SpellForce 2 - Anniversary Edition Steam Charts & Stats

Dated, slightly buggy, but nostalgic to the gills, and to be honest, it's quite a fun game, and the campaign will keep you busy for a while.

When this came out I don't think there was anything quite like Spellforce, it blends RTS and RPG mechanics in a way that feels genuinely unique, and I think it works really well. You create your main character and form a party that levels up and learns new abilities, just like in a traditional RPG. There are multiple ability branches, so planning ahead is important you can’t learn everything. The level cap is 30, and you’ll never reach 31, as there isn’t enough experience to get there. Your companions usually stay a bit behind your level. There’s a ton of gear to find or purchase, though most equipment requires specific abilities or levels to use for instance, you can’t equip plate armour or longbows without the corresponding skills. There are also plenty of side quests that reward extra experience and valuable items, including some that carry on throughout the game. You control a faction, gather resources, construct buildings, and produce units. There are three main resources stone, silver, and lenya each limited per map. Workers handle resource gathering and construction. Different factions play a bit differently. Early on, you’ll command an alliance of humans, elves, and dwarves, but not all groups are available right away. You’ll need to earn their support to unlock new buildings, troops, and increased unit caps. Don’t underestimate the importance of that unit limit. Units have their own stats and, in some cases, unique abilities. Stronger ones require more space in your army Titans, the most powerful units, take up five slots and require all faction upgrades. Units also level up, though they’ll never reach the same strength as your main party. While your heroes are powerful, they’re not invincible and can easily fall to groups of enemies if you use poor strategy. The mission design is solid, offering good variety and occasional challenge. Some objectives even have multiple ways to achieve success. Overall, the blend of RPG and RTS elements works better than I expected. The UI is impressively well-designed. You can easily group units, access production buildings quickly, and set waypoints to save time all small touches that make a big difference. The narrative is classic fantasy but executed well. You play as a Shaikan a human bloodline both blessed and cursed. They possess “dragonblood,” granting enhanced strength, endurance, and even the ability to resurrect fallen allies within a short window (not necromancy, as corpses and skeletons can’t be revived). However, this same blood carries the influence of their creator—a man who once challenged the gods themselves. His lingering will can corrupt his descendants, leaving them both feared and respected for their power. The story begins when your character is warned by Nightsong, a half-blood dark elf, about a coup and an imminent attack on the Shaikan. Sent out to seek aid, you quickly become entangled in a much larger conflict. The narrative unfolds with some predictable twists, but they’re still satisfying and engaging. The visuals were excellent for their time and, while dated now, still hold up reasonably well. The soundtrack is strong, with several memorable themes. There are a few technical problems. On the penultimate map, a puzzle causes the camera to freeze if you have the Dragon Storm add-on installed, making progress impossible unless you move straight to the final mission. I’ve also read about a similar issue with a sidequest puzzle. (Note: the Gold Edition includes Dragon Storm by default.) SpellForce was an excellent and surprisingly cohesive blend of RPG and RTS design. Despite a few bugs and dated visuals, it’s still worth playing today for its ambitious mix of systems and engaging world.