Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes

When considering the vast array of 4X grand strategy RPGs, one that is sure to stick out amongst them is Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes. Stemming from the original release, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, this 2013 expansion from Stardock Entertainment brought much more than a refined, turn-based strategy game to the table with this installment.

Rise From the Ashes

In this game, your primary objective is to build an empire in the world of Elemental and escape the destructive grasp of the Fallen Enchantress as they attempt to crush the civilizations that have persisted through the Cataclysm.

Much like Sid Meier’s Civilization V, banding together will be no easy task, as there are several other factions seeking to grow their own empires as well. With the stage set, let’s take a look at what makes the gameplay truly unique and what kept me coming back for more.

Commanding an Empire

Like many traditional strategy games, settling, researching, and expanding in a vast, unexplored world are the primary facets of Fallen Enchantress. Settling new cities allows you to connect your resources over your budding empire. Additionally, the larger you grow, the greater access you have to bonus buildings, giving you an even greater edge; this is easily the most addictive activity because of the relatively immediate impact new settlements have. Research is a simple mechanic, but it is definitely worth the time/resource investment when approaching late game. Upgrades achieved through research are divided into three categories: Civilization – develop infrastructure/diplomatic tactics, Warfare – deals with training soldiers & weapon manufacturing, and Magic – unlock spells, enchantments, and the like. Each can be utilized and tailored to your playstyle to provide limitless possibilities for progression.

Choose Your Path

Fallen Enchantress makes great use of RPG elements to make Elemental a world teeming with life, waiting to be explored by you and your citizens. Customization plays a huge role in modern RPGs, and Fallen Enchantress provides extensive choices for your champion, your faction, and the aesthetic of your units. Not only are there several factions you can choose to play as, each providing their own unique abilities, but you are also able to forge your own path to victory with any faction you please (you’re even given the choice to create your own faction later on when entering the Cauldron). Depending on the faction you choose, there are 6 champions you are able to choose from at the start of a game, and each provide a different buff for your kingdom/empire and represent a different race. As the game progresses, there is a long list of second and third champions to add to your roster, giving your kingdom increasingly greater odds of domination. You are also able to take on quests each game that, while dangerous, provide access to valuable rewards upon completion. Claiming victory can be done through diplomatic, scientific, dominative, or quest-based means.

Overall, Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes combines and accommodates several styles of gameplay that is both accessible and challenging simultaneously. It is easy to get into and addicted to, but equally difficult to master. It is an impressive branch of the Elemental: Fallen Enchantress line that provides a world steeped in lore, campaigns that are rich and dynamic, and gameplay that encourages experimentation since there is no clear right answer when it comes to victory.

Pros

• RPG elements complement turn-based strategy playstyle effectively
• Updated graphics are smooth, visually pleasing
• Battles are in-depth and tactical
• Map modding tools allow for endless replayability

Depends on Player

• Matches take several hours to complete, slow gameplay

Cons

• No Multiplayer
• Crashing is a known issue after 150 turns
• Diplomacy system expansive, but could be explained better