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. 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 =)
  2. evild4ve
    Aug 17, 2014
    2
    I got it because I'm a sucker for games like this. It hangs together surprisingly well - a combination of mechanics from HOMM3, Disciples, and Civilization/Warlock, and possibly Eador. There wasn't one single thing here I hadn't seen before in another game, that cost less. It's pleasingly challenging, a small map on normal difficulty takes about 2 days - the overall macro strategy againstI got it because I'm a sucker for games like this. It hangs together surprisingly well - a combination of mechanics from HOMM3, Disciples, and Civilization/Warlock, and possibly Eador. There wasn't one single thing here I hadn't seen before in another game, that cost less. It's pleasingly challenging, a small map on normal difficulty takes about 2 days - the overall macro strategy against the AI is well-balanced... but the closer you look at any one aspect of the game, it's like it works because they broke everything and it all cancelled each other out. No tactical positioning of units, battle scenery pointless, battle formations pointless since everything moves at the same speed and hits things, some spells ludicrously overpowered, boring micromanagement of unit equipment, time-consuming UI, it culminates in one big fight and if you win the enemy won't catch up with the experience and unit level games, and the writing and the game world are really really really boring. The tech tree makes no sense (Game developers note: Civilization's tech tree only worked because it's a rendition of human history). The hero upgrades tree is even weirder. But worst of all, worst of all, necromancers can't raise decent undead, let alone the unforgettable skeleton hordes of HOMM3. Sigh. Uninstalled.… Expand
  3. SethEvandor
    Jun 16, 2014
    2
    The graphics and animations are awful. Really, putting aside all the features and **** going to the core, in this day and age when pretty much every game is using a hexagonal tile system because it's superior, FE is simplified, bland, uninteresting, out-of-date - which is probably the best description - and provides nothing new. Similar titles provide a superior experience with charm,The graphics and animations are awful. Really, putting aside all the features and **** going to the core, in this day and age when pretty much every game is using a hexagonal tile system because it's superior, FE is simplified, bland, uninteresting, out-of-date - which is probably the best description - and provides nothing new. Similar titles provide a superior experience with charm, in-fact any older turn-based title I know pretty much kicks the **** out of this game.… Expand
  4. Renegade383
    May 22, 2014
    2
    As an avid 4x player I've played most of the recent ones, aside from Warlock 2 this is the game I most regret paying for. Could be worth it on sale, but it'd have to be really cheap. The game is boring, ugly and uninspiring. Initially had buggy quests.
  5. Cloudom
    Nov 10, 2013
    5
    A game that I really want to enjoy but can't due to all its flaws. I feel the game is a brilliant idea that could work really, really well if done right. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. It has a feeling of being incomplete and rushed.

    The turn-base system does not work at all. It feels like something should be added to the game to make it feel like its got more of a purpose. The    A game that I really want to enjoy but can't due to all its flaws. I feel the game is a brilliant idea that could work really, really well if done right. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. It has a feeling of being incomplete and rushed.

    The turn-base system does not work at all. It feels like something should be added to the game to make it feel like its got more of a purpose. The game is very confusing where things will happen that will trigger me to just want to never play the game again and the short, brief tutorial didn't really help. I have played many other games by Stardock and I know the potential they carry and that potential is only displayed in about the first hour of gameplay.
    The combat is really unengaging and confusing and I ended up skipping through it every time.

    On a higher note, however, is the exploring. Despite the mediocre graphics, I felt the game had a very good atmosphere, much like other Stardock games. I enjoyed doing exploring if I ignored the annoying turn-base system. Finding different enemies, allies and places to build was very satisfying.

    Another aspect of the game I enjoyed was the upgrades. Although they weren't great, I felt a need to improve my town, champions and improving on the town with farms and other locations.

