14 DAY TRIAL // Evolution is the most recent downloadable content pack for Fantasy General II, a strategy title developed by Owned by Gravity and published by Slitherine. Gamers who pick it up will be able to play an entirely new campaign, develop tactics for one new faction and tweak the way they approach battles in the title.
The biggest addition of the DLC is the Lizardfolk, aquatic dwellers who introduce an entirely new way of fighting battles. They cannot simply go shield-to-shield with the better armored and armed forces of the Empire or the Barbarians. Even neutrals can give them trouble. But the Lizardfolk, squishy as they are, can rely on ambushes and hit-and-run to even the odds. And they can evolve.
Liquid mana drops when a unit of this new faction perishes in battle. This resource can be used to transform lowly recruits into more fearsome fighters, including bone guards and swamp dragons. Szzlag, the leader of the faction, can also evolve into new forms, becoming a stronger fighter, in addition to bonuses he can unlock via traditional skill trees. This means that initially the lizards are relatively weak and need to use numbers to triumph. They gradually develop more capable units and new capabilities, including powerful siege crabs, that make ambushes and quick strikes really powerful.
The core concepts are unchanged. Units can move once and attack during their turn, also using magic or special abilities. Positioning and support are crucial for success. But losing units (preferably new ones that are easily replaced) is acceptable and even required in Evolution. The Lizardfolk also need to get enemies into the water or swamps as much as possible, to boost their chances of success, while also lowering enemy morale. Carefully resting to regain strength while out of the line of battle is also important.
The new DLC adds an entirely new campaign built around the race. Szzlag needs to deal with both familiar and relatively unknown enemies, all while sating his growing hunger. It’s somewhat open and creates interesting tactical puzzles to solve, although sometimes objectives are a little under-explained. The difficulty also spikes too fast towards the end.
Fantasy General II: Evolution is a solid-looking title but there’s nothing massively upgraded in the looks department since the original release. The game presents a lot of information well and never makes it hard for players to see what their units can do at a glance. The soundtrack continues to be adequate but easily replaced with tunes that better suit a player’s understanding of sneaky Lizardfok tactics.
Conclusion
The campaign, although light on narrative, offers variety and solid tactical challenges, well-built around the new concepts. Szzlag and his evolutions make the Onslaught mode engaging again. Fantasy General II might need bigger changes in future DLC but at the moment Evolution is just what the game needs.
