SpellForce 3 Reforced

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,592 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
SpellForce 3 Reforced Game Cover
Spellforce 3: Reforced is a confident mixing of genres that does well with both elements, and brings a ton of content to consoles.
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"SpellForce 3 Reforced" is a strategy RPG set in a fantasy world following the aftermath of the Mage Wars. As a blend of RTS and RPG, players can create their own hero, build an army, and fight in epic battles while navigating a deep and engaging story. This game takes place before the events of "SpellForce: The Order of Dawn."

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,592 reviews
story768 positive mentions
stability119 negative mentions
  • Interesting blend of RPG and RTS that offers a unique gameplay experience.
  • Beautiful graphics and high production value, with great voice acting and music.
  • Engaging story with well-developed characters that keeps players invested.
  • RTS mechanics can feel chaotic and unbalanced, often leading to overwhelming enemy attacks.
  • Poor AI pathfinding and unit behavior can result in frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Lack of a pause function during RTS segments makes it difficult to manage heroes and units effectively.
  • story1,834 mentions

    The story of Spellforce 3 has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its engaging narrative, rich lore, and well-developed characters, often highlighting the impressive voice acting and immersive world-building. However, some critiques point to a lack of originality in the plot, with elements feeling generic or predictable, and numerous bugs affecting quest progression, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the combination of RPG and RTS elements, along with a compelling storyline, makes it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Excellent voice acting, really good story.”
    • “The story, writing, main story missions, side missions, characters, dialogue, environment, fantasy setting are all brilliant.”
    • “The story is engaging and I enjoy the combat.”
    • “Whoever wrote the story for this game either didn't do their research on the universe's lore.”
    • “The story is mediocre at best.”
    • “The story isn't anything novel, and while it tries to provide 'choices' during the game, nothing feels like it changes the outcome.”
  • gameplay606 mentions

    The gameplay of SpellForce 3 is a hybrid of real-time strategy (RTS) and role-playing game (RPG) elements, offering a unique experience that blends base-building and character management. While many players appreciate the engaging story and immersive graphics, the gameplay mechanics can be clunky and poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve and occasional frustration. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable, particularly for fans of the genre, but it suffers from balance issues and a lack of depth in its RTS components.

    • “The gameplay is divided into RTS and RPG gameplay, according to the map you're in, since not everywhere you will need your army to be able to complete a quest.”
    • “Blends RTS and RPG elements with a compelling story and fun game mechanics.”
    • “Great gameplay and amazing graphics.”
    • “The gameplay usually just switches between a mediocre CRPG and a mediocre RTS without ever coming close to being a 'perfect blend' as the store page advertises.”
    • “The gameplay is silly.”
    • “The gameplay itself gets quite repetitive, but that's the nature of this type of game - each new map means you start from scratch without two pieces of wood to rub together and have to build up an army.”
  • graphics537 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting that they stand out even against more recent titles. However, some players have pointed out issues with contrast and color choices that can hinder visibility, particularly in tactical situations. Overall, the visuals are described as stunning and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and player experience.

    • “The game looks and runs beautifully; you can increase the graphics options as much as possible since you don't need more than 60 fps to enjoy this game.”
    • “Such high production values, be it beautiful visuals, extensive high-quality voice acting, or serene soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, with stunningly detailed visuals on everything, from roads and trees to character and enemy model design.”
    • “Graphics are mediocre, made poor by bad lighting and color designs, graying everything into some kind of indistinct bark with only outlines visible if the units are selected.”
    • “The graphics are often non-intuitive and 'messy' to look at - it's not always obvious what terrain is traversable, or which locations are reachable.”
    • “It looks disappointing - with maxed out graphics it's just gray and somewhat foggy, and I better play the original 2003 'Order of Dawn' game through once again; it looks better, it feels better, and it works.”
  • music219 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its high production value, with many reviewers praising its orchestral compositions that enhance the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While some noted that certain tracks can become repetitive over time, the soundtrack is generally described as diverse, memorable, and fitting for various gameplay moments, contributing significantly to the immersive experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful music, excellent voice acting, and stunning graphics creates a captivating audio-visual experience that many players find unforgettable.

    • “The music is incredible and the gameplay is a solid 10/10!”
    • “The soundtrack is diverse and memorable, and honestly contains one of the most touching pieces of video game music ever: fragile.”
    • “The music, the artwork, the amount of detail in this game is awe-inspiring.”
    • “Unfortunately, there was barely any music during actual gameplay.”
    • “There was a lot of noise, ambient music, or whatever you want to call it, so the world felt boring.”
    • “The music is so forgettable that I didn't even notice there was any at all.”
  • stability127 mentions

    The stability of SpellForce 3: Reforced has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. While some users note improvements due to patches, the game is still described as "extremely buggy" and "unplayable" at times, particularly during loading screens and quest completions. Overall, the game's stability remains a major concern, overshadowing its otherwise engaging story and gameplay mechanics.

