, is that by doing a quest you can get a shadow rift spell, which gives you the ability to place a rift on the map that will generate tough monster armies. This is a spell you might find after playing for months. The game keep on giving.… Expand
  15. gllq
    Oct 26, 2012
    9
    It still needed a huge polishing and few new concepts, but...
    This is first game ever who can pretend to be master of magic 2. I have hope :)
    With powerfull modding tools (very unusual this times, when corporations tends to cut off modders for small, stupid and costly DLC instead) game will grow.
  16. Beanbag
    Mar 6, 2013
    8
    While Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is certainly not an easy game, even on "easy", it is entertaining and provides hours of distraction. This installment is a great improvement over the original Elemental: War of Magic, and if Stardock proves true to reputation, Fallen enchantress will only improve even more over time through many patches and terrific post-release support. There are someWhile Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is certainly not an easy game, even on "easy", it is entertaining and provides hours of distraction. This installment is a great improvement over the original Elemental: War of Magic, and if Stardock proves true to reputation, Fallen enchantress will only improve even more over time through many patches and terrific post-release support. There are some flaws, of course, with the game feeling very unbalanced at times. Sometimes, you might be struggling to scrape by when you encounter another kingdom or empire that is several orders of magnitude your superior. Other times, you have built a tremendous empire only to discover that your opponents are still banging rocks together for laughs in their first village. While there is a certain aspect of "reality" in these possibilities, there is little fun in steamrolling, no matter which side of it you are on. If you have multiple opponents, diplomacy can be used to even the footing if used carefully, and provides a somewhat useful tool. Overall, I would rate Elemental: Fallen Enchantress as a solid 8. While it does combine many elements together in a unique fashion, none of those elements are truly novel. The game itself conjures memories of Age of Wonders with it's base game, and borrows from Master of Orion for some of the underlying 4x and customization. Still, it is well implemented and with Stardocks usual excellent post-release support, will only get better.… Expand
  17. giskarduk
    Sep 13, 2013
    8
    A really enjoyable X4 strategy game, a little rough around the edges in places but they fixed those things in Legendary heroes, also owners of this game got Legendary Heroes at half price and owners of the game before this got Fallen Enchantress for free because the old game was a bit crap. Stardock may may mistakes, but they seem to always do right by their customers in the end. So like IA really enjoyable X4 strategy game, a little rough around the edges in places but they fixed those things in Legendary heroes, also owners of this game got Legendary Heroes at half price and owners of the game before this got Fallen Enchantress for free because the old game was a bit crap. Stardock may may mistakes, but they seem to always do right by their customers in the end. So like I said, great game but buy Fallen Enchantress Legendary Heroes instead if you see it.… Expand
  18. Metal_Raider
    Oct 27, 2012
    10
    Fallen Enchantress is a great fantasy tbs game featuring randomly generated maps that keep you coming back. The game has tons of content and is among the easiest to mod in history. Stardock has also shown a dedication to the series that leaves me with no doubt they will continue to improve and add content to this game for a long long time. All the people giving bad reviews have obviouslyFallen Enchantress is a great fantasy tbs game featuring randomly generated maps that keep you coming back. The game has tons of content and is among the easiest to mod in history. Stardock has also shown a dedication to the series that leaves me with no doubt they will continue to improve and add content to this game for a long long time. All the people giving bad reviews have obviously not played the game for very long, if at all. The longer you play this game the more it sucks you in.… Expand
  19. PekkaTa
    Oct 25, 2012
    9
    Good:
    - 4X strategy and RPG combined
    - Customization of units (Would I like to build a unit with spear or hammer, Shield or not, Armor pieces of leather, iron mail, chain mail, Some perks to improve HP's, horse or some magic items etc) - AI (good and challenging AI from release, this is really seldom in these days) - Living world with dragons, ogres, spiders et to kill, Quests to be    Good:
    - 4X strategy and RPG combined
    - Customization of units (Would I like to build a unit with spear or hammer, Shield or not, Armor pieces of leather, iron mail, chain mail, Some perks to improve HP's, horse or some magic items etc)
    - AI (good and challenging AI from release, this is really seldom in these days)
    - Living world with dragons, ogres, spiders et to kill, Quests to be done and treasures to be found
    - Bugfree, which you cannot take for granted either

