One of the most complex genres in the video gaming world is the Turn Based Strategy Game. It is also one of those genres that you either like or dislike as a gamer and either succeeds or fails as a game – there does not seem to be any midway point. Frequently the games are very similar to one another and it is only the developers who put a little extra into the game that come up with a true classic that is worth spending the literary hours and hours of a person’s life that it takes to get a satisfactory experience out of it. One such game was Fantasy Wars and thankfully the same can be said of its sequel Elven Legacy. Regular viewers of our website, since its redesign will have seen the special feature we have had on this game on our homepage and I have to say I am delighted that the finished article has more than lived up to the promise that it had in development. The basic storyline within the game is that within the lands of Lllis, a human sorcerer breaks into an evil citadel and learns and ancient and forbidden spell that has been locked away for centuries. This spell can potentially destroy the entire world. Although armies are sent to stop him he actually evades capture and disappears into the forest allowing him the possibility of causing untold havoc throughout the lands. The elves decide to dispatch tow of their greatest heroes to stop this sorcerer before he can cause too much trouble and they set off on a quest that will take them through the lands on the planet that are ruled by humans, dwarves, Orcs and a whole list of different magical creatures. All of which are on the brink of a war that could bring about the same devastation that the spell itself could cause. Missions are selected from the campaign map and can be played on any of three difficulty levels. Then you get the chance to deploy your forces depending on how many you are allowed for that mission and how many you may have discovered that are willing to fight for your cause. When it comes to battles there are a number of factors that the game takes into account before deciding who will emerge victorious such as terrain, the different abilities of the various units involved, any bonuses the factions may have etc etc. This means keeping an eye on the troops you have under your control and carefully determining the right time to either withdraw from the front line or upgrading them. You have to keep a tight control of your money situation because everything costs especially if you have to replace any troops at any time. The replay ability of this title is enormous. Not only because of the number of campaigns found within the game – finish the Elven one and you still have a human one and an Orc one to complete but because of the number of different ways a campaign can finish depending on bonuses and magical artifacts that you have managed to complete. Don’t like how a mission has finished then just select to play it again it is that simple. There is also a full multiplayer mode to be enjoyed either online or around a single machine. Graphically this is a very colourful game with beautiful character models that are very well animated. There are also some nice effects worked into the game when spells are cast etc and the textual work to the environments etc is first class.
Sound wise the music and sound effects are very good, especially the combat sounds. However the vocal acting is poor to say the least, with some of the actors appearing to not care how a line is delivered and sometimes speaking over the top of one another.
Overall I have to say I was incredibly impressed with this title. However I have to say it is one that has been made with fans of the genre in mind. I would have difficulty recommending this to a complete novice of the genre. It is not without fault, it can be incredibly frustrating at times especially the unfairness that has been given to the enemy troops. Frequently you will find yourself outnumbered by at least 2:1 on the battlefield and this can sometimes lead to frustration even to battle hardened fans of the genre. However the depth of the title and the replay ability of it is astonishing. The number of levels and different campaigns together with the sizes of the various maps is excellent and will lead to players being kept busy and on their toes for a very long time indeed. Just don’t expect any of it to be easy! | 
Windows 
