SpellForce III Reforced

Spellforce 3: Reforced is a rare example of a genre mashup that makes sense. The two genres actually complement each other and come together to create a unique and enjoyable hybrid. Its story and setting are pretty over-reliant on well-worn high fantasy elements, but there’s more to the game than the main campaign. Controls on console work about as well as possible, given all the moving pieces inherited from the PC version. Fans of strategy and roleplaying games should find common ground in Spellforce 3: Reforced.

Spellforce 3: Reforced is a confident mixing of genres that does well with both elements, and brings a ton of content to consoles.

It cannot be denied that Spellforce III was launched more than five years ago and the new release while not bad at all shows its age. The good news is that with the DLCs included, the countless patches have been implemented as well, so the Reforced edition offers the best experience. The new crafting system is also a welcome addition, just as the possibility to upload your own maps into Journey mode. The main issue remains the control scheme. That said, if you are curious about the result of mixing RTS and RPG, I can only recommend the console version of Spellforce III Reforced only if you don’t own a PC.

Spellforce is a game full of ups and downs, especially in the recreational field, and could upset the purists of the genres to which it refers. That said, it is a production characterized by unique scenarios and a peculiar gameplay, which could be able to satisfy those looking for a fantasy adventure that can offer an interesting plot.

SpellForce 3: Reforced is a valiant effort to mesh RTS and RPG into a functional package on console. In theory, it shouldn’t work at all, but for the most part it succeeds more than it fails. There’s plenty of issues, whether it be the shallowness of the tactics for success, the visual oddities that plague your journey or the overabundance of burdening dialogue to cut through, but the essence of this fantasy game is good enough to shine through.

The solid story, good graphics, and decent amount of content make SpellForce 3 Reforced a reasonably good time if you can put up with the side effects of it being forced into a console experience.

Starts promisingly, but becomes frustrating the further you progress. Are you prepared to spend dozens of hours and untold reserves of patience for a good story? [Issue#16, p.129]

Ich hatte 20 Stunden Spaß und einige Charaktere haben mir ziemlich gefallen. Das gameplay macht auch Laune insbesondere die rpg Elemente. Leider war dann für mich die Luft raus

Good- Great graphics, solid story, generous amount of content Bad- Generic sound design. Shallow RPG elements. Steep learning curve Thoughts- SpellForce 3 Reforced is likely to succeed to those it’s aimed at, and maybe even go a bit further as its basic elements are somewhat friendly compared to other RTS games in the console space. The crowded interface and bewildering controls don’t really feel justified considering the game’s comparable lack of general depth, but depending on how much the story **** you in or how quickly you get addicted to the admittedly well-crafted systems, that may or may not bother you long-term. There are better RTSs and better RPGs out there on console right now than SpellForce 3, but not a whole lot. And almost none that take this particular path across both. All-in-all, it’s an admirable effort in most ways. Reforced has plenty of content, and does its best to present it in a digestible way. How much it clicks with you will largely depend on your personal ability to acclimate to the few areas where it does get in its own way.

The game is decent, and still worth a playthough if you like RPGs/RTS , However, there's a lot of things that hold this game back from being really good. Cons: -Biggest flaw are the controls as spells would not activate even when clicking, would have to do the attempts several times to make it work. Not game breaking, but really annoying when spells are very important in this game -Some of the RTS sections are way too difficult and would often have to turn down the difficultly to easy, it's odd as the AI isn't that good, and will commonly just bullrush with units earlygame as the AI gets stupid advantages and lots of units right away. However, it won't do this for every RTS section, which makes it easier to handle. But seriously there are some really dumb battles where I shouldn't lose like in very few minutes because i have no units because the section/gameplay just started.... -The RTS sections don't feel very rewarding and honestly just feel like a slog to complete just to advance the story. And RTS games can be fun, but this game doesn't quite get to good RTS -Dumb that the RTS sections, "allies" will have units but don't even allow you control them to help, and even on one map they just get stuck. - Not a lot of choice in the RPG, like the conversations. Good - Did like the voice acting and most of the characters -Thought that the overall story was good but does sometimes get slowed down by the RTS sections of the game - Graphics look great on the system -Did like the spells/ability trees that you can use, and good equipment too - Good enemy variety - good gameplay length of around 35-40hrs Overall, it's a decent game that gets brought down by some of the RTS elements of the game and annoying controls that don't always work.