    The Bad:
    - Playable races are all humanlike (no orcs here)    … Expand
  20. esvath
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    The graphic is good. The lore is fantastic. The factions are unique, and the game presents very high replay value. It is definitely a great game! What I do like about this game is because I can design almost everything! I can create a custom faction, a custom leader, and even custom units! These customization not only for my current game, but can be used on other game. Once I customizeThe graphic is good. The lore is fantastic. The factions are unique, and the game presents very high replay value. It is definitely a great game! What I do like about this game is because I can design almost everything! I can create a custom faction, a custom leader, and even custom units! These customization not only for my current game, but can be used on other game. Once I customize something, it stays. And AI will use them too!… Expand
  21. Cattletech
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    Been playing since mid-beta, and have had many hours of fun (about 100 probably).

    With Stardock, you know that it's going to be a long-term investment, too.
  22. MassimoMaccagno
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    Great game, TBS, 4X and RPG together, in an interesting fantasy world. Much, much better than the first Elemental. My favourite part is the RPG: sending my sovereign and some other champions on quests, getting magical stuff and increasing level, and then use them to annihilate the powerful monsters and the enemy sovereigns.
  23. Athelas
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    Once upon a time, i played masters of magic. This game comes very close to playability and engrossing the other one did. It doesn't seem as fancy as civilization or similar games, but what it offers in terms of playability, quests and roleplaying is immense and excellent.

    I am 34 years old, have been playing similar games ever since spectrum's sorcery, nether earth, hobbit etc. This    Once upon a time, i played masters of magic. This game comes very close to playability and engrossing the other one did. It doesn't seem as fancy as civilization or similar games, but what it offers in terms of playability, quests and roleplaying is immense and excellent.

    I am 34 years old, have been playing similar games ever since spectrum's sorcery, nether earth, hobbit etc.
    This game is something to like or not like, but definitely worth every buck it presently costs.

    A to the fun it gives, i must say my wife, son and I are presently fighting for playing scenario/campaign....    … Expand
  24. wattmatrix
    Oct 31, 2012
    8
    I disagree with some of the comments I have seen in reviews suggesting that this game is missing a soul. It is alive and you will go to sleep dreaming about kingdoms and empires and your wolf called Anna that has been with you since you only had one town and some humble militia, howling alongside the warg that you ride into battle against a huge juggernaut that could fell a man with aI disagree with some of the comments I have seen in reviews suggesting that this game is missing a soul. It is alive and you will go to sleep dreaming about kingdoms and empires and your wolf called Anna that has been with you since you only had one town and some humble militia, howling alongside the warg that you ride into battle against a huge juggernaut that could fell a man with a single swing of his axe.
    For those who love Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and the "pet" appeal of games like Pokemon, this game is well worth playing. Hopefully Stardock and the modding community will also bring more love to it.
    The problems are mostly balance related in my opinion - the combat may seem tiresome to some, but I have always been a turn based strategy fan and I love the Heroes 3 or old Final Fantasy battle types. To illustrate my comment about balance, I played a game where I found a dragon temple and claimed it, which spouted dragons that decimated any opponent with ease... and yet most other games I am struggling to raise armies that can fend off the wild creatures of the world. Maybe I just won the lottery that game...    … Expand
  25. CavieZ
    Oct 24, 2012
    10
    Game is very good! This is a Heroes of Might and Magic + Master of Magic + Civilization! Fallen Enchantress is a best strategy of this 2012 year! Great Great!
  26. Krael
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    These days its very difficult to find a game, especially strategy game, made with pc in mind.
    Its way way bettere than Elemental war of magic ( a sort of failure last year) and the depth of the game its great. You have to play some hours to find many things that this game offer, firts minutes are not enough.
    many reivews here seems to judge the game just for some minutes of play, just    These days its very difficult to find a game, especially strategy game, made with pc in mind.
    Its way way bettere than Elemental war of magic ( a sort of failure last year) and the depth of the game its great. You have to play some hours to find many things that this game offer, firts minutes are not enough.

