SpellForce: Platinum Edition

About

SpellForce: Platinum Edition is a fantasy role-playing and real-time strategy game consisting of three titles. After the catastrophic events caused by the thirteen most powerful mages, the world is left in chaos and despair. Now, evil forces have returned stronger than ever, and only a prophesied human, bound by the power of blood runes, can restore hope. Explore, build, and battle in a vast world beyond imagination.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 921 reviews

story136 positive mentions

stability31 negative mentions

Spellforce combines RPG and RTS elements seamlessly, providing a unique gameplay experience.
The game offers extensive character customization and a rich storyline with engaging quests.
Despite its age, the graphics and music still hold up well, creating an immersive atmosphere.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, including crashes and issues with cutscenes that can disrupt gameplay.
The voice acting is often poor and can detract from the overall experience.
Gameplay can feel tedious due to slow movement and lengthy backtracking across large maps.

story
416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
61%
6%
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its immersive world-building and intricate lore, although some find it cliché and lacking in depth. While the main narrative is engaging, the execution suffers from subpar dialogue and voice acting, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the game features a mix of main and side quests that can be both rewarding and frustrating due to bugs and unclear objectives, leading to a somewhat uneven storytelling experience.
- “From the moment you delve into its immersive world, you're transported into a realm where magic and might collide in epic battles and intricate storytelling.”
- “The intricate lore woven throughout the game pulls you deeper into its world with every quest and character interaction.”
- “The story is both immersive and deep, at least as far as RTS games go.”
- “While the setting has some interesting elements, the writing of dialogues, quests, and the voice acting are all subpar and really undercut the game.”
- “One might be able to push through a tedious game for the story and characters, but this game doesn't have that.”
- “The story felt rushed, always on the run to a new location and barely doing much in one.”
gameplay
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
57%
9%
The gameplay of Spellforce is a unique blend of RTS and RPG mechanics, offering a rich and engaging experience despite its dated graphics and some clunky controls. While many players appreciate the depth and replayability, noting that it can provide over 100 hours of content, others criticize it for being slow-paced and occasionally repetitive. Overall, the game is celebrated for its interesting world-building and character customization, though it does have its share of bugs and design flaws.
- “The gameplay loop of clearing out the map and then walking through the desolate and barren map, while listening to the soundtrack is pretty unique and I could do this all day.”
- “The gameplay is still very enjoyable, even though it came out over 20 years ago.”
- “The combination of RPG and RTS makes it so much more than either of the two genres alone, a spectacular blend that adds an undefinable dimension to the gameplay and really immerses a person in the story.”
- “The gameplay by itself is for some part boring and intransparent in many ways and just too slow overall.”
- “This isn't a hybrid RPG/RTS game; it's a mediocre RPG duct-taped to a mediocre RTS, resulting in very boring and repetitive gameplay.”
- “While the story is somewhat convoluted and the RTS mechanics are quite bare, it was a bold experiment that did some things very successfully, including exploration and multiple choices of how to tackle any given problem.”
graphics
147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
53%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2003 release, with many users noting that while they were impressive at the time, they now appear primitive and polygonal. Despite this, some players appreciate the game's unique art style and vibrant colors, finding charm in its nostalgic visuals, even if they don't hold up to modern standards. Overall, while the graphics may not be visually appealing by today's criteria, they do not detract significantly from the enjoyable gameplay and engaging story.
- “The graphics and animation are amazing for the time period (2003).”
- “This game visually looks stunning for its time; the idea of mixing an RPG with AOE strategy and making it look this good is incredible.”
- “The graphics are old but surprisingly decent.”
- “The graphics are now outdated, but that doesn't matter for this gem of a game.”
- “Graphics-wise, it has not aged well, as it dates to the time when 3D acceleration was in its infancy, and the graphics look primitive compared to its contemporary 2D or hybrid 2D/3D games.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
33%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance immersion, with many reviewers highlighting the orchestral soundtrack and ambient soundscapes as standout features. While the non-combat music is often described as fantastic and atmospheric, some criticism is directed at the repetitive nature of battle music and occasional sound quality issues. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset to the game's experience, contributing to its memorable atmosphere.
- “The music, the atmosphere is something that cannot be duplicated; it's truly one thing someone won't forget in a lifetime.”
- “The game has an orchestral soundtrack with tracks that set the mood nicely in most parts of the game.”
- “An absolutely marvelous soundtrack by Tilman Sillescu, who I would easily name in a breath with Jeremy Soule or Howard Shore, makes this one of my favorite games of all time.”
- “The ambient sound effects and music are serviceable, but the battle soundscape is really subpar.”
- “- Breath of Winter DLCs were done incredibly sloppily - some dialogues are not translated from German, difficulty goes into ridiculous levels, and soundtrack loops are botched. The OST itself even has Windows error sounds in it because someone forgot to listen to their own work.”
- “Also, the music can become repetitive, especially the battle music.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, including freezing issues and erratic enemy behavior. While some players note that recent patches have introduced new problems, others still find the game enjoyable despite its flaws. Overall, the game is considered outdated and buggy, but many recommend it for its engaging content at a low price.
- “It's ridiculously cheap for the amount of time you'll spend in pure ecstasy. It runs great on Windows 7 despite the system requirements, and the Steam version is the only version that does!”
- “This game is very buggy and tends to crash.”
- “Buggy, sooo buggy; there are fixes that you can find online, but I see no point in buying a game if it's not even patched properly and then I have to mess with the script files and whatnot.”
