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Etherlords II

76%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
stability, replayability
77% User Score Based on 338 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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About

"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.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
Etherlords II screenshot
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 338 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The card mechanics are engaging, offering a wide variety of cards and limitless deckbuilding options across multiple campaigns.
  • The game provides a nostalgic experience for fans of classic card games, with many players enjoying its unique blend of RPG and strategy elements.
  • Despite its age, the core gameplay remains fun and challenging, with a good balance of strategy and luck involved in battles.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and poor compatibility with modern systems, particularly when multitasking.
  • Many battles can feel unbalanced, relying heavily on luck and the order of card draws, which can lead to frustrating experiences for players.
  • The storytelling and world-building are weak, with a generic plot and clunky overworld navigation that detracts from the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by intricate card mechanics and deckbuilding options, reminiscent of classic titles like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone, offering a deep and engaging strategy experience. While the game features a learning curve and some outdated graphics, it compensates with unique battle mechanics, a rich narrative across multiple campaigns, and a variety of tactical options that enhance replayability. However, some players noted issues with difficulty balance and slow animations, which may detract from the overall experience.

    • “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 gameplay between the fights I would hardly call gameplay.”
    • “The card mechanics have not aged well and there are much better modern card game alternatives.”
  • story
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 the overall narrative fails to engage players, leading to a sense of tedium during gameplay. While the game offers a decent campaign length and variety, it ultimately prioritizes card mechanics over a compelling storyline, leaving many players feeling disconnected from the plot.

    • “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.”
  • graphics
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, showing signs of age with low resolution and quality, yet they still manage to present a certain charm that appeals to fans of older titles. While some players find the visuals to be a drawback, others appreciate the solid gameplay mechanics that compensate for the outdated graphics. Overall, the game holds up well despite its age, with many reviewers noting that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.

    • “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 an 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.”
  • music
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise it as "fire" and enjoyable, particularly during battles, others find it forgettable. Overall, it is noted that the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite criticisms of other aspects like the story and voice acting.

    • “My favorite thing about this game is the characters and music.”
    • “The music is fantastic, as far as I'm concerned.”
    • “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.”
    • “I can't help but jam to all of the battle music except the kinets.”
    • “Music is forgettable.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is severely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that render it nearly unplayable, particularly in its multiplayer mode due to a lack of servers and frequent disconnections. Additionally, compatibility issues with modern systems like Windows 8.1 contribute to crashes and disruptions, leading many to suggest that the game should not be sold 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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Multiplayer is kind of buggy too; some people get disconnected constantly, and there aren't many players on master servers.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the tactical options that enhance replay value, the nonrandomized nature of the campaign and linearity limit it significantly, especially for solo play. Many reviewers suggest that replayability is not strong, particularly when playing alone.

    • “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.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, as battles are slow and lack meaningful consequences, reducing them to repetitive trial-and-error exercises. The absence of risk diminishes strategic depth, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the story and gameplay.

    • “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 wrought made the story boring, the battles tedious, and the tactics canned.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is primarily driven by its hilarious voice acting, particularly from the villains, which adds a comedic flair to the experience. Players find the absurdity of certain game mechanics, such as the overly resilient monsters that can return to life, to be both amusing and engaging, contributing to hours of entertainment. Overall, the combination of witty dialogue and quirky gameplay elements enhances the game's comedic appeal.

    • “The voice acting is hilarious, especially the villains.”
    • “Some of their monsters are hilariously broken, as they're insultingly hard to kill (they usually just go hollow when you kill them, becoming a ghost but being able to return to life in exchange of mana or other stuff), and some of them deal insane amounts of damage, while also draining your HP.”
    • “Most details and especially the voice acting is hilarious and the main mechanic is captivating enough to sink a few hours into it.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised, with multiple users highlighting its exceptional quality.

    • “Great atmosphere.”
    • “Great atmosphere.”
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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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50h Median play time
50h Average play time
50-50h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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