    many reivews here seems to judge the game just for some minutes of play, just graphical impact but this game need more attention and patience to discover what has to offer.
    Extreme modding capability also, and a develoepr studio that care about support, and wants to improve the game for a long time.
    I put 10, also cause there are people that score the game too low based only in few minutes of playtime.
    I have playerd many 4x games, and this one is very great, made to last not just some months but I'd say years. sorry for my english yea :)    … Expand
  27. Therongodspeed
    Oct 27, 2012
    10
    Simply put, this game is amazing! Lovers of turn-based civ and tactical rpg will lose hours to this great game. Sure, the graphics are a bit dated, though not nearly as dated as some users report (comparing this game to a game that came out 13 years ago is not only truly ridiculous, it shows a true lack of integrity on that user's part). The mixed reviews show that this seems to be a loveSimply put, this game is amazing! Lovers of turn-based civ and tactical rpg will lose hours to this great game. Sure, the graphics are a bit dated, though not nearly as dated as some users report (comparing this game to a game that came out 13 years ago is not only truly ridiculous, it shows a true lack of integrity on that user's part). The mixed reviews show that this seems to be a love it or hate it kind of experience, but being such a huge fan of "how games used to be" and so tired of the insipid and countless "cover-shooters," I'm firmly in the love-it camp.… Expand
  28. blubberguts
    Nov 4, 2012
    9
    Stardock got it right this time. THIS is the game that Elemental should have been.

    It's not without flaws - the interface is still a bit unintuitive, and sometimes doesn't respond to clicks. There seems to be no way to scroll the battlefield - not WASD or cursor keys; instead you zoom out, point your cursor somewhere else, and zoom back in. Cumbersome. Why didn't the testers pick this    Stardock got it right this time. THIS is the game that Elemental should have been.

    It's not without flaws - the interface is still a bit unintuitive, and sometimes doesn't respond to clicks. There seems to be no way to scroll the battlefield - not WASD or cursor keys; instead you zoom out, point your cursor somewhere else, and zoom back in. Cumbersome. Why didn't the testers pick this up?

    But the core game is finally there. Battles are fun. The world is interesting to explore. The story is ok. Lots of equipment with strategy changing stats. The cities look great and so do the units. Battle animations are nice and it's fun just to see the different monsters, they look good and move well. I'm having fun.

    I disagree with Guinevere, it DOES have that one-more-turn feeling. It's 11pm and I have to work tomorrow but as this review is now finished I'm off to start a new game .... :-) Well done Stardock! And Kudos to Brad Wardell for giving it free to "Elemental" buyers.    … Expand
  29. XavierXing
    Nov 1, 2012
    10
    What A fun game, I cant stop playing. The start of the game is the most fun, i find my self starting over and over. Lots of quest and great build for Hero's. A lot of people keep trashing the graphics but i think the game looks great and plays great. The MOD making is fun also. A must have if you are not some D-bag who wants the game to be some BS super game. Oh and Civ games are good butWhat A fun game, I cant stop playing. The start of the game is the most fun, i find my self starting over and over. Lots of quest and great build for Hero's. A lot of people keep trashing the graphics but i think the game looks great and plays great. The MOD making is fun also. A must have if you are not some D-bag who wants the game to be some BS super game. Oh and Civ games are good but there not that good.… Expand
  30. Iduakil
    Oct 29, 2012
    10
    From my view point as a an 28 yeal old 4x, mostly Civ-like and HoMM series games this game "fills the gap" that I didn`t even knew existed in my heart and mind. If you are like myself this type of a player that like to have impact on almost every aspect of the game (while not so overwhelming like in Master of Orion3) which is made inteligently you`re going to love this game from firstFrom my view point as a an 28 yeal old 4x, mostly Civ-like and HoMM series games this game "fills the gap" that I didn`t even knew existed in my heart and mind. If you are like myself this type of a player that like to have impact on almost every aspect of the game (while not so overwhelming like in Master of Orion3) which is made inteligently you`re going to love this game from first play. Where?
    The game presents to us a very damaged world filled with ancient creatures, hordes of bandits or similar bloodthirsty ruffians roaming the land. A world with deep history with connections and old grudges betwenn nations. Civilizations are one step from oblivion and the only person which can lead your men and women to the safe harbor is You!