- “However, the latest patch has spawning bugs on some maps (Farlorn's Hope) where the upper limit of 80 is exceeded by the enemy (300+ in one camp, 400+ in the second camp) and the game freezes as a result.”
grinding
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for becoming tedious and unengaging after an initial period of enjoyment. Players report that the combination of poor AI, convoluted character progression, and repetitive resource gathering leads to a frustrating experience, often requiring excessive time investment without meaningful rewards. While some players find minor enjoyment in exploiting certain mechanics, the overall sentiment is that the game feels like a chore, detracting from its potential appeal.
- “In short, I am over sixty hours in, and I haven't had much fun with the game since about hour 30, and even before then it was grindy and tedious.”
- “Poor voice acting, irritating troop AI, tedious resource gathering, super convoluted character progression with no way to respec, endless bugs and errors, and other such points just make this a chore to play.”
- “The game is grindy; to keep up the right level, you need to grind quite a bit.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its intentionally poor voice acting, which many players find amusing rather than off-putting, alongside dated graphics and quirky character animations that elicit laughter. Players appreciate the comedic value of translation errors and the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics, making the overall experience entertaining despite its technical flaws. While the game lacks depth in its RPG and RTS systems, the humor effectively keeps players engaged throughout the campaign.
- “Funny and interesting characters.”
- “The skeleton animations in a certain cutscene had me on the floor, laughing.”
- “English version also contains some funny translation errors, nothing major, but funny either way.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautifully crafted landscapes, immersive music, and rich lore, evoking a blend of influences from Warcraft and Lord of the Rings. Players appreciate the unique environments and engaging sound design that enhance the overall experience, making it a memorable title even years after its release. The combination of stunning graphics, a lengthy campaign, and a captivating story contributes to its reputation as one of the most atmospheric games of all time.
- “The landscapes are beautifully crafted, from lush forests to desolate wastelands, each with its own unique atmosphere and challenges, adding to the immersive experience of commanding your armies and engaging in combat.”
- “The music and atmosphere are something that cannot be duplicated; it's truly an experience someone won't forget in a lifetime.”
- “Despite its age, SpellForce still is to me one of the most atmospheric games of all time.”
- “A catchy mix of RTS and RPG, whose atmosphere is hard to describe.”
- “Personally, my request to the authors (or the owners of the brand) - please, recreate this part of the game with beautiful graphics, on a new engine, in all languages (because I, as a Russian fan of the game, am a little upset), but with the same atmosphere and same music.”
- “Even in 2016, it's a game that is worth playing, or at least trying; it has a special atmosphere and story.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the smooth performance and well-designed graphics, others report significant performance issues, particularly on older machines and with Windows 10 compatibility. Adjustments to settings can help mitigate some problems, but the game lacks the optimization standards expected in modern titles.
- “This was the first game I ever played, and the one I liked the most. The CD version was great, but the Steam version makes it even better by solving all performance issues.”
- “Well designed, pretty optimized.”
- “- Nice graphics engine, smooth scrolling, no performance issues.”
- “Not optimized for Windows 10, which is very clear.”
- “It's buggy, it's not very optimized for old machines. I have a 2008 machine, and the game is from 2004. Oh well...”
- “It's missing a lot of today's game optimization; you can screw up your character build badly, and there is no 'handholding'.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
27%
27%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its unique fantasy setting, extensive character customization options, and diverse gameplay mechanics, allowing players to explore various paths and build strategies. With around 50 hours of gameplay and numerous quests, items, and character builds to experiment with, players find significant value in replaying the game. However, some reviews note that the story may not enhance replay value as much as the gameplay elements do.
- “50 hours of gameplay and really big replayability rate.”
- “Unique fantasy setting paired with engaging gameplay and replayability.”
- “The leveling and character building aspects are fun; the RTS elements, while simplistic, are satisfying. The variety of maps and character-focused gameplay provide a nice pace, offering a lot of potential variety and replayability.”
- “There is quite a bit of replay value, since you can see what other paths of certain quests would've led to, and all the talents to check out.”
- “Like I mentioned before, there are so many ways you can build your character, and that alone gives lots of replay value.”
- “Replay value is okay.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game features a robust and complex character development system that enhances the RPG experience, with players praising its unique leveling mechanics and diverse encounters. The integration of character growth into the narrative and gameplay adds depth, making it appealing for fans of fantasy and strategy. Overall, the character development is highlighted as a standout aspect that enriches the overall experience.
- “Would recommend for anyone that loves fantasy and character development and can appreciate strategy.”
- “I absolutely love the RPG elements; the character development, the loot, unique encounters in hidden corners of the map, all of it feels unique.”
- “I absolutely love the RPG elements, though the character development, the loot, and unique encounters in hidden corners of the map all feel unique.”
- “The character development system is complex.”
- “On top of that, you get to see the story, setting, and quite a bit of character development as you go about on the campaigns.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with players finding the story forgettable and the RPG mechanics, such as the loot and leveling systems, to be uninspiring and restrictive, ultimately detracting from any meaningful emotional engagement.
- “The emotional depth of the story is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their journeys.”
- “I found the game’s attempts at emotional moments to be forced and unconvincing, leaving me feeling detached.”
- “The narrative fails to evoke any real feelings, resulting in a hollow experience that doesn't resonate with players.”