King Arthur II: The Role-Playing Wargame

 PC
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 39
  3. Negative: 2 out of 39
  1. GameSpy
    Feb 10, 2012
    40
    It's easy to see the potential for King Arthur 2 to have been a good game rather than "not bad." But it never gets there, mostly because it's doing a half-dozen unrelated things at once, and none of them very well.
  2. Gameblog.fr
    Feb 4, 2012
    40
    The most interesting part of King Arthur II the RPG remains the dark universe and interactive storytelling. The blend of RPG-diplomacy-strategy-management is nice, but a little confusing and not really help by the poor interface. Overall, it could be satisfying, if only it wasn't so full of bugs shattering the game. Crashes back to the desktop are frequent, and it really needs to be patched as soon as possible. Until then, stay away.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 97 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 97
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 97
  3. Negative: 23 out of 97
  1. Hichiach
    Jan 30, 2012
    9
    Great game with many improvements. I love the quests, they are well-written and fun, now there's a voice over on every single quest which isGreat game with many improvements. I love the quests, they are well-written and fun, now there's a voice over on every single quest which is really helpful as I don't really like reading that much and I really like how the guys expanded the diplomacy options since the first game. Now you can choose from many different alternatives and it definitely adds to the game. The battles feel a lot more balanced and you are not forced anymore to take those locations on the maps, it is still worth it though because they can give you really cool spells like Lightning Bolt or Crystal Shards or they can boost your shield and protect you. I especially like the flying beasts and the new magic shield and that I can break enemy spells. My biggest issue with the first game was that the enemy hero could kill my strongest unit in no time with a good spell, but now I can boost my shield and it does not happen again if I pay attention. So I really like the game and I think it is fun. It still has a couple of bugs though, so I can't give it a 10 yet, but nothing that can't be patched in the next few weeks and it is still fun even with those around.… Full Review »
  2. Dariune
    Jan 31, 2012
    5
    KA1 was very much a diamond in the rough. Its game mechanics were rough but beneath those was a great concept which, at times, really managedKA1 was very much a diamond in the rough. Its game mechanics were rough but beneath those was a great concept which, at times, really managed to shine through. KA2 is less of the same. The concept is the same. You play a character who builds up an army and recruits more characters. The game mixes RPG and RTS to create a hybrid. Unfortunately the 2nd iteration does not do as good a job as the first. KA2 doesnt really need a player, it would be far better as a graphic novel such is its linearity. Although you can still do research, assign skill points and build buildings the whole lot from top to bottom has been stripped bare leaving very little of interest for the player to do. The units upgrade automatically at certain points in the game. They still level up giving you the choice of a single stat upgrade (and ocasionally a skill) but you dont really notice these in the battles. Like wise you level up your heroes. They come in three flavours, a leader, a warrior and a mage (differently named) and if you have two of the same, then regardless of upgrades, they will perform similarly making the upgrades almost obselete. The research is just a bunch of stat upgrades with a few nice things thrown in and the building is incredibly dumbed down. One nice touch is the morality meter which luckily hasnt changed. Infact its almost identical in every way to the first game. The battles, similarly to the first, are ok, but do not compare to those of Rome or medieval 2 Total war which is their natural comparison. The graphics are truly stunning from the interface and map to the battles. But with the battles you wont notice them because you will be looking from so high up they will appear as splodges on the screen with no easy way (apart from tiny banners) to tell your units (or enemy units) apart. The text adventure parts of the game are fun but its often hard to know if the option you chose is actually what you intended to do. All in all this game is incredibly average. Its fun, for short periods at a time, but the story its trying to tell (which is not bad) deserves a far better game to tell it. And this does not do the first game justice at all. Given that this is quite a year for tactical and strategy games, i think i would advise avoiding this and waiting to see if the future games offer a deeper and more enjoyable experience.… Full Review »
  3. UnpaidCritic
    Jan 30, 2012
    5
    A nice mix between a RPG and RTS. Just like the first King Arthur game.
    Interesting setting, rich lore and deep gameplay.
    But then there is    A nice mix between a RPG and RTS. Just like the first King Arthur game.
    Interesting setting, rich lore and deep gameplay.


    But then there is the technical state of King Arthur II. Crashes, bugs and game breaking glitches will accompany you you throughout the entire time you spend with this RTS.
    These are only topped by the performance issues. Unless you have an absolute high end machine (possibly even then), King Arthur 2 will deliver FPS way below the acceptable 30 frame limit. Dropping down to less than 20 frames regularly during the larger battles, making said skirmishes unplayable at times.

    Just like its predecessor this promising game is held back by a desolate technical state.
    King Arthur II is an unfinished product, a work in progress (that may or may not get fixed with upcoming patches), but ultimately not recommendable to anyone in its current state.    … Full Review »
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