    • “I snapped this up for $30 a year after release and it's been bug free.”
    • “I found the gameplay essentially bug free (playing it after the issuing of numerous updates).”
    • “Game has few minor bugs but runs great!”
    • “It is a buggy, unplayable game.”
    • “Very buggy, even though the Reforced edition advertises otherwise - resource building not functioning, NPCs disappear making the completion of quests impossible without reloading to some earlier point in the game.”
    • “Spellforce 3 is a horrible mess of bugs, glitches, and memory leaks that crashes every 30 minutes or so.”
  • optimization70 mentions

    The optimization of SpellForce 3: Reforced has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and glitches, particularly in high-stress scenarios like large battles or dynamic weather changes. While some users have noted improvements post-launch and found the game playable on higher-end systems, others continue to experience stuttering and frame rate drops, especially on lower-spec machines or when using certain display settings. Overall, the game is considered poorly optimized, with ongoing calls for further improvements.

    • “Reforced has fixed many, if not all, of the bugs and optimization issues of the past.”
    • “Graphics are great and well optimized; I play on ultra, which is just stunning. However, when you first play, it may feel very overwhelming.”
    • “The display settings section actually notes the performance to visual fidelity impact each option may have on your gameplay.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, which is very bad for an RTS game.”
    • “Unoptimized pile of garbage with awful performance; tweaking graphical settings literally doesn't make any difference.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game needs optimization really bad.”
  • grinding49 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of gameplay, particularly in the RTS elements, which detracts from the otherwise engaging RPG components. While some appreciate the depth of the story and combat, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game suffers from a lack of variety and engaging mechanics, leading to a monotonous grind.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “After watching multiple different orc camps raid me again and again, I just realized I was feeling utterly miserable, that the game just wasn't worth grinding through to see where the plot was going, and I suspected I could probably guess anyway.”
    • “While the gameplay is deep and the story is good, the gameplay is also extremely tedious.”
    • “Playing through the campaign again with a friend feels more like grinding than actual gameplay, which says a lot.”
  • atmosphere36 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its depth and immersive qualities, combining beautiful graphics, compelling music, and strong storytelling to create a rich, fantastical environment. Many reviewers highlight the attention to detail in the visuals and sound design, which enhance the overall experience, evoking comparisons to beloved titles like Dragon Age and Skyrim. While some note a mix of dark and colorful elements, the consensus is that the game's atmosphere significantly contributes to its appeal, making it a standout in the genre.

    • “The writing is fantastic and tells a compelling story from start to end as a prequel to the original SpellForce games. The music is moving and provides a perfect fantasy atmosphere, and the graphics are really quite good, with set pieces on a scale I haven't even seen before.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is incredible though.”
    • “Overall, the good story, interesting RPG elements, and fantastical atmosphere are the reasons to get this game.”
    • “I don't quite vibe with the atmosphere; however, it goes for a dark and grimy mood, borderline dark fantasy even, like it's a contemporary fantasy TV series like Game of Thrones. Though there's only a handful of muddy brown maps, most maps are colorful, and there's plenty of variety in landscapes.”
    • “They should have put more work into this to improve the atmosphere.”
    • “Despite this, I found this game extremely enjoyable. The gameplay is varied enough with different factions in the RTS segment and character builds in the RPG segment to keep me interested, but the atmosphere generated by both the music and the graphics is lacking.”
  • character development27 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth and complexity of the story and characters, while others criticize the lack of meaningful choices and underwhelming character design. Many reviews highlight the strong writing and voice acting, as well as the intriguing themes explored, but note that the skill trees and character customization options are simplistic. Overall, while the narrative and character arcs are compelling, the execution of character development mechanics leaves room for improvement.