    How?
    The options! Game designers presented to us a very big arsenal of customization to the civilization we pick to lead. Picking default soveregins or making your own is just a first sign of options the games presents to the patient gamer. The more you sink into the game, to more you try to understand and master the more you realize how good product have been given into your hands. I will just say, the way developers made the whole city managment, army customization, magic and economical system in my eyes is worth of a Nobel prize in game designing! Marvelous!

    To sum up, for fantasy lovers with a taste for world domination this game is a must have!!!!    … Expand
  31. gayyoxx
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    This game is great! I love how strategic and rpg game combined into one, with fantasy setting and heavy use of magic. You can even terraform the environment, raising mountains to destroy your enemy's city, or sinking land to ocean to prevent access from your enemy. I also loooove the cloth map. It gave me a classic feeling. Very great game and addicting to boot!
  32. LanMandragoran
    Nov 4, 2012
    9
    Fallen Enchantress is extremely fun and deep. Stardock has made an enjoyable world - but more importantly, they have made their own enjoyable world maker. I've played the vanilla game for countless hours and have never tired exploring the maps, mechanics, and content of the vanilla factions. As of the time I write this review, there are two fully functional and exceptional mods namedFallen Enchantress is extremely fun and deep. Stardock has made an enjoyable world - but more importantly, they have made their own enjoyable world maker. I've played the vanilla game for countless hours and have never tired exploring the maps, mechanics, and content of the vanilla factions. As of the time I write this review, there are two fully functional and exceptional mods named Stormwold and Master's Affliction which give the player even more choices to enjoy the game. The community is awesome, and this playform will give hours of enjoyment for years to come. I refuse to give any game a 10 - but FE is worthy of a 9. There is awesome replayability with this game. Highly recommend it to fans of 4x strategy.… Expand
  33. halldors78
    Nov 11, 2012
    8
    why are all these people crying here bout bugs? it works fine for me and no crashes, don't you just have stolen version or something? the graphics are fine, maybe not great but still ok, have seen worse.
  34. Megatanis
    Oct 9, 2013
    9
    Very very entertaining game! As always, the best stuff never receives the right amount of advertisement. This game is paradise for unhappy civ fans, a true spiritual successor to the glorious Master of Magic. And I don't say this lightly.
    Without doubt an extremely well thought game, polished, fun, very nice graphics, replayable, lots of mods. Doesn't get a 10 because of lack of    Very very entertaining game! As always, the best stuff never receives the right amount of advertisement. This game is paradise for unhappy civ fans, a true spiritual successor to the glorious Master of Magic. And I don't say this lightly.
    Without doubt an extremely well thought game, polished, fun, very nice graphics, replayable, lots of mods. Doesn't get a 10 because of lack of multiplayer. Stardock seems to be one of those odd developers that don't believe in MP (not even hotseat or lan, which would have been perfectly doable with this one). Reminds me of how disappointed I was to discover that galciv2 (again Stardock and again an excellent game) didn't support MP.
    Oh well, it's still a very good single player experience.    … Expand
  35. Gratson
    Mar 6, 2013
    8
    I've spent a couple nights on this game, it's quite addicting. If you enjoy Heroes of Might and Magic, you'll probably like this one. I find it superior to the Heroes of Might and Magic games. It's not perfect though, feels like an Indy game, but it's quite fun.
  36. darkcerb
    Nov 24, 2012
    8
    Take homm, civ and master of the arcane throw in a dash of age of wonders and you'll have this game, I've seen many complaints here about "flaws" and "bugs" but have yet to experience any myself, it's likely many were patched quickly the art style and animations are smooth and pleasing the combat and city management is intuitive. It's a turn based strategy game with rpg elements andTake homm, civ and master of the arcane throw in a dash of age of wonders and you'll have this game, I've seen many complaints here about "flaws" and "bugs" but have yet to experience any myself, it's likely many were patched quickly the art style and animations are smooth and pleasing the combat and city management is intuitive. It's a turn based strategy game with rpg elements and infinite re-playability and built in map creator. Well worth the price of admission.… Expand
  37. Tick
    Dec 29, 2012
    9
    I played the War of Magic game and was disapointed because I saw what the game could have been. FE fixed most of what was wrong, and has become a stronger game. I got the game for free because I bought War of Magic, and I also played a bit of the Beta. I was nervous on how the game would come out, but I was pleasantly suprised. I keep clicking the turns to get that one more quest, finishI played the War of Magic game and was disapointed because I saw what the game could have been. FE fixed most of what was wrong, and has become a stronger game. I got the game for free because I bought War of Magic, and I also played a bit of the Beta. I was nervous on how the game would come out, but I was pleasantly suprised. I keep clicking the turns to get that one more quest, finish the next building, fight that next monster or finish that one tech. I enjoy the game, and what it is. There are a few things which could be improved.

