The Guild 2

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 394 reviews
  • gameplay
  • stability
  • graphics
The Guild 2 Game Cover
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"The Guild 2" is a life simulation game set in the middle ages, where players found a dynasty, manage resources, and interact with the game's immersive 3D world. Real-time events such as public executions and robberies add an extra layer of realism, and players must balance their actions to ensure their dynasty's success. The game features options for both merchant and thief careers, and the impact of player decisions can be seen in the growth or decline of their party and family.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 394 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
stability39 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique blend of RPG and life simulation, allowing players to build a dynasty and engage in various professions.
  • It provides a lot of freedom in gameplay, enabling players to choose between being a merchant, politician, rogue, or scholar, and to interact with the world in multiple ways.
  • Despite its bugs, the game can be very addictive and offers a deep and engaging experience for those who enjoy strategy and management games.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including AI pathfinding issues and random language switches between English and German, which can disrupt immersion.
  • The user interface is clunky and not very intuitive, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and objectives.
  • Graphics are dated, and the overall execution feels unfinished, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its innovative mechanics and depth, particularly in areas like business management and political intrigue. However, significant criticism has been directed at the poor implementation of these mechanics, leading to bugs, repetitive tasks, and a steep learning curve that can detract from the overall experience. While some players find the gameplay addictive and engaging, others feel it is tedious and marred by technical issues, making it a challenging experience for newcomers.

    • “The gameplay is innovative and provides a lot of varied options including building wealth by running your day-to-day business operations and expansion, getting involved in politics and the accompanying intrigue, sabotaging competitors, and building a family.”
    • “The guild II offers quite a bit of novel gameplay, from running a variety of different medieval businesses to managing political office and trials as you build your dynasty one generation at a time.”
    • “I became addicted to this game because of its political mechanics, and how you rival other dynasties throughout time (through business trade, political regard, and even combat).”
    • “Gonna have to change my review and downvote this since it is simply unbearable with all the game mechanics and the bugs especially.”
    • “Slow gameplay with no enjoyment.”
    • “The ai is hopelessly simplistic, the interface is clunky, and for a sim game the gameplay is surprisingly restrictive.”
  • stability39 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, glitches, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, many express frustration over the game's unfinished feel and lack of timely fixes. Overall, the consensus is that the game is extremely buggy, making it difficult for players to progress and fully enjoy its potential.

    • “The game is extremely buggy in ways that are downright insulting.”
    • “The game feels unfinished and buggy and slightly aimless.”
    • “There are numerous bugs and glitches which take away from the overall picture.”
  • graphics36 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its age since its release in 2006, with many users noting that they do not meet modern standards. While some appreciate the charm and aesthetic quality despite the limitations, others criticize the unappealing visuals and bugs that detract from the experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a secondary concern to the game's depth and gameplay, appealing primarily to those who prioritize content over visual fidelity.

    • “The aesthetics are great despite being a bit dated - on max settings it is still really nice to watch your characters move around.”
    • “Graphics are nice, textures are sharp enough, scenery is beautiful with flowers moving in the wind.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, beautiful concept, limited strategy but other things cover up for that.”
    • “The graphics are quite dated.”
    • “The game is buggy, the graphics are unappealing, and has a dated feel, but it also has a lot of depth and is a lot of fun.”
    • “While graphics and gameplay were massively overhauled, neither proves to have been done well.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively tedious and slow, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Players find the micromanagement required for business operations to be burdensome, with many describing the gameplay as painful and unsatisfying. Overall, the experience is marred by a lack of engaging content, making it feel like a chore rather than a leisurely activity.

    • “Don't waste time grinding your way up the ladder.”
    • “I thought it was awful, tedious, and broken.”
    • “It's just that the actual gameplay is very tedious and unsatisfying.”
  • story11 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, primarily serving as a backdrop during the tutorial, with players noting a lack of a dedicated story mode. While some appreciate the evolving narrative tied to gameplay progression, others find the overall experience repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a sense of stagnation after multiple playthroughs. The emphasis on player-driven storytelling through dynasties offers some engagement, but many feel the absence of a compelling narrative detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “I bought the whole pack, and I am glad that I did because the story evolves as does the animation and game dynamics the further you go along.”
    • “You can make your own story.”
    • “The only addition of this version is that it has a sort of a plot as you go through the tutorial.”
    • “No story mode and once you beat the game a couple of times using different strategies, it becomes stale.”
    • “You see, the story is not about this first character - it's about the dynasty they build.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is well-suited to its medieval setting, enhancing immersion and complementing the gameplay experience. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is fitting and memorable, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere.

    • “The music is appropriate and helps immersion into the medieval setting.”
    • “The music and voices are simple yet memorable.”
    • “The soundtrack fits the game perfectly.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse career paths and class options, allowing players to explore different strategies for achieving fame, power, and fortune. Users appreciate the fun and engaging nature of the gameplay, which encourages multiple playthroughs to experience various class dynamics and combinations.

    • “All jokes aside, the game has great replay value as there are many avenues you can take to fame, power, and fortune.”
    • “This game is fun and replayable, and I will enjoy it for some time to come.”
    • “The different classes and their functions make it a replayable game just to see how well one can adjust to each starting class and how to marry into a class that complements the initial business.”
    • “The various career paths give the game replayability.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization is severely lacking, with reports of slow performance even on high-end hardware, incomplete localization resulting in half the dialogue being in German, and a tutorial that fails to adequately explain gameplay mechanics. Overall, players find the character actions clunky and recommend against purchasing due to these issues.

    • “It runs slowly, even on a brand new top-of-the-line laptop. Half the dialogue comes out in German because they failed to re-dub it. The tutorial doesn't teach you a huge percentage of what is going on in the game. Save your money.”
    • “Not optimized at all.”
    • “Disregarding the terrible performance issues, character actions are very clunky and rough.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game is praised for its rich detail and immersive medieval atmosphere, significantly enhancing the overall experience.

    • “Lots of detail and a great medieval atmosphere.”
    • “It helps the atmosphere a lot.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted by its amusing narrative and quirky character interactions, including unexpected language switches between English and German. While players enjoy the comedic elements, some mention that unresolved bugs contribute to the overall humor of the experience.

    • “This is just a funny story that happened in the game; you don't have to read this if you don't want to.”
    • “Fun game! It still has some unresolved bugs, but they add to the humor (sometimes characters switch from English to German in seconds).”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, reminiscent of the low-quality offerings often found in app stores, suggesting a focus on profit over player experience.

    • “You know all those terrible cash grabs you find in the app store?”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and ruins the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy The Guild 2

Play time

376hMedian play time
253hAverage play time
5-500hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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