Field of Glory II

About

"Field of Glory II" is a turn-based strategy game that simulates ancient warfare, allowing for single-player, local multi-player , and online multi-player battles. With a focus on the Rise of Rome from 280 BC to 25 BC, players can command various armies with unique units and battle tactics in historical or alternate scenarios. The Masters Edition includes integration with the grand strategy layer of Field of Glory: Empires. The game offers fabulous gameplay and fantastic visuals in a 3D engine.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 974 reviews

gameplay42 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Field of Glory II offers a deep and engaging tactical experience that captures the essence of ancient warfare.
The game features a wide variety of historically accurate armies and units, providing extensive replayability.
The turn-based mechanics allow for thoughtful strategy and planning, making each battle feel unique and rewarding.

The campaign system is minimalistic, lacking a strategic map and feeling more like a series of disconnected battles.
Some mechanics, such as the routing and pursuit of units, can feel unrealistic and lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The user interface can be clunky and may not provide enough information for new players to fully understand the game mechanics.

gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
74%
3%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of deep, complex mechanics that simulate historical battles, making it engaging for players who appreciate tactical depth. While the mechanics can initially feel overwhelming and lack clear explanations, many players find that once they grasp the systems, the gameplay becomes intuitive and rewarding, particularly in multiplayer settings. However, some users criticize the randomness in combat outcomes and certain movement mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “I was utterly engrossed even from the first tutorial mission and keep learning new things about the mechanics, factions, and tactics with each battle.”
- “The multiple unit types, the terrain, the command range, etc. all contribute to excellent gameplay.”
- “With its simple to comprehend mechanics, yet deep tactical acumen, it is a nearly direct translation from tabletop to the computer and a love letter to the history of ancient warfare.”
- “Then we get to the walls of text for every single little mechanic, once again pretending to be deep and realistic but in fact it's extremely shallow in execution.”
- “Every mechanic of the game is determined by an RNG element, resulting in wild swings which no one could predict or plan for.”
- “This process did initially put me off from the game completely as I found the gap between mechanics and classical battles to be too wide and thought the mechanics were too complicated and too restrictive.”
graphics
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed and aesthetically pleasing visuals that resemble hand-painted miniatures and dioramas. While some players find the graphics to be a significant improvement over previous titles, others criticize them as simplistic or outdated, particularly when compared to more visually flashy games like Total War. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good and functional, enhancing the gameplay experience without being the primary focus.
- “The graphics are breathtaking and it's supported by great battle sounds of horses, the clanging of swords, and the trumpeting of elephants.”
- “A superb return to a very popular classic with many improvements, not least of which are the excellent graphics.”
- “The units look good and the overall graphics are immersive.”
- “Battlefield graphics are primitive, reminiscent of Sid Meier's Gettysburg from 25 years ago, which sadly was also more advanced.”
- “Awful graphics could be ignored if the gameplay compensated, which it doesn't.”
- “The graphics needed a facelift, and the gameplay and ruleset needed growth hormones.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
14%
14%
The game offers exceptional replayability, highlighted by a vast array of cultures, armies, and campaign options, including user-generated content. Players can engage in various modes such as historical battles and multi-battle campaigns, with random elements ensuring a fresh experience each time. Overall, the combination of strategic depth and diverse gameplay mechanics contributes to its limitless replayability.
- “The battles are engaging and sometimes nail-biting, giving the game excellent replayability.”
- “With multiple ways to play including set-piece historical battles, multi-battle campaigns, random battles and campaigns, user-made battles and campaigns, there is a huge amount of replayability.”
- “There are a huge number of units and armies (if you own the DLC, there are 105 armies to choose from covering nearly 500 years of history; if you don't own the DLC, no worries; the base game comes with over 80 armies), so there is plenty of replayability.”
- “There are a lot of campaigns - and the options on whether to get reinforcements from allied tribes, or kingdoms, or from your own kingdom, plus the random factor in what units the AI chooses and a new randomly generated battlefield each time you play a campaign battle, mean the campaigns have a bit of replayability.”
- “There are a huge number of units and armies (if you own the DLC, there are 105 armies to choose from covering nearly 500 years of history; if you don't own the DLC, no worries; the base game comes with around 80 armies), so there is plenty of replayability.”
