14 DAY TRIAL // My loyal apprentice has built his not-so-humble abode, extending my realm’s borders quite a bit. There are some nice resources I will exploit in the area, boosting my gold income significantly. I have also just noticed a new mana source and I’m thinking about which of my armies should challenge its defenders.
In the meantime, I use one of my cults, alongside some things I picked up from a battle site, to start the creation process for a new demon. My wizard is just starting his Demonologist career and it’s a good idea to try as many combinations as possible and see what creatures emerge.
I have two cities that I need to infiltrate with cults as quickly as possible. And there are two wizards moving their armies around, threatening my turf. The current plan is to get my apprentice to deal with one of them and hope that the other avoids conflict for a while until more demons are ready.
SpellForce: Conquest of Eo - Demon Scourge is developed by Owned by Gravity and published by THQ Nordic. This is the first downloadable content pack for the strategy game, designed to add new content and variety. The DLC’s narrative posits that the veil that normally prevents demons from assaulting the game’s world of Fiara is thinning. This has allowed a new hero type, the Demonologist, to enter the fray, able to draw the spirit of demons across, giving them bodies to become powerful units.
A new faction, the Trolls, is also available, bringing new units for players to recruit once they complete a series of quests. Cults can be set up in cities and there are plenty of demon recipes to discover as campaigns progress and wizards gain power.
Demonologists get new ways to build out their mage towers, with 25 new rooms that will enhance their abilities and that of their armies. The DLC also brings in Occultism as a new school of magic, with 16 spells. Players have to construct new tactical and strategic approaches to use them all, making the conquest campaign feel fresh once more. The devs say more than 120 new adventures are now available.
Spellforce’s core is all about turns, both on the strategic and tactical level. Players have to explore the map, chase down adventures, and, when needed, battle both monsters and enemy wizards. Each magic school offers access to spells that can influence combat or the entire world.
Players have to research them and then have the mana to power their use, which requires territorial expansion. Meanwhile, gold powers the development of the wizard’s tower. The game offers a constant sense of progression and interesting narrative decisions.
SpellForce: Conquest of Eo - Demon Scourge doesn’t significantly change the look of the strategy title. The somewhat painterly presentation remains engaging, and the new units and spells fit well with the rest. Pay attention to the interface and always keep the demon summoning queue full. The game’s sound design is strong, with a soundtrack that adds to the fantasy theme.
Conclusion
The turn-based mechanics aren’t tweaked by the DLC, but they offer a solid foundation for the new content and the many hours of adventuring it can provide. SpellForce: Conquest of Eo could use more ambitious content deliveries in the future but Demon Scourge is a good start.
Review key provided by the publisher.
