Etherlords II
- February 13, 2014
- Nival
- 50h median play time
Get on Steam"Etherlords II" is a fantasy turn-based strategy game with single-player and multiplayer features. The game offers role-playing and adventure elements, allowing you to lead your hero through five campaigns and summon various creatures to aid in battle. Multiplayer options include co-op battles via the internet and a round robin elimination tournament with random sets of cards. If you enjoy strategic challenges and trading-card games, this is an exciting choice.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The card mechanics are engaging, offering a wide variety of cards and limitless deckbuilding options that enhance the gameplay experience.
- The game provides a nostalgic experience for fans of classic card games, with many players enjoying its depth and strategy.
- The turn-based combat system is well-designed, allowing for creative strategies and tactics that can lead to satisfying victories.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, particularly on modern systems, making it difficult to play for extended periods.
- There are significant balance issues, with some fights feeling unfairly difficult and heavily reliant on luck rather than strategy.
- The storytelling and world-building are weak, with a generic plot and poor voice acting that detracts from the overall experience.
- gameplay43 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by intricate card mechanics and strategic deckbuilding, reminiscent of classic titles like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. Players appreciate the depth offered by various races and plotlines, although some note a learning curve and occasional balance issues. Overall, the game provides engaging turn-based combat and replayability, despite its dated graphics and some frustrating mechanics.
“You get lots of different cards during the four campaigns which allow for limitless deckbuilding options and creative gameplay.”
“A deep system, four races each with their own fully developed plotline plus a final plotline that ties everything together that only unlocks when you have done all the others, truly original gameplay.”
“The gameplay is a real good challenge, an entertaining strategy game where you're always trying to build your deck to get better, but also a game where defeat is usually just the perfect chance to get better.”
“The gameplay is too restricted and the animations are too slow.”
“The card mechanics have not aged well and there are much better modern card game alternatives.”
“The obvious flaws, not really existent difficulty (beyond shocked to see people say fights were unwinnable or the difficulty broken, it's sometimes required to change approach but with a sense for deck mechanics it's not that hard) and the super shitty combat camera can't ruin that charm that it still has.”
- story37 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in Etherlords 2 is generally considered weak and generic, with many players finding it disjointed and lacking depth, despite some interesting elements and character perspectives. Voice acting is often criticized as cringeworthy, and while the campaign offers decent length and variety, it ultimately feels tedious and unengaging for many. Overall, the narrative serves more as a backdrop to the card gameplay rather than a compelling driving force.
“In the early 2000s, I would rate this game a 10/10 for anybody interested in magic or other card games, as Etherlords 2 offered an amazing card game experience with animations, sounds, and a story.”
“The campaign, when you think it is completed after about 18 hours, takes you to a different character in the story who you then control and take through their perspective.”
“The story and voice acting are fun, with the game giving you access to a bunch of different tactics and gimmicks you can play in your decks.”
“The voice acting is cringeworthy, the story is boring.”
“Review: the story is thin and on rails, the voice acting is fair to horrible, the music is forgettable, and the online servers have been taken down; yet, I cannot pull myself away from Etherlords 2, and find myself chanting 'just...one...more...battle' like a mantra.”
“The lack of investment this wrought, for me made the story boring, the battles tedious and the tactics canned.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, showing signs of age with low resolution and quality, yet many players find them charming and not detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some reviews note that the visuals are a bit dated, they also highlight that the game still presents itself nicely and remains playable on modern systems. Overall, the graphics may not impress by current standards, but they do not significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
“It has its years but still presents itself nicely, both in terms of visuals and gameplay.”
“16 years since its initial release it still has awesome graphics and exciting online duel multiplayer mode.”
“Despite its age, it holds up remarkably well thanks to solid gameplay mechanics, and the graphics come from an era of 3D where their aging looks don't count against the game at all.”
“Once you get past the horrific graphics, the gameplay is decent.”
“Outdated visuals all around, low resolution, low quality; it heavily shows its age here.”
“Don't expect much from the graphics as they are the same from the original back in '98.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as energetic and enjoyable, particularly during battles, while others find it forgettable. Overall, it is noted that the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms of other aspects like the story and voice acting.
“My favorite thing about this game is the characters and the music.”
“The music is fantastic, as far as I am concerned.”
“I can't help but jam to all of the battle music, except the kinets.”
“The music is forgettable.”
“I can't help but jam to all of the battle music except the kinets.”
“Review: the story is thin and on rails, the voice acting is fair to horrible, the music is forgettable, and the online servers have been taken down; yet, I cannot pull myself away from Etherlords 2, and find myself chanting 'just...one...more...battle' like a mantra.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is severely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that render it nearly unplayable, particularly in multiplayer mode due to server issues and frequent disconnections. Additionally, compatibility problems with modern systems exacerbate the instability, leading to crashes from minor disruptions. Overall, the game is deemed too flawed for sale in its current state.
“They shouldn't even sell this game, but at the very least they should let everyone know that in its current state it is unplayable. I don't mean it's buggy (which it is), I mean you simply cannot play it because, for the last time, it's a multiplayer game and there are no servers.”
“Multiplayer is kind of buggy too; some people get disconnected constantly, and there aren't many players on master servers.”
“Now it is not properly compatible with modern systems like Windows 8.1 - very buggy, and a single pop-up can disrupt your game and make it crash.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the tactical options that enhance replay value, others find the nonrandomized and linear campaign limits replayability, especially in solo play.
“Despite the linearity, the amount of tactical options gives this game huge replayability, and the basic mechanics were really good even in the first game.”
“With such variance should come replayability, but due to the nonrandomized nature of the campaign, the replayability isn't too great.”
“If you're only playing solo, then bump it down to four stars, as there is little replayability here.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, with battles lacking excitement and risk due to the ability to retry without consequences. This leads to a repetitive cycle of trial and error rather than strategic gameplay, ultimately diminishing engagement with the story and tactics.
“The battles are slow; even with maximum acceleration enabled, it can get very long and tedious.”
“Plus, there was no risk; you could just 'try again' at any battle, having lost nothing. The game turns into an exercise not really in strategy per se, but more of a guessing and recording game for each of the storylines, where you figure out what is effective through tedious trial and error, then reenact it on any higher-level monster of the same type with the same types of creatures.”
“The lack of investment this created made the story boring, the battles tedious, and the tactics predictable.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its hilarious voice acting, particularly from the villains, and the absurdity of certain game mechanics, such as monsters that are both difficult to defeat and comically overpowered. Players find the blend of captivating gameplay and comedic elements engaging, making it easy to invest several hours into the experience.
“The voice acting is hilarious, especially the villains.”
“Most details and especially the voice acting is hilarious, and the main mechanic is captivating enough to sink a few hours into it.”
“Some of their monsters are hilariously broken, as they're insultingly hard to kill and can return to life in exchange for mana or other resources.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised, with users highlighting its immersive and engaging qualities.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“The sound design and visuals create a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