    Overall, the games not worth the money. It has potential and great ideas but is not fun in general.    … Expand
  6. hfffoman
    Nov 5, 2013
    4
    This is a slimmed down version of Heroes of Might and Magic combined with a slimmed down version of Civilisation. This idea is good but unfortunately it isn't good enough. The heroes part is a feeble caricature of the original (for example a high initiative can be to your disadvantage because there is no wait function; the character development doesn't quite work either), and the CivThis is a slimmed down version of Heroes of Might and Magic combined with a slimmed down version of Civilisation. This idea is good but unfortunately it isn't good enough. The heroes part is a feeble caricature of the original (for example a high initiative can be to your disadvantage because there is no wait function; the character development doesn't quite work either), and the Civ part feels a little cartoony it is like playing Elder Scrolls and then switching to Torchlight. There are some clunky mechanics too, for example if your army travels through a city you have to take each member out individually in a complex click and slide action. Sometimes you click on a destination and before you can stop them, your troops have left the road and taken a vastly longer route, wasting 2-3 turns. The story game is particularly very weak. Feels like it was written by a GCSE student over a weekend. On top of that the scenario creator would crash the game consistently on certain settings. On the plus side, the menus are clear and you can work out how the Civ mechanics work more easily than in the original.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Andrew_Paterson
    Aug 31, 2013
    6
    Just for once I'd like it if a developer would play test their game before releasing it. And whilst this might not be an entirely fair comment it certainly applies to Fallen Enchantress.

    Not counting game breaking bugs; the UI is clunky and obtuse; it also doesn't take your screen resolution into account so you'll be scrolling tiny text windows with 90% of the screen unused. You're    Just for once I'd like it if a developer would play test their game before releasing it. And whilst this might not be an entirely fair comment it certainly applies to Fallen Enchantress.

    Not counting game breaking bugs; the UI is clunky and obtuse; it also doesn't take your screen resolution into account so you'll be scrolling tiny text windows with 90% of the screen unused. You're either over-powered or under-powered there is no tension in the battles or even the maps really. You'll win or lose and know the outcome long before it happens. And the generic pipe music becomes really, really grating.

    I've had quest objects disappear, endless units swarm the map and been unable to see the main quest because it's hidden under some optional quest. It's all quite frustrating. Fallen Enchantress may actually be more broken than the venerable Master of Magic and it lacks any of the original's charm.

    It's not all negative but the problem is there are not outstanding positives. Certainly if you enjoy turn based fantasy games then give this a whirl but keep your expectations low.    … Expand
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. Orctownorc
    May 23, 2013
    6
    This game sadly fails in the simplest but most important way. IT ISN"T FUN. Fallen Enchantress looks like a good try at doing a Civilization game better than CIV. There are characters and wargear and levelling and spells, that all promise to make a game with the best aspects of Civ and HOMM. Sadly Stardock don't quite pull it off. The gameplay finally is over-determined by luck and aThis game sadly fails in the simplest but most important way. IT ISN"T FUN. Fallen Enchantress looks like a good try at doing a Civilization game better than CIV. There are characters and wargear and levelling and spells, that all promise to make a game with the best aspects of Civ and HOMM. Sadly Stardock don't quite pull it off. The gameplay finally is over-determined by luck and a successful and very aggressive opening. Unless you get a really optimum start and a fortuitous map you will always lose later in the game. The races are bland. The challenge of nuetral enemies excessive. The engine is poorly optimised and degenerates into lag and over-use of the CPU pretty soon. Tactical battles suffer from bad graphics and poor balancing (Rend is way Over-powered). If you play on easy it's too easy and boring, but if you play on hard it's too hard and joyless. Before you lose in 'the end' you will waste many turns restarting after a single random encounter wipes out your best army or city and makes the game unviable. This could be the basis of a great game. All the ideas are there. However more work is needed in optimiziation of the engine, and fine-tuning the details.… Expand
  13. TheXand
    May 16, 2013
    0
    Might have been a good game if it weren't crippled by serious framerate issues. Go buy Heroes of Might and Magic 6 instead as that game is graced with a working engine at least.
  14. 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
  15. Yora
    Apr 25, 2013
    0
    If you are a TRUE RPG fan, DO NOT buy this game. It is a waist of your time. I was nuts over this when I saw the trailer Come to find out I'm playing RISK...? Srsly? If I wanted to play Risk I would pull out the game board and play it. Please learn to make an RPG right
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. Cailore
    Mar 7, 2013
    7
    This game intended to "fix" what they did wrong in the original Elemental: War of Magic, but in my opinion turns out to be a little less fun. Not saying that it isn't a fun game in its own right, but they removed my favorite 'elements' of the old game and dumbed it down a little but forgot to do anything to add to the overall 'fun'.
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. Relian
    Mar 5, 2013
    6
    Didn't really get into this game, and kind of regret buying it now. It has potential, but it really fails in graphics and the combat system feels too much like a mediocre indie game. I'll give it another shot next week but so far I'm a bit disappointed.
  22. 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
  23. theNILE
    Jan 28, 2013
    2
    I previously made a fairly negative review, after the patch 1.2 came out, the game has improved a little, some resource problems have been reduced and the waste of research end-game has been removed with repeatable tree-ends. Sadly, some minor bugs were still not addressed and as many others have put, this game is just mediocre. While you're able to customize a lot of options and on theI previously made a fairly negative review, after the patch 1.2 came out, the game has improved a little, some resource problems have been reduced and the waste of research end-game has been removed with repeatable tree-ends. Sadly, some minor bugs were still not addressed and as many others have put, this game is just mediocre. While you're able to customize a lot of options and on the fastest pace the game feels much better, I don't find myself wanting to keep playing. Even after I got into the game, when I drop it, nothing really compels me to continue playing. A few certain mechanisms of the game are still unexplained/bugged and pretty much nothing is explained when you begin to play making it hard to get into. The graphics, for a modern game are below par, sounds are good, I feel this game could of been a lot better.… Expand
  24. Malsqueek
    Jan 26, 2013
    5
    I took part in the Beta for this game. I wanted very badly to like it, but too many of the "key mechanics" such as Character Development and the Magic System were bland and uninspired. It's not a bad game, per se, but many of the aspects upon which it hangs its hat feel as though they were developed in a vacuum and glued together. It doesn't really all "work" as a unit.
  25. 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
  26. Dilettante
    Dec 26, 2012
    6
    Fallen Enchantress does a lot of things right, but somehow there's something lacking from it that denies the game the "just one more turn!" feeling that describes truly great games.

