SpellForce III Reforced

Revive one of the best blends of real-time strategy and RPG that’s ever been made with SpellForce 3 Reforced. Featuring some impressive visuals and complex customization mechanics, Reforced is the ultimate way to experience a true RTS classic for the modern age.

This version of the game also includes every new feature added by the original game’s expansions, along with some much-needed quality of life upgrades that make the experience feel less grueling for new players. In short, Reforced has become the way to go if you ever want to try what SpellForce has to offer, with just some minimal caveats to be on the lookout for.

From the Ashes

The story of SpellForce 3 Reforced takes place after the events of SpellForce: The Order of Dawn. In the year 518, the Mage Wars are finally over. The Crown has managed to quash its opposition, but not by much. After these events, large portions of the kingdom are in chaos, suffering from all manners of plagues and violent coupes that fuel anarchy throughout the land.

One of the features that distance SpellForce from other RTS games like, say, Age of Empires, is how deep and fascinating the plot is. At its core, SpellForce is an RPG with RTS gameplay, which is something that allows the game to feature a story with much more nuance and complexity than your everyday RTS game.

To experience this epic tale of violence and sorcery, players can choose from one of three factions: Elves, Orcs, and Humans. As usual in these kinds of games, each faction features a completely different set of skills that makes them excel in different areas. While not as drastic as what we’ve seen in the Total War Warhammer series, your choice of faction still influences large areas of your strategy, as well as the side of the game’s plot that you’ll get to see.

Improved Features

As I mentioned before, the Reforced version of Spellforce 3 includes a ton of new features that make the experience much more manageable for new players that are just getting used to the series’ formula.

Many of the original game’s RTS elements have been completely revamped, allowing for a much more balanced experience that works better with the game’s three factions. A new skill tree system also makes the game’s RPG parts feel more complex than before, and it works wonders with the new and improved quests.

Visually, the game remains as beautiful as ever. The only real difference is that the UI now looks much more clean and easy to understand – a feature that both new and returning players will surely welcome with open arms.

Thanks to the huge amount of bug fixes and balancing, SpellForce 3 Reforced is the game that the original SpellForce 3 should have always been.

Pros

• Excellent plot and spectacular voice acting
• Improved balance and quest flow
• Complete gamepad support and a revamped UI

Cons

• Some skill trees are more limited than others
• Minor bugs still remain from the game’s base version