- “Then you add in the fog empires game from Ageod, and suddenly you have a game with limitless replayability.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The music in the game is largely criticized for its absence, with players expressing a desire for a more dynamic soundtrack during battles instead of just unit sounds and ambient noises. While some users appreciate the limited martial music available, the overall consensus is that the game feels flavorless without a robust musical score to enhance the experience.
- “Music, what little there is, is great.”
- “Music is completely absent, and while unit sounds are rather nice, as a game it's just flavorless.”
- “No sound track(s).”
- “At the same time, you need to invest in the community, join a tournament, and chill to some martial music.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players feeling deeply engaged in the tactical gameplay but expressing a desire for a more substantial narrative to accompany the battles. While the mechanics and visual presentation are praised, the lack of a compelling story detracts from the overall experience, leaving some players wishing for a richer context to the tactical encounters.
- “I was utterly engrossed even from the first tutorial mission and kept learning new things about the mechanics, factions, and tactics with each battle.”
- “I love the whole look of the game and the fact it's turn-based means you can take your time to plot your strategy, but the ongoing animations do make it look like the game is carrying on (although it isn't), so it's not like a flat boring wargame - it has a lot of life in it.”
- “Anyway, short story short, great game, could have been amazing.”
- “I do like the tactical play, I wish there was more of a story.”
- “You get these great tactical battles, yet you have no story behind it.”
- “I wish there was more of a story to complement the tactical gameplay.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game minimizes tedious grinding by allowing for strategic routing of skirmishers and focusing on morale collapse rather than attrition warfare. The elegant user interface enhances this experience, enabling players to engage in more dynamic battles without the frustration of prolonged grinding typical in other wargames. Overall, the game offers a refreshing take on combat that avoids the pitfalls of traditional grinding mechanics.
- “Most battles are won by quickly routing skirmishers and then grinding down the mainline rather than dramatic breakthroughs, although against inferior units a morale failure cascade can break a whole line.”
- “Unlike some 'wargames', Fog II is not centered around meat grinding units until the last man is standing.”
- “The UI is elegant and lets you focus totally on achieving those attacks which will result in the morale collapse of your enemy without having to engage in grinding attrition battles as though it's 1916, not 216 BCE.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as subtle and situational, with some players finding it amusing in a "funny chess game" context, while others note that it lacks the comedic impact of certain art phenomena. Overall, the humor is not the primary focus, but it adds a lighthearted touch to the otherwise deep and strategic gameplay.
- “Some Cecilia Gimenez-level phenomenon but not as funny.”
- “Funny chess game.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by an authentic campaign system and effective AI during battles, creating an immersive experience. The improved yet simple graphics contribute to this atmosphere without overwhelming the player.
- “The AI plays very well in battles, and the campaign system feels very authentic and atmospheric.”
- “Improved but simple graphics create an atmosphere that enhances the experience without cluttering the visuals.”
- “Improved but simple graphics that give atmosphere but do not clutter.”
- “Improved but simple graphics that give atmosphere but do not clutter.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, engaging deeply with its themes of violence, heroism, and tragedy as they participate in historical conflicts. The ability to carry over units from battle to battle enhances this emotional investment, making players feel a sense of attachment and concern for their characters, akin to the nostalgic play with tin soldiers.
- “A chance to dive in head first and participate in past conflicts, partaking of their violence, heroism, and tragedy with all the emotional investment that can involve.”
- “Someone compared the campaigns to those of tin soldiers (circa 2005), and I find that comparison apt - it's fun to carry over your units from battle to battle, and makes you act somewhat emotionally when your prize pikemen rush into battle.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game has some minor bugs affecting stability, but they are optimistic that these issues will be addressed in future updates.
- “It's a bit buggy for me, but they will probably fix it soon, as the issues are rather minor.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is visually appealing and runs smoothly, providing a wealth of information and great sound quality. However, even on the easiest difficulty, players find it to be quite challenging.
- “It looks nice, has heaps of info if you want it, runs smoothly, sounds great, and though it shames me to say I was playing on the easiest difficulty, it is still a very tough struggle.”