Spellforce has been going strong since 2003, with both a follow up game and number of expansion packs released; it must be doing something right. The basic premise, world and game play have changed little since the introduction of the first game.

Spellforce 2: Faith in Destiny (2012) is the latest standalone expansion pack for the game which throws you straight back into the Spellforce world. I was a bit concerned as I didn’t have the original copy of the game, this is usually a death knell for an expansion pack, but was surprised, pleasantly, that this is not required as the code downloaded from the Steam client contained all the code needed to run the game as a standalone.

This has both plus and minus element, previous players of the game might feel a little irritated having to go through the introduction tutorial, when they just want to get straight back into the action, but I can concede that new players might have felt a little lost without it.

Within the game, time has passed and the portals have started to deteriorate - the basic way of travelling between maps - neither science nor magic seems to hold the answer. When the Portals finally fail, only the Dragons and Shaikan hold any hope for travel between the worlds islands. A new enemy has arisen and with the islands cut off, they are isolated and ripe for conquest.

You play a new hero, questing to find answers regarding ‘The Nameless’ and as you travel across the new maps you need to talk to everyone to piece together what the various other characters know and what part both the dragons and Professor Twiddle play in the worlds predicament. This time you even get to ride on your own dragon, which adds new tactical possibilities, which are unique to this version.

The world is beautifully drawn and the game mechanics should be familiar to anyone who has played an RPG. You get to fight, which allows you to increase you fighting and magical prowess, a necessary component as the more you fight the stronger you get, vital if you are to take on some of the bigger monsters.

There are the usual game play options, from altering your character, though this is limited, to changing the way you play. The game provides a single player, as well as the option to play across a LAN or the Internet. From types of game, you can choose to engage in campaign mode, skirmish or dominators (capture the flag), allowing the game lots of possibilities and replay value.

So, if you think you have what it takes to save the land of Eo and are up for a game which focuses on intense campaigning and an open ended finale, then give it a go and while away hours in a world which is both familiar and new.

7

Charles Packer