SpellForce 2: Demons of the Past - Review Roundup #3

As a long time gamer, I’ve come across many games of many playstyles. I played Warcraft 3 for a very long time as well as Starcraft 2 for a bit when it first released. I’m not a professional RTS player of any sort but I do enjoy them from time to time. Spellforce 2 absolutely scratched that itch and brought back fond memories of a gameplay style I believed long gone and replaced by MOBAs. The gameplay isn’t over complicated but it is very challenging and as much as I thought I would hate the more robust RPG-style leveling and gearing system, I found that in practice, it fit well and I enjoyed it. I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys isometric gameplay and RTS’.

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Spellforce 2: Demons of the Past has a lot to offer, and while its gameplay elements can be as obtuse and rough as rectangles of corrugated cardboard, the spittle and glue of humor and story hold everything together in a world that is as engaging as it is diverse. Fans of Spellforce will definitely want to shell out twenty dollars for Demons of the Past, a standalone expansion with more than twenty-five hours of gameplay. Fans of RPG or RTS games with time on their hands ought to see this game just for the novelty of it all. Spellforce 2: Demons of the Past has a widespread variety of ideas, and while the execution isn’t always up to standard, it leaves behind the taste of greatness.

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Demons of the Past is basically a reskin of an old game – but that’s not to say it lacks for fun and adventure. Although a lot of issues drag the core experience down, there’s still 20+ hours of upgrading and adventuring to be had here, if you can see past its flaws.

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All in all, if you’re a fan of Spellforce 2, then you’ll probably like or maybe even love Demons of the Past, but as a stand-alone title it is just a painful experience. It’s not exactly a bad game; just much more niche and exclusive than Nordic Games would lead you to believe by marketing the title on its own. Even if you’re not a fan of the Spellforce 2 games but are an RPG or RTS enthusiast there is still a huge mountain to climb before you really get anything out of it. Whether the journey is worth it is up to you. I can only confidently recommend that you buy this game if you are familiar with the series and know you will gain something from the experience, but if you’ve never heard of Demons of the Past before, then forget you ever did.

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