    The AI, on harder difficulty settings, has employed tactics to delay my armies through the creation of obsticles, throw-away units to delay me etc. so the AI could muster a defense. I was happy with this.

    However, the AI doesn't seem to do much with the diplomacy options. It could be that I play against too many factions that are naturally aligned against me. Who knows.

    I also wish the buildings stood out more in the cities, or you could zoom in more to see them. The major buildings and larger ones stand out. I would like to select each one and see what I spent time on building.

    I find that heros are too few and far between for my liking, and being able to select enemy units during combat to view stats, vulnerabilities and strengths would be good. You can see this on the main map, but if you forgot to or forget what you read, you can't see it during combat. There still exists a few smaller bugs, or improvements the game can get through patches, but that will just further polish the game. I would say this game is definately worth a try. I'm actually going to submit this review and play a new game with something I just thought about doing!    … Expand
  38. thvaz
    Feb 17, 2013
    8
    A good game that just fell short of greatness, I had some good hours of fun with it, but ultimately there isn't enough of the game systems too keep you coming back. The AI is annoying instead of challenging, always sending cannon fodder that couldn't possible threaten you.
    However, the game tries being many things at once, and succeeds in many of them. Maybe the expansions will polish    A good game that just fell short of greatness, I had some good hours of fun with it, but ultimately there isn't enough of the game systems too keep you coming back. The AI is annoying instead of challenging, always sending cannon fodder that couldn't possible threaten you.
    However, the game tries being many things at once, and succeeds in many of them. Maybe the expansions will polish this rock into a gem.    … Expand
  39. JackStraw
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    I have played just about every 4X game since Empire for the VAX, and I've found it harder and harder to find new ones that feel worth playing, but FE succeeds very well in this for me.

    Pros: * Addictive "one more turn" game play both in spreading your cities and building them up, and in the RPG progression of your heros. * Lots of customization of your empire and your leader. It's    I have played just about every 4X game since Empire for the VAX, and I've found it harder and harder to find new ones that feel worth playing, but FE succeeds very well in this for me.

    Pros:

    * Addictive "one more turn" game play both in spreading your cities and building them up, and in the RPG progression of your heros.

    * Lots of customization of your empire and your leader. It's fun trying different combinations, from overpowered military rushes to archer madness to fire crazy mages of doom to power leveled henchmen using purchased quests. I haven't played the evil death magic slave lords yet, but I feel them coming on soon.

    * General 4X goodness, with lots of settings to tune it to your tastes. You can adjust map size, number and quality of AI enemies, and tech pace depending on what sort of game you like. It plays and feels like a distant ancestor of Civ I should.

