Etherlords

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Etherlords is a fantasy turn-based strategy game with elements of a trading card game, featuring four distinct races with unique attributes. It offers multiplayer and single-player campaigns, with over 300 spells, 10 levels, and 64 heroes, each with their own abilities and progression. The game features a combination of tabletop game-inspired battles and strategic resource management. However, it's worth noting that the game has been reported to have bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

stability9 negative mentions

The card combat system is surprisingly entertaining and offers many different cards and deck construction possibilities.
The game combines elements of strategy and card games, reminiscent of Heroes of Might and Magic and Magic: The Gathering, providing a unique gameplay experience.
With dedication, the campaign can offer a lengthy playtime, and there are preconstructed decks available for immediate play against AI.

The game is plagued by constant crashes and freezes, especially on modern systems like Windows 10, making it nearly unplayable.
There is little to no documentation or tutorial, leading to confusion about game mechanics and objectives.
The game lacks progression in the campaign, with many missions feeling like puzzles rather than a cohesive story.

stability
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is severely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes and crashes, particularly on Windows 10. Many players find the game unplayable due to these persistent issues, which disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences. Despite its potential as an enjoyable title, the overwhelming consensus is that the game's stability problems render it nearly impossible to play.
- “Yet now I have Windows 10, and on Windows 10 this game constantly freezes, so it's impossible to play.”
- “Completely unplayable - freezes after a few moments.”
- “This game is a good game if it worked... I have tried 2 different computers and the same result, unplayable... constant crashes, freezes up.”
story
8 mentions
13 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its reliance on timed missions, which detracts from exploration and narrative immersion. Players express frustration with the final campaign mission's difficulty and lack of character development or dialogue between missions, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction with the overall storytelling experience.
- “Please also check out Lady Storyteller's curator page for regular updates on reviews for other games!”
- “Half of the vitality campaign consists of timed missions; you can't stop and smell the roses, you have to rush to the enemy castles in those missions.”
- “The last campaign mission/boss is extremely difficult. I only managed to defeat it using a very niche and borderline exploitative setup, which left a bitter taste, especially since I was playing on hard difficulty, the third highest of five options.”
- “I had hoped to see at least some dialogues between the missions.”
gameplay
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its slow and frustrating mechanics, with many players finding it confusing and buggy. While it incorporates familiar elements from the Heroes of Might and Magic series, the overall experience is marred by irritation and a lack of engaging content.
- “You get most of the familiar HOMM mechanics: castles, heroes, resources, buildings.”
- “It can take some hours until all the mechanics are clear.”
- “The combat is just painfully slow, the mechanics of the game are infuriating, and all in all it just drags and drags.”
- “It can take some hours until all the mechanics are clear; the castle stuff was irritating all the way.”
- “Buggy and clunky mess, and the few minutes of gameplay I managed to get were less than intriguing.”
graphics
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, yet some players find them charming and enjoyable, especially if they appreciate older styles. Comparisons to other titles highlight that while the graphics may not be polished, they still contribute to the overall experience, particularly in the context of engaging gameplay.
- “Still good 3D graphics, and hard, turn-based battles!”
- “If you don't mind old graphics, it is enjoyable.”
- “Graphics are fairly outdated, but still charming enough in my opinion.”
- “Still, if you enjoy games such as Hand of Fate, and are not put off by aged graphics, you should give this game a try.”
- “I like Etherlords 2 more because of better graphics and its more polished, but the first can be good as well.”
music
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Users have reported that the game's music and sound can cause crashes, but turning off the sound and music allows the game to run smoothly. After a brief period without audio, re-enabling the sound does not lead to further issues, suggesting a potential bug related to the audio settings.
- “I had problems; the game dropped me out after 5-10 minutes of playtime. However, I found out that if you turn off the sound and music volume, the game keeps working. About 10 minutes later, I switched the sound and music back on, and the game continued to work without any crashes.”