Small but fine changes such as a traceable story enforce Elven Legacy a higher entertainment factor than its direct predecessor Fantasy Wars. Weaknesses in the area of not more contemporary graphics or KI strategies are compensated through exciting fights.
First of all, the most common complaint about this game is that it's too hard. And it is hard, casual gamers need not apply. Elven Legacy and it's predecessor Fantasy Wars are inspired by Fantasy General and the Panzer General series. This is old school hex based strategy.
If you're interested in a strategy game focused on tactics with a steep challenge you will love this series. The difficulty can be overwhelming but all the missions can be won. Obtaining gold level objectives often isn't as important as exploring the map for items and experience. So just disregard that criticism if you hear it in reviews. Graphics are beautiful and I love that entire units are shown when you zoom in. Great RPG elements with heroes, items and leveling units. My only complaint is that the map overview is always backwards when the mission starts. The plot is just filler and it would have been nice to have the dialogue rendered in cut scenes like Heroes V. Don't listen to the haters though. This game is dope. Any old school strategy gamer will love this game. Get ready for some saving and loading though!
There is no doubt that this game is difficult, but the challenge is intellectual, not how fast you can click, as it is turn-based. It is not complex to play, but strategy really matters in this game. Units carry between missions, as do unit losses. Play sloppy, it will hurt you in later missions.
One detail I like, is there is a turn-limit on each mission. You get Gold, Silver, or Bronze depending on how many turns it takes, and rewards reflect the rating. The time-limit forces you use strategies other than the defensive turtle tactic that always seems to work against AIs in other games.
As for units, they are varied and actually tactically different, and position is important. Archers can stand behind a melee unit, and when that unit is attacked, the archer gets a free retaliatory strike. Mounted units do massive charge damage, but only to units standing on plains. Heros are satisfyingly powerful, but not so much that mastery of other units isn't still needed.
All units can be promoted, which allows you to customize them a bit. There are also artifacts to add more flavor. You also get to choose the units to bring on each mission. It makes the game feel more like a campaign, rather than a collection of individual missions.
So, rating... If I just rated on quality and polish, the game would be a 7-8. But I chose to rate this game based on how much fun I had playing it, so 9. I played the main campaign twice, something I rarely do. It is a great tactical game.
The streamlined gameplay lets vets focus on battle strategies and clearing maps with the best possible ratings, while less experienced players can wade through the game without being terribly bogged down by having to micromanage lots of minutia. Elven Legacy is by no means an amazing game, but it's a strong follow-up to Fantasy Wars and not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Fans of turn Russian developer 1C's Fantasy Wars title will feel at home here and novice players may be attracted by its simplicity and omission of in-depth resource management, but Elven Legends does little to break new ground in its genre.
The whole notion of a scored review seems a little arbitrary in the face of the niche and dedicated fanbase this game will attract, and its attempts at populist window-dressing are virtually pointless because for the rest of us, the whole entity is at its most lenient completely mystifying, and at its most uncompromising utterly impenetrable.
A great wargame - a genre that has been quite rare in the past years. Decent storyline and presentation, simple yet deep mechanics, good map design, excellent challenge level. A must play for wargaming-fans, and a big recommendation for fans of tactical RPGs and turn-based strategy games.
Elven Legacy is a good turn based game... Unfortunately the time missions take some fun out of it... Fortunately the game comes with a built in game editor... :D
I really wanted to like this game. I even like the art and graphics (in 2011). But it really is too hard, even on the easiest setting. AI is good, but since you're heavily outnumbered, the game becomes unfair. And there's nothing as disappointing as seeing the AI gang up on your carefully nurtured elite unit and wipe it out in one turn.
Being an ardent fan of such turn based titles as HOMM, Disciples, AOW and Warlords I really wanted to like this game. Playing the game on easy mode and getting completely crushed in the second scene of the campaign, however, was quite a surprise. I found success on further attempts but it seems to me the game takes the fun out of exploring each map, as you must move directly to the objective as quickly as possible or get wiped out. Problems still exist though, as these side towns troops end up flanking you or advancing on your tail. This while trying to win at the gold level, which may be overly ambitious for my skills. All in all a major disappointment.
This game is incredibly hard and impossible to pass on easy. I had to cheat and add ten units on one map and I still lost. I just don't see how you can beat anything past the second level. Anyone who says that they beat any of them is probably one of the developers and therefore, lying.
SummaryElven Legacy, the sequel to Fantasy Wars, delivers a world filled with magic and thrilling nonlinear storyline, gauged to provide many hours of gameplay for strategy fans. Through an epic quest aimed to restore the former glory of the Elven race the game offers both depth and scope, all in colorful and inspirational settings. Play for el...