    Cons:

    * 1.0 version had some crashing bugs, but current 1.02 version seems stable.

    * AI is better than many of these sorts of game, but could be improved.

    * It is a little hard to figure they resource and production systems out at first, but they actually work pretty well once you're used to them.

    If you like 4X games, this one is worth getting and sticking with through the initial learning curve.    … Expand
  40. Usually_Bored
    Dec 21, 2012
    9
    Fallen Enchantress is a mixture of Civilization-franchise and Master of Magic. Additionally, equipping troops resembles me Master of Orion's ship-building. It's hard to learn, but once you know the ropes there is a lot of replaying value and pricing is attractive. There's no multiplayer at this point. Community is rather active and helpful. However, some annoying bugs can ruin gamingFallen Enchantress is a mixture of Civilization-franchise and Master of Magic. Additionally, equipping troops resembles me Master of Orion's ship-building. It's hard to learn, but once you know the ropes there is a lot of replaying value and pricing is attractive. There's no multiplayer at this point. Community is rather active and helpful. However, some annoying bugs can ruin gaming experience, but they are also addressed to.

    FE is about fantasy-world filled with swords, dragons and spells. The storyline missions get very boring, so most value comes via sandbox games. There you establish a faction, of your own if you like, and its sovereign. You recruit heroes, establish new settlements, research technology, build improvements, spread your kingdom (or empire) and seek a victory. You beat the game by eliminating everyone else, forge an alliance with everyone still present, cast a spell of mastery or find a sceptre of dominion after doing a quest saga found somewhere on the world.

    Both heroes and ordinary troops can be equip with new weapons and armor and they all gain experience by winning battles or solving quests. When heroes level up they also get bonus trait, whether it is more spells they can cast or new fighting techniques. You choose one from five possible outcomes.

    All premade factions are very different. They are divided into kingdom factions and empire factions. Diplomacy is poor, but I can't figure out any such game where it's brilliant anyways.

    Battles are more or less extremy lightly approached. Your actions can make some difference between different outcomes, but reloading and retrying is usually pointless.

    Big difference of your strategic goal is decided which type of settlements you create. Towns are good for economy, fortresses are focused on military might and conclaves are specialised towards magic, research and mana. Cities level up much like in Civilization, but once they do you choose specific bonuses for them.

    Resources are fairly balanced. There are no hidden resources you discover when your technology improves, but the level of harnessing the resources does.

    Spells are effective, but somehow it feels that there could be more variety. It also feels like it's too trivial to reach spell of mastery -victory over all others.

    A good diamond, and I sincerely hope it gets polished.    … Expand
  41. Orange_Scooter
    Dec 24, 2012
    8
    It's a solid turn-based fantasy 4x game. Good, but not great, with a lot of potential to become better with constant updates, future expansions, and community modding. I always recommend doing some research before buying any game if you are interested. Youtube Let's Plays and Stardock's website forums are great places to start. Cheers.
  42. Haldiron
    Mar 14, 2013
    9
    I am shocked by the number of mixed reviews this game has received. I am a long-time strategy/RPG gamer and this game is fantastic! Let me address the most common reasons for mixed reviews:
    - Bad graphics: Really? It's stylistic, and will get better with the expansion.
    - Bugs: It's being aggressively patched by a great company. - Lack of variety kinda true-ish... if you want more    I am shocked by the number of mixed reviews this game has received. I am a long-time strategy/RPG gamer and this game is fantastic! Let me address the most common reasons for mixed reviews:
    - Bad graphics: Really? It's stylistic, and will get better with the expansion.
    - Bugs: It's being aggressively patched by a great company.
    - Lack of variety kinda true-ish... if you want more variety, it is very mod friendly.
    - Poor documentation: yeah. there should be more.
    - Misc other complaints: Again, patching. Stardock is very receptive to user feedback, and the AI is being improved upon.
    In summary, FE is a great game, and once it has matured like the fine wine of a game that it is, it will I think become one of the best 4X games of the modern era.    … Expand
  43. NichG
    Apr 30, 2013
    9
    Fallen Enchantress is a game that strikes at a niche that has been for the most part unfilled since Master of Magic. Simply comparing it to Master of Magic is perhaps doing it a disservice, as there are elements that it gets right that MoM never did. The computer opponents and the wild elements such as the wandering monsters are a nice balance of inactive to proactive depending on theFallen Enchantress is a game that strikes at a niche that has been for the most part unfilled since Master of Magic. Simply comparing it to Master of Magic is perhaps doing it a disservice, as there are elements that it gets right that MoM never did. The computer opponents and the wild elements such as the wandering monsters are a nice balance of inactive to proactive depending on the settings you pick, and the quests drastically improve on the old 'wander around with a hero exploring places' dynamic that was part of Master of Magic's charm, making it feel like there's more purpose to the exploration than just gathering xp or resources.

