Metascore
44

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 10
  2. Negative: 5 out of 10
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  1. PC Gamer
    68
    The game wields enough classic strategy and roleplaying elements to make up for its lack of visual flair. [July 2003, p.86]
  2. Computer Gaming World
    60
    An odd duck of an RPG, Empire of Magic both entertains and annoys. [Aug 2003, p.82]
  3. Some of the individual aspects of the game need to be reworked simply because they seem forced. The game strives to attain a lofty place, but comes up a little short.
  4. A turn-based role-playing game with a strange combat system, and at times it plays more like a poorly designed board game, where the rules don't make much sense but instead exist only to make you carefully scrutinize your every move.
  5. 50
    There's precious little fun to mine in Empire of Magic, and no reason in my opinion to go through the effort.
  6. Cheat Code Central
    40
    What you're really fighting in this game is the rules - and boredom. It's boredom that drives me to consume fried delectables, and I can tell you I must have gained eight pounds playing Empire of Magic.
  7. The unnecessarily tedious unit movement coupled with the debilitating difficulty level of many battles leaves this title stranded with too many moments of frustration for the average user.
  8. 33
    It's poorly designed, poorly executed, and downright frustrating to play.
  9. Computer Games Magazine
    30
    Such an absolute mess that even die-hard fans should avoid the temptation. [Aug 2003, p.89]
  10. Even worse than the graphics is the sound, which is abysmal. I'm not talking about the music, which is an adequate orchestral score. I'm talking about the sound effects, which are the worst I've heard since my Atari 2600 stopped beeping.