Recent reviews by Hastar

Game is hard and old-school. Perfect because my first computer was an Apple 2e. My first party wasn't min-maxed but I was able to reach level 4 and finish the EA content in 25 hours. I think I will make an optimized party on my second campaign.

The game designer needs to add more bows and spears early on. Of course I had a bowmen and a pikemen in my party lol. The enemy movement in the battle maps can be wonky and there are some bugs but not bad for EA.

I love first-person exploration and tactical battles. This was the main reason I picked up Archaelund in EA. I will sum up my review by saying I can't wait for the full release with more of everything. Looks like it will be a giant map and the quests have been great early on.

Replaces pong for the top video game of all time.

When they add a little more enemy and loot variety, Wartales will be a solid 9/10 for me. The graphics and exploration are perfect for this type of game.

I wish the battles were a bit harder like Battle Brothers but I'm just playing on normal so far. I really enjoy the crafting but they need to add a few more armor and weapon recipes.

Fantastic game and I can't wait for the DLC later this year. Highly recommend.

Has that one more mission gameplay that's hard to stop. I really enjoy the leveling of your knights and the base-building is fun. Combat is done well and nice selection of magic items and potions. I would give King Arthur a solid 9/10.

I don't play many games in EA but HoMM 2&3 are my favorites. There is a really nice base game here and I really enjoy the techs you can research. Adds a little Civilization to this game.

The battles are top notch and I like how mana and spells are used in Songs. Gaining levels for your commander has a great HoMM feel.

Keep squashing the bugs during EA and just add more buildings, troops, and techs. Add some different artifacts also. I would highly recommend adding some neutral creatures.

Keeps me coming back for one more turn.

Today, 15:07
I just finished EA. Took around 10 hours and characters reached lvl 4. Some minor bugs but was pretty darn stable. Enjoyed the combat system and was a nice generic setting.

I think if you're not familiar with the 5E rules it could be frustrating on some skill checks and the harder battles. I know how powerful the first lvl spell Hunters Mark is. So my ranger and wizard had it. I did not have a rogue and I figured out early my ranger should have had the criminal background to get the sleight of hand proficiency. That's used with thief tools to unlock doors and traps.

I think they went overboard on the height system and it didn't need to be used for every battle and new area. I would say 50% of the time would be the right amount. Enjoyed the combat and the difficulty was just about perfect. I can't wait for the full release and DLC's and mods hopefully.

I'm not trying EA for BG3 so not comparing the two. Solasta will need to add some more side quests and be a little more open world but I'm hoping that will come later.

Played for a few hours this morning. You know what, I'm enjoying it. Is definitely early access. Seems like they have a lot of weapon and armor upgrades and plenty of skills that you level up. Combat is deadly and have had people die right away. The map is huge and I have completed the first few quests.

There is crafting and went to an alchemy trainer. Has a Might and Magic vibe to it. Combat is ok but spells can fizzle and there are blocks and misses. I like that. My dragon death knight can breath lightning and harm touch. Classes and races have some unique skills.

After I was done playing I was looking forward to try the first dungeon.

I didn't think I would like this game but when I read it's like an old D&D campaigns I had to try it. As you can see by my play time, it hasn't disappointed.

I enjoy hard games like Battle Brothers and For The King can be frustrating at times and the rng can make you slap yourself in the face. Fighting new monsters for the first time or taking on the global crises can cause a party wipe and game over.

The chaos counter keeps you moving and you do feel rushed at times. What helped me in this game was to fight as much as possible and try and do the dungeons when you are one level higher than the dungeon.

FtK kept me coming back and made me want to see how far you can get and try and beat the game. A solid 8.5/10.

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.

For all strategy and fantasy fans out there you can't go wrong with FG2. Plus, it seems very stable and I have not encountered any major bugs. Which is surprising because I thought this game was still a year away from release.

Just for character creation alone I would give Pathfinder a good score. It has been a long time since I have had this much fun and options making a character. Wish I could make my whole party at the beginning.

Also, character advancement is very enjoyable. I keep watching my exp point bar to see how close I'm to lvling my character. I have never played Pathfinder but have played many editions of D&D. The game is hard but I love difficult games. Two of my favorites are Battle Brothers and Eador Genesis.

There are some bugs early on and have not done the kingdom building yet but this is a Kickstarter that I'm happy to have donated to.