    There are a lot of knobs to turn in setting up this game, allowing you to find a sweet spot or try weird constraints. For instance, when I first played I felt like the magic system was underwhelming it was too easy to get a hero for each branch of magic, and thereby basically obtain pretty much all spells on all empires. I wanted something where spell selection was idiosyncratic to the empire, and I found I could achieve this simply by turning off the ability to recruit new heroes.

    My only real complaint is that the game's aesthetic is a too drab for my tastes. Conceivably this is chosen to distinguish the game from other high-fantasy offerings such as Warlock and to give it a unique post-apocalpytic character. I find instead that it makes it harder to relate what one sees on the map with what things are units are kind of underresolved silhouettes, terrain is various shades of grey-purple, grey-green, and grey-grey, etc. I tend to play zoomed out so I can see the cloth map and chess-piece like representations of units, because otherwise I can't tell what's what.    … Expand
  44. Advy
    Jun 10, 2013
    9
    First of all, this game is awesome. I love strategy games and this has to be one of the best ever made. Obviously competing with Civ's, Fallen Enchantress offers a flawless and enjoyable gaming experience that is more polished and action-packed than any other game competing in the same genre. The game design being what it is, this masterpiece belongs in the top 3 games of all time in myFirst of all, this game is awesome. I love strategy games and this has to be one of the best ever made. Obviously competing with Civ's, Fallen Enchantress offers a flawless and enjoyable gaming experience that is more polished and action-packed than any other game competing in the same genre. The game design being what it is, this masterpiece belongs in the top 3 games of all time in my books. Definitely worth a try!… Expand
  45. overfiend87
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    This is a great game for anyone who loves the whole nation building turn-based type of games such as the Civ series. However the touch I like is that you can make your own custom units and use them in your army of conquest. You can also recieve missions and oppitunities to gain powerful items for your heroes to use. The heroes are immortal, often being brought back to life at a nearbyThis is a great game for anyone who loves the whole nation building turn-based type of games such as the Civ series. However the touch I like is that you can make your own custom units and use them in your army of conquest. You can also recieve missions and oppitunities to gain powerful items for your heroes to use. The heroes are immortal, often being brought back to life at a nearby city, but all but your monarch gain a injury which impedes them and cannot be removed. They also need to rest for so many seasons before they are fit for duty.… Expand
  46. csmerlin
    Apr 12, 2015
    8
    This game sets off to blend WarCraft III's hero and loot systems with the 4X genre. It does so quite well with few warts. The hero and loot dynamics are especially addicting =)

Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Best PC Game of 2012
63
#63 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. PC Gamer
    Feb 4, 2013
    85
    Fixes most of Elemental’s technical and design problems, making it an addictively complex and rewarding strategy game.
    Read full review
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Dec 17, 2012
    89
    A collection of average mechanics combine to make a big, complicated, pretty good game. It's no "Master of Magic", but there is real potential here.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Dec 12, 2012
    78
    Fallen Enchantress improves on the first Elemental game by leaps and bounds, but still fails to enchant. Heroes and armies are fun to play with, but the mediocre empire building lacks that something which really would hook you in. [Dec 2012]
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