SpellForce 3

Spellforce 3 is one of the best blends between RTS and RPG in gaming. Staying true to its roots, the game is - first and foremost - made for its fans but it is welcoming to those who are new to the series. A well fleshed out campaign, excellent writing, and satisfying combat are the hallmark of any great RPG. Spellforce 3 adds conquest, base building and RTS battles - what’s not to love.

A successful splicing of two beloved genres that thoughtfully expands on the lore of the series. [Feb 2018, p.77]

With co-op and additional skirmish modes available on top of the main campaign, SpellForce 3 is a generous -- and largely successful -- merger of two genres. While it isn't the world's deepest or most complex RPG nor gaming's most substantial RTS, it is a very effectively constructed and balanced hybrid and most important, makes a strong and compelling case that the mashup works. With over a decade between installments, it's not like the SpellForce franchise has overstayed its welcome. It's perfectly timed to delight both fans of the series and surprise new players looking for something new and different.

I’m a pretty big fan of RTS and certainly a big fan of RPG’s, I love being able to dig into a character and forge them the way I would like. Spellforce 3 does a good job of mashing those two genres together and the result is a pretty decent campaign that should have you entertained for quite some time. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, in just the right doses and you get a great game that stands above the sum of it’s parts.

SpellForce 3 is a truly enjoyable comeback, with solid mixed gameplay.

SpellForce 3 is a really good game that expands on the brand's gameplay mechanics, mixes RTS and RPG in a smooth way and enchants with some absolutely superb graphics. There is space for improvement but fans of more old-school games should be more than happy.

SpellForce 3 adds another entry on an already impressive list as the year comes to a close.

As an RPG, SF3 is a solid game with an interesting over-arching story, believable characters, a lot of lore and deep systems. As an RTS, it is a unique if at times frustrating tactical game focused on a clever use of limited number of resources and building a working infrastructure. While each one of its parts might not hold out against a “pure” game of respective genre, the mix makes the game something uniquely fulfilling.

Successful mix of RTS and RPG on the path of recovery - but still not completely without bugs.

Spellforce 3 is an ambitious game that manages to blend fun RTS segments with traditional isometric dungeon exploration in a neat RPG package.

Spellforce 3 mixes two beloved genres, RPGs and RTSs, and even though it does not excel in either gameplay branch it succeeds in delivering a solid, fresh and unique experience. Through a solid story and world building it gives the opportunity for our hero to actually take part in battles in contrast with traditional RPGs, where he is only a spectator.

Coming back after almost a decade, the Spellforce series now has an excellent modern entry that only requires a bit of sheen and a better screenwriter to become a masterpiece.

SpellForce 3 continues to mix strategy and role-playing. The result is good, but not as great as before.

SpellForce 3 draws its strength from successfully combining both RTS and RPG genres, while these lack of depth and inspiration when examined separately. Still, the game manages to deliver an interesting single player campaign and a fun multiplayer experience that is surely the right direction for the franchise.

Spellforce 3's mix of RTS and RPG can be interesting for a good amount of players but can also be not enough for the most devoted RTS and RPG's players. The narrative doesn't do anything special but maintains a good rhythm and do its best.

The patches are having an impact: Spellforce 3 is fun - finally.

SpellForce 3 competently blends RPG and RTS games into a generally enjoyable package, but there’s not enough creative force to create a lasting spell.

SpellForce 3 is a good strategy RPG. It isn’t very deep, but it’s addictive and a lot of fun.

The RPG side of SpellForce 3 works better than the RTS one. Some important bugs and a bunch of balance problems prevent the game from reaching a higher score.

SpellForce 3 is an amazing effort that falls short of its goal due to crippling bugs and some questionable game design choices. However, the development team appears to be committed to their game and is resolving bugs and balancing issues almost every day. By the time you finish reading this review, SpellForce 3 may be the game I was expecting when I bought it. Despite that, I spent over 60 hours playing the campaign, and I can’t say that I didn’t have a good time.

An intriguing, if imperfect, blend of two genres. [Issue#196, p.84]

If you're willing to think of the prefab fantasy setting as comfortingly familiar, Spellforce 3 is a pretty fun. The voice acting is terrific, and the plot easy to understand without requiring weeks of learning why THESE giant wolves are different to other games' giant wolves. Whether this familiarity is a brave counterpoint to the endless setting creep of gaming is really a matter of personal taste. And if you're looking for a fantasy RPG/RTS hybrid, this is a promising contender. However, by trying to do two things at once, it fails to be really remarkable at either.

The unique mix of RTS and RPG is back with a big portion of new adventures. In addition, the third part comes with some interesting new features, especially in its strategic part. Better controls, interface and fewer bugs would suit the game well, but fans should not miss it anyway.

SpellForce 3 is a great addition to the series. With an engaging storyline, interesting characters and gameplay mechanics it manages to straddle the line between genuine RPG and RTS better than most other attempts, which generally end up strongly weighted one way or another.

Spellforce 3 simplifies and merges with success RPG and RTS mechanics. The game is funny but there are some balancing issues during the strategy phase, with an AI that is too aggressive and overwhelming. Some bugs and other little technical problems do not sink the production at all, but prevent it from reaching the top.

While both the RPG and RTS elements presented here stay true to form, the overall game is more than the sum of its parts because of how it makes such disparate concepts serve the goal of creating a militaristic role-playing epic.

Every qualitative fluctuation masks itself almost to disappear when all the elements get along: when it is cohesive and adherent, Spellforce III is in excellent shape.

A unique mix of strategy and RPG mechanics that miraculously loses very few of either.

Spellforce 3 is average both as an RPG and as an RTS, but the developers managed to mix these two genres skillfully, elevating the game beyond mediocrity, and ensured it looks spectacular. Still there are some major issues that drag Spellforce 3 down – questionable design choices, larger battles descending into frustrating chaos, bugs and widely understood crudeness. [02/2018, p.42]

THQ Nordic and Grimlore bit much more than they could chew while trying to make a huge and beautiful RTS, and, once again, we come away disappointed. This genre needs a new ”killer app”, but sadly, this is not it.

You can certainly have fun with SpellForce, particularly the fast paced strategy side of things, but it can feel like a slog at times.

SpellForce 3 is the return of a good semi-classic, with its mixed nature made by RPG and RTS. The first one works well, but the second one is not so good.

While a decent game, SpellForce 3 sadly fails in being more than the sum of its part, and offers nothing truly memorable.

Quotation forthcoming.

Looking at single aspects, SpellForce 3 is successful on all fronts, but this does not tell the whole story as on some level the game fails to come together cohesively. Building up RPG characters works largely well, but the RTS strategy sections leave a lot to be desired and the heroes simply melt into the background too much to be in any way meaningful. There is nothing 'wrong' with the game; it is just never an awesome experience.