    There are few games in this genre, and the obvious comparison is the now-dated Master of Magic. In both games, you play a wizard who rules a civilization, and you try to expand your civilization and    Fallen Enchantress does a lot of things right, but somehow there's something lacking from it that denies the game the "just one more turn!" feeling that describes truly great games.

    There are few games in this genre, and the obvious comparison is the now-dated Master of Magic. In both games, you play a wizard who rules a civilization, and you try to expand your civilization and simultaneously gain magical power, with the ultimate goal of conquering the world. Fallen Enchantress does all this well - there are interesting civilizations and spells, designable units, magic items, heroes, and enemy civilizations. However, the game seems soulless - there is no plot to it, and which character or civilization you play only matters in that it affects the advantages you have. The game just doesn't seem to be that engaging, and that keeps it from being the kind of game you want to replay time and time again. As mentioned, however, there are few games in this genre, and it has enough options to make sure players get different experiences. It is worth picking up on sale, with the hope that in the future it might be improved.    … Expand
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. Migz
    Dec 7, 2012
    7
    If you like turn-based/4X games, you should give Fallen Enchantress a try, because it has a lot of promising pieces to it, but don't expect a great game, or you'll be disappointed. And, I recommend waiting till you can get it on sale. If you really like it after you buy it, you can give Stardock more money by buying the map packs. That said, great 4X games come along once in a long whileIf you like turn-based/4X games, you should give Fallen Enchantress a try, because it has a lot of promising pieces to it, but don't expect a great game, or you'll be disappointed. And, I recommend waiting till you can get it on sale. If you really like it after you buy it, you can give Stardock more money by buying the map packs. That said, great 4X games come along once in a long while (Total War: Shogun 2 is an excellent example, while in my opinion, Civilization V is not). Unfortunately, Fallen Enchantress is not one of them. Stardock does some fun things with this recent addition to the 4X/turn-based strategy/RPG genre (such as being set in a fantasy world with armies of wandering monsters and challenging quest areas), but it lacks in enough fundamental areas that I just wasn't excited while playing it. **COMPOSITE SCORE: 6.875/10**

    **ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 7/10**

    Fallen Enchantress has enough good pieces to interest a player in spending a couple hundred hours if you give it a chance. It has the standard explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate aspects of games like the Total War series and the Civilization series, but it actually allows you to join in combat between armies which Civ does not (Total War does). Being challenged by behemoth monsters early in the game if you expand too much is a fun twist as well. However, there are a number of weak aspects to the game too. Winning diplomatically seems far too easy to me. Unit movement is very short: two spaces without roads until you get horses... and that will take a long time for a full army. Army sizes feel miniscule at the beginning, and champions always feel underpowered.

