Fantasy General
- September 15, 2021
- Strategic Simulations
- 6h median play time
Get on SteamFantasy General is a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world with distinct factions, each with their own unique units, abilities, and campaign. Lead your army to victory in tactical battles, managing resources and territory to ensure your faction's dominance. Engage in epic battles against powerful enemies, utilizing terrain, spells, and special abilities to emerge victorious. Experience a rich and immersive world filled with lore, magic, and adventure.
Reviews
- A classic turn-based strategy game that still holds up well after nearly 30 years, offering engaging gameplay and a variety of units.
- The game features a fantastic choral soundtrack and charming hand-drawn artwork, enhancing the nostalgic experience.
- Replayability is high due to different characters, scenarios, and the strategic depth of combat mechanics, making each playthrough unique.
- The user interface can be clunky and confusing, especially for new players, requiring a learning curve to fully enjoy the game.
- Some players find the time limits on missions frustrating, leading to tedious gameplay if not managed carefully.
- The game lacks comprehensive in-game tutorials, which can leave players feeling lost without external guides.
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as simple yet engaging, encouraging players to use their imagination to fill in narrative gaps rather than being overwhelmed by extensive lore. The missions are varied and challenging, with a tactical focus that creates tension reminiscent of games like XCOM, although some mid to late-game missions can feel repetitive. The final missions ramp up in difficulty, providing a brutal and rewarding conclusion to the campaign.
“This makes you always want to find more about the world and use your own imagination to fill in the many gaps in the admittedly simple story, rather than being overwhelmed by lore dumps of yet another fantasy setting.”
“But the game really redeems itself in the final two missions where the difficulty goes from medium to quite difficult; expect a lot of your expert troops to start being killed off towards the end, making it a brutal final few scenarios.”
“One mission contains two huge armies on a small open map, which gives the feel of a traditional Warhammer wargame across open fields; I really enjoyed that scenario and wished they did more like it!”
“As a slight drawback, the missions in the mid to end game can drag on for a bit and feel very similar, so I look for shorter scenarios.”
“Couple this with the fact that there is basically only one type of mission, and that is the player assaulting the map under a time limitation.”
“But the game really redeems itself in the final two missions where the difficulty goes from medium to quite difficult (expect a lot of your expert troops to start being killed off towards the end to make it a brutal final few scenarios).”
- graphics13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by hand-drawn 2D artwork that, while not graphically impressive by modern standards, are serviceable and have a timeless quality. The animations are minimal, and the overall aesthetic reflects its early 1990s origins, appealing to fans of retro-style visuals. Despite their age, the graphics effectively convey the game's mechanics and unit diversity, making it a beloved title in its genre.
“It's a game made with love, as the individual hand-drawn artwork for each of the units shows.”
“Great game, great pixel graphics and still one of the few great alternatives to the 100+ WWII hex strategy games!”
“The graphics are clear, simple, and do the job, displaying the hundreds of unit types possible to buy/fight clearly.”
“Graphics don't hold up too well, but are serviceable. What can you expect for a game that only needed 8MB RAM and a 1MB graphics card and ran in DOS?”
“It's early 1990s DOS sprites on the playfield, so don't expect to be overwhelmed by graphics.”
“The issue with FG2 is they go into all this graphical overkill at the expense of the basic game of tens of scenarios and hundreds of possible campaign paths.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic choral soundtrack, featuring performances by actual musicians and singers inspired by classical and Celtic music. Many players find it unique and charming, with some considering it a standout aspect that enhances their overall enjoyment of the game. While opinions vary, the soundtrack is generally regarded as high-quality, with some reviewers rating it a perfect 10/10.
“It has a fantastic choral soundtrack.”
“The tracks were performed by actual musicians and singers and inspired by classical music, and it is very unique and charming.”
“I rebought it here to see if it would run better than on GOG, which had some small issues (music audio sometimes abruptly cutting off and screen being too sensitive).”
“The soundtrack is the first thing you'll notice.”
“Soundtrack was neat for its day, especially since it originally came on CD-ROM and the audio could be played in a CD player.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging missions, tactical depth, and nostalgic charm, offering a unique experience that appeals to both veterans and newcomers. While some characters lack distinct gameplay options, the overall combat system is enjoyable, though it requires reference to an external manual for full understanding. Players appreciate the variety of troops and mechanics, highlighting the game's ability to blend classic elements with innovative features.
“Great missions and gameplay, still no game quite like it.”
“Good tactical gameplay and an interesting campaign.”
“The combat system and other game mechanics are not explained in-game, but the manual is very comprehensive and can be found online or accessed through Steam.”
“Gameplay is pure gold.”
“The Panzer General with fantasy gameplay has always done it for me.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game features moderate replayability due to its four distinct characters, though player preference for these characters may limit this aspect. The varying difficulty levels provide additional replay value, as higher difficulties demand strategic planning and careful army building. Additionally, the option to choose battles and the branching paths in later islands introduce minor variations in outcomes, enhancing the overall replay experience.
“The game offers replayability because each of the four available characters plays quite differently.”
“Difficulty offers replayability because while normal offers an adequate challenge, increased or hard difficulty gets really difficult and requires you to go in with a plan and build your army very carefully.”
“You have the option to pick which battles you want to fight, and the later islands have branching paths that have small differing outcomes that enhance replayability.”
“The fact there are only four characters means that if even one really doesn't appeal to you, it limits replayability quite a bit. However, the game is long enough that most players will probably be satisfied beating it once or twice.”
“Difficulty offers replayability because while normal mode provides an adequate challenge, increased or hard difficulty becomes really tough and requires you to strategize and build your army very carefully.”
“You have the option to pick which battles you want to fight, and the later islands feature branching paths with small differing outcomes that enhance replayability.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game effectively establishes a compelling atmosphere and tone right from the start, consistently maintaining it throughout the experience while gradually revealing lore through text and events.
“It establishes its atmosphere and tone immediately and maintains this throughout the game, only giving up snippets of lore through bits of text and events here and there.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
“Despite the initial promise, the atmosphere quickly becomes repetitive and fails to evoke any real sense of tension or excitement.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the added pressure of a time limit that exacerbates the experience.
“The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“The repetitive tasks required to progress make the game feel more like a job than a hobby.”
“With the added pressure of a time limit, the grinding turns into a tedious and frustrating experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized for the latest Windows version, running smoothly without any stability or performance issues, even in a DOS box environment right after installation.
“There are no stability or performance issues on the latest Windows version; the game runs perfectly straight from install into a DOS box environment.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in reflecting on past gaming experiences, noting how their perspectives have changed over time. The nostalgia adds a lighthearted touch, highlighting the evolution of gaming culture and terminology.
“It's funny that back in the day, I never would have thought of something like that. I don't think the term was that common; I was just glad to have units to make the play easier.”