    • “It features the best campaign ever in an RTS, an amazing cast of heroes with deep character development, full and amazing voice acting, good writing that isn't afraid of treating complicated themes such as religion, the struggle of both the powerful and the powerless, dealing with death, rape, redemption, and so many more.”
    • “The story line holds your attention and the character development is intriguing.”
    • “Introducing an RTS campaign with the most character development I've ever encountered, and the best writing.”
    • “The graphics and music are very nice and probably the reason I have played so far, but there is no character development for your companions (or your own character). You can talk to them between story missions to get a little bit of their background and unlock their special ability, that's all. The RTS part is very simple, and for an RPG, there are little to no choices to make apart from how you build your character and your companions.”
    • “Character development is subpar even though there was a great effort to make that important.”
    • “The game recently got a redesign, which improved the aspect of allowing you to level up a character and take them to skirmish maps or RPG maps, but the character development and skills are plain boring. The skill trees are tiny with boring skills and annoying 'buffs' that make you spam them every few seconds. Who has time for that in an RTS with units the size of ants?”
  • replayability27 mentions

    The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players noting a lack of replay value after completing the campaign, while others highlight the potential for replayability through different story choices, character builds, and multiplayer modes. Several users appreciate the engaging narrative and diverse gameplay options that encourage multiple playthroughs, particularly in skirmish and hard modes. Overall, the game's replayability seems to depend on individual play styles and preferences, with some finding it highly replayable and others feeling it lacks depth after the initial experience.

    • “The game is awesome; it immerses you in the game world, and the campaigns are really tough. The gameplay is really smooth, and the new game modes give a lot of replayability. I give it 10/10 for the game. Good job, developers!”
    • “Diverging storylines add extreme replayability, and if they ever went back to add in even a couple, this would be a veritable classic.”
    • “I absolutely love the story and how engaging it is, plus it has a lot of replay value due to the sheer amount of dialogue choices, and they are all voiced.”
    • “Replayability factor for me is very low.”
    • “However, once you finish the campaign it becomes hollow and there is no replay value unless you want to play the campaign again.”
    • “It's a shame to miss out on so much stuff because let's be honest, nobody is playing this twice no matter how much you artificially try to make it replayable and it does not have to be.”
  • humor19 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring both intentional and unintentional comedic moments, such as absurd quest outcomes and amusing character interactions. While some players find the game too serious and lacking in wackiness, others appreciate the funny scenarios that arise from gameplay mechanics, like overpowered heroes and ironic dialogue. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the experience, making it enjoyable despite its flaws.

    • “It's funny when you bring a bunch of orcs to save a holy order and they flip out afterwards because they've been saved by orcs.”
    • “There was an unintentionally funny moment where the leader of a town I requisitioned to fight my enemies asked me to remember that all the people lost in war are the sons and daughters of the town, and all their lives matter... but then I have to recruit hundreds of soldiers from the town of 10 people and send them to their death over and over with no consequence.”
    • “The story is great, the dialogue is informative (sometimes hilarious), and most importantly, the combat is satisfying!”
  • monetization13 mentions

    The monetization strategy for the game is a mixed bag; while the DLCs, particularly the "Fallen God" expansion, are praised for their quality and depth, players express frustration over unskippable advertisements that play upon launching the game. Many feel that the focus on in-game content over aggressive monetization is commendable, yet the intrusive ads detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game seems to prioritize quality content but suffers from poor advertising practices.

    • “The main game campaign feels like the first test of the RPG/RTS hybrid mechanics, and with each DLC, it gets increasingly better. The Fallen God DLC (or rather expansion pack, since these are old-school, substantial additions to the game rather than $70 skin 'microtransactions') is where it all comes together in a perfect blend with a unique story.”
    • “The monetization model is fair and offers great value for the content provided, making it easy to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers optional purchases that enhance the experience without being intrusive or necessary to progress.”
    • “How stupid can you be to force people to watch an unskippable video advertisement every time they boot up the game?”
    • “You get spammed with an annoyingly loud, way too long, unskippable advertisement video for their new addon... that's right: you buy a game, start it for the first time, and are forced to watch an ad you can neither skip nor disable completely!”
    • “I understand that some players have been desperate for news on the expansion but as someone who just picked this up and hasn't even decided if I like the base game, being forced to sit through an advertisement is very reminiscent of those old DVDs that forced you to sit through unskippable previews so they could make a couple extra bucks.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "SpellForce 3 Reforced" is highlighted by its diverse and memorable soundtrack, which enhances the storytelling experience, making it powerful and touching. While some players find the voice acting inconsistent, the dialogues are noted for their intellectual and emotional depth, contributing to a darker narrative that explores complex themes. Overall, the game evokes strong feelings through its music and story, despite some criticisms regarding graphics and gameplay mechanics.

    • “Especially the first two games of SpellForce 3 seem very emotional to me.”
    • “The perfectionism and the passion applied to the voices makes the story an emotional and extraordinary experience.”
    • “It raises up every scene and makes it a powerful and emotional experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

Buy SpellForce 3 Reforced

Play time

35hMedian play time
35hAverage play time
7-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs

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