    **GRAPHICS: 6/10**

    I will admit that I am probably spoiled by Shogun 2's setup, attention to detail, variety in armies, and graphics, so when I loaded up my first game in Fallen Enchantress, I was immediately disappointed by what I considered to be PS2-era character models and textures. The reason for this is that Stardock used the very same model for both the campaign map as well as close-up shots of characters and army units. Many other games will use models with varying numbers of polygons depending on how far out the "camera" is from the model, but they don't here, so we're stuck with the low resolution models and textures. Bleh. The strategic map was similar in detail to Civ V's, and the combat maps were about the same as well. Compared to Shogun 2's combat maps, Fallen Enchantress's lacked a lot of detail and options. I do like the dragon models though.

    **SOUND: 9/10**

    I had no problems with Fallen Enchantress's sound. What voice acting there was was quite reasonable, and the music was very good.

    **DESIGN AND GAMEPLAY: 6/10**

    I've already mentioned the standard 4X-setup. That works pretty well as long as you disable some options (such as allowing the game to go to the next turn without you telling it too... lost a lot of building/research turns till I found that option). And again, the wandering monsters and quest areas added a level of challenge I hadn't seen in other 4X/Turn-based strategy games (especially if you turn up the monster frequency... whew). I noticed an AI scripting problem though: if you change the number of opponents you have to below the recommended number for that map size, the AIs will often do nothing until you encounter them. That could be 30 turns... or 200 turns. Encountering an opponent when they have 1 city and you have 9 makes it kind of boring. Also, I feel like there's a huge flaw in the army creation system: when you start out, you can make army units with three men in them. By the end game, you can create army units with seven men in them. But, you can't convert a unit you made at the beginning, leveled up, and outfitted with new gear into a a 7-man unit. They're always stuck at the size you created them at. It makes no sense to me and is frustrating to deal with while playing. (Reason being, your early armies max out at 27 men. Late game armies max out at 63 men. So, why can't I just pay more resources to upgrade to 7 men????) Lastly, although there are a lot of combat spells available, I never used any, because frankly, an army with one champion buffing eight units of top-tier archers destroys anything, so why bother with wimpy spells?

    **GAME LENGTH: 8/10**

    Much to my surprise, Fallen Enchantress did have an actual campaign (they call it a scenario). I had originally thought it was just a Civ V style of game with only the conquest maps. The scenario's story is pretty good. Loss, tragedy, redemption, more tragedy... all good stuff. Unfortunately, it's only about six hours long. But, the regular maps can take a very, very, very long time. So, plenty of game length all around.    … Expand
  30. Triggerhappy
    Dec 1, 2012
    5
    Decent, but needlessly complex game. What I miss most is "the" fun element, something this would all be "about". You can level up heroes, but they are weak and later on largely pointless. You can build units, but combat with them is horribly simple and no fun. You can cast spells but they are hardly effective. You can build cities, but they do not feel unique nor special, and everythingDecent, but needlessly complex game. What I miss most is "the" fun element, something this would all be "about". You can level up heroes, but they are weak and later on largely pointless. You can build units, but combat with them is horribly simple and no fun. You can cast spells but they are hardly effective. You can build cities, but they do not feel unique nor special, and everything takes forever. The interface fortunately allows you to control all the aspects comfortably, and this alone is a tremendous achievement. However, the game looks very under-par and the art is average at best, downright ugly at worst. It puzzles me why a game with so much work thrown into it settled for such horrible looks. I would ultimately advise against buying it, unless you really are desperate to try it. Even so, wait for a sale.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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.
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  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.
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  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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