Fantasy General II - Evolution Review

Explorminate checked out the DLC Fantasy General II: Evolution:

Fantasy General II: Evolution

Fantasy General II has a distinct lack of dull moments. Whether you're playing as the Norse-inspired barbarians or the necromancy-fueled Empire, the sheer amount of content leaves you unable to disengage. Though I was initially unsure of how interested I was, thanks in part to its uninspired title, I was quickly converted into a fan once I held my breath and dove in.
Battles can get intense. You'll likely have to manage a dozen or more units spread across multiple fronts if you want to acquire the many rewards of each map.

What is Fantasy General II?

To fully grasp what the Evolution DLC brings to the table, you have to understand what Fantasy General II itself is. If you've already dabbled yourself, you're forgiven for skipping ahead to the next section.

Fantasy General II is a turn-based tactical game that is built upon a foundation of persistent units that are carried over from on scenario to the next. Think Panzer Corps but with dragons, wizards, and walking corpses instead of tanks and bombers.

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The Bottom Line

Evolution is yet another story DLC that's been released for the already exceptional Fantasy General II. New factions and campaigns are always welcome in the genre and both of these are of a solid quality that's unlikely to disappoint those returning for another go with the title. I highly recommend the expansion to the converted, but I'd also warn that it doesn't reinvent the game, and if you found yourself uninterested in it prior to the DLC, this release is unlikely to drastically change your opinion.

Score: 7/10

Thanks Henriquejr!

More information.

I really enjoyed the first game many years ago. Anyone here who played this game? How is it?

Yeah, a few here have played the new FG. The original FG is one of my favorites. The new one is very good and I enjoyed it. Here were my initial impressions.

Initial impressions of Fantasy General II.

Positives:

1. Keeps the spirit of the old game. Seems about 50% new ideas and 50% original game ideas. That is perfect for a sequel.

2. Interface is clean and after playing for an hour or two I'm really enjoying the layout.

3. Difficulty seems just about right. Game will punish you for dumb mistakes and when you make one you can usually see what went wrong.

4. Like having the commander on the field. Upgrading your heroes and units is very rewarding.

5. The campaign has a nice story so far. During the missions you have to make some hard decisions.

6. The minor faction of the trolls are awesome

Negatives:

1. I miss not being able to pick your general. The choice of a Paladin, Warrior, Mage, or Sorc in Fantasy General added to replays.

2. FG was a more open-world experience. FG2 has a better story but I miss the open-world.

3. Miss changing the gold % for research in FG. I always enjoyed that part and would always work on upgrading certain unit types faster depending on my general.

I highly recommend FG2 and it's really starting to grow on me. I like difficult games that force you to play smart and when you make a mistake the AI punishes you. I never thought Fantasy General would get a true sequel and this makes an old jaded gamer happy.

I played the free demo and I've got the full game waiting for when I will have finished tyranny and Elex.

It's a modern take of the old game with nice graphics and many new interesting mechanisms. They even kept the old music which I thought was a nice touch.

Pretty good, imo.

Originally Posted by SveNitoR
I really enjoyed the first game many years ago. Anyone here who played this game? How is it?

played all DLCs, great addictive game !

Wow, I am not sure if I dare to start this…. can't imagine how many hours of my time that'll disappear

Thanks for you answers everyone. I just started Tyranny, so after that, maybe I'll get this

Great game, every campaign is very interesting with very few boring maps.

Originally Posted by SveNitoR
I really enjoyed the first game many years ago. Anyone here who played this game? How is it?

I was let down a bit by the story. It's very simple and sometimes awkwardly told. It's not as good as some stories in similar games, like Heroes of Might and Magic.

But other than that, it's fun. Good unit variety, maps and tactical options.