Swords and Sandals 2 Redux

About

The world's favourite gladiator game has returned, bigger and more action packed then ever. Swords and Sandals 2: Emperor's Reign returns, remastered with all new graphics, music and powerful new skills and Arena Champions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

graphics10 negative mentions

The game brings back a lot of nostalgia for fans of the original Swords and Sandals 2, making it a fun experience for those who played it as kids.
Some players appreciate the updated graphics and new features, feeling that it adds to the overall experience while maintaining the core gameplay.
The game is seen as a decent remaster of a classic, with many players enjoying the humor and character creation aspects.

The game is plagued with bugs and glitches, making it frustrating and sometimes unplayable, with issues like enemies attacking multiple times or being immune to certain attacks.
Many players feel that the game is a significant downgrade from the original, with a simplified UI, repetitive gameplay, and a lack of meaningful content compared to the flash version.
The balance of the game is criticized, with some players finding it unfairly difficult and reliant on RNG, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall.

graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
77%
17%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the new elements and remastered assets, while others criticize the inconsistency in art style and the perceived downgrade from the original's charm. Many users express disappointment over the lack of a true 'classic' mode and the presence of bugs, which detract from the overall experience. Overall, while some find the graphics enjoyable, a significant portion of the community feels they fail to capture the essence of the original game.
- “The graphics are great, even if still simple, and some of the new elements are indeed wonderful while keeping the original gameplay mostly intact and fun.”
- “10/10 graphics”
- “Better graphics, more features, expanded lore for the universe, and it sounds like they even remastered the music.”
- “The game shows somewhat promising screenshots, but it's actually very trash, and the resolution and graphics are horrible.”
- “Well yeah, they all got replaced by low quality jpegs of a drawing that's supposed to represent them, that have no animation, and they're in a completely different art style.”
- “This type of art style makes it inconsistent and sore to the eyes.”
stability
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and create an unbalanced experience. Many players express frustration over broken achievements, unfair mechanics, and a lack of developer support for fixing these issues. While some updates have improved stability, the overall consensus remains that the game feels unfinished and plagued by persistent technical problems.
- “Now with the new patch, I have to change my whole review and say that the game is now, for the most part, bug-free.”
- “It's a buggy, buggy mess, and it does not seem like a finished game.”
- “There are countless glitches that make the game extremely unfair and unplayable.”
- “Enter the arena screen, leave it... sleep, enter the arena screen 6 times... and hope you get the level you need to progress... this wouldn't be so bad, but often times the game simply glitches out and you're left unable to press anything and just have to quit - since there is no save feature in ironman mode for whatever reason, you have to restart.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
48%
24%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic feel and modern mechanics, while others criticize it for being repetitive and riddled with bugs. Players appreciate the character growth and rewarding combat system, but many express disappointment over the simplified shop, stamina issues, and a lack of new features to enhance the experience. Overall, while the game retains some fun elements, it struggles with execution and balance, leading to a less satisfying gameplay experience compared to its predecessors.
- “Great gameplay loop and the music is epic as hell.”
- “This brings both the first game into a modern light, with modern mechanics. Combat is faster, smoother, and more varied; it's much more fun and less time-wasting.”
- “I think what I love most is seeing your character grow from literally 5ft to 16ft (up to 20ft with magic) to new gear. It's super rewarding gameplay, and if you lose against a hard boss the first time, you have money and experience to come back to him with a better idea and gear, using different tactics to approach him.”
- “Still had fun, but I can't leave a recommendation because of how much of a downgrade the gameplay and everything else is here.”
- “Bosses are difficult, gameplay is screwed up in terms of stamina, skill trees and everything else; things that weren't broken were fixed, and almost nothing has been added to compensate for these issues.”
- “Riddled with multiple gameplay bugs and lacking basic features like resizing the screen or audio sliders; it has some spirit of the legacy games, but somehow feels underwhelming when compared to them.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
58%
11%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its epic quality and nostalgic feel, while others express disappointment over the changes made to the original soundtrack. Many users appreciate the humorous and engaging musical themes, but some criticize the new compositions as inferior or repetitive compared to the previous version. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though it is marred by occasional glitches and a lack of the original tracks that fans cherished.
- “Great gameplay loop and the music is epic as hell.”
- “I can't get enough of the music, I want to sing along with each theme, from the title to winning the tournament.”
- “Music is chill and the narrator sounds cool, same with the overall sound effects, feels like S&S2, which it should.”
- “I 100% prefer the older version of this game which was also free, the music and fighting have been changed for no reason at all.”
- “But during the bosses/champions, they took a Kevin MacLeod song as the theme and slowed it down. If they had a better boss theme, they should have made their own or just used the 'heavy metal' theme from the Swords and Sandals 3 game when you activate 'double damage'.”
- “The music was just horrible.”
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
12%
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it compelling and well-formatted, while others criticize the fast-paced text that makes it difficult to read after defeating bosses. Although there are new elements and quests added, many fans of the original express disappointment with the remake's graphics and overall functionality. Overall, the narrative is seen as slightly more detailed but inconsistent compared to previous installments.
- “Includes a bunch of new bosses and better formatted story/lore too.”
- “The best game I have ever laid my eyes on, the plot is compelling and moving.”
- “The story is great and just like S&S2.”
- “The story is mediocre; after defeating a boss, the text disappears too quickly to read properly.”
- “When you defeat the champions and get more story to read, it's on a timer before you go back to the game.”
- “This would not be a problem if I did not have to read 2-3 paragraphs of a storyline in under 30 seconds.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally praised for its humor, featuring funny music, amusing lines, and entertaining gameplay that elicits laughter. While some aspects, like the boss battles, may fall short, the overall comedic charm and absurdity make it enjoyable, especially at a low price. Players appreciate the blend of humor with engaging mechanics, making it a fun experience despite its weaknesses.
- “Besides that, it's hilarious, it's incredibly fun and yelling somebody's legs off is incredibly satisfying.”
- “Lot's of armor and weapons to choose from and very funny lines and music.”
- “It has its charm in that kind of way that something absolutely awful can be funny or intriguing, like when you can't look away at a car crash.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game is generally better optimized than its browser version, maintaining the original's atmosphere while running smoothly. However, users have noted that the mobile user interface is poorly optimized.
- “Better optimized than the browser version and still reflects the atmosphere of the original release.”
- “Runs smoothly.”
- “Bad UI for mobile optimization”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is described as excessively tedious, particularly for those unfamiliar with the series. It is recommended primarily for players who enjoy grinding or have prior experience with similar games, as the repetitive nature of battling lesser opponents before facing bosses can become monotonous.
- “It quickly becomes tedious to grind through all the trash gladiators to fight the boss.”
- “I only recommend this game to people who played s&s before and are familiar with it, or people who enjoy grinding.”
- “Really grindy.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive sound design, capturing the essence of the original release with village sounds, echoes in shops, and the presence of animals like dogs and birds, all contributing to a rich and engaging environment. Additionally, the game is noted for being better optimized than its browser version while maintaining this atmospheric quality.
- “The sound of the village, and its echo when you enter the shops, along with the dogs and the birds, believe it or not, they create a captivating atmosphere!”
- “Better optimized than the browser version and still reflects the atmosphere of the original release.”
- “The immersive sounds and environmental details truly enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “The sound of the village, and its echo when you entered the shops, (the dogs and the birds) believe it or not, they create atmosphere!”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as being exploitative, with multiple users labeling it a "cash grab."
- “It's a cash grab.”
- “It's a cash grab.”