A flawed, but stunning piece of work. Etherlords is a gripping game. Yes, there are elements that need improvement, but overall this is the best game ever released in the turn-based fantasy genre.

Etherlords and its 3D fantasy world are capable of holding players glued to the screen for hours.

This is a wonderfully challenging PC title which should sate the appetites of a niche long neglected - and it even gives you more than you would want by giving it a aesthetically pleasing presentation!

Having missions that take hours upon hours to finish is a difficult feature to sell to gamers that may have limited time to spare.

Although the grand strategy is a bit misguided, the tactical combat is a splendid twist on the concept of collectible card games.

The most stunning aspect of the game, though, is the graphics and, especially, the animation. Everything is in meticulous 3D, from the map screen to the battles. In battles, though, is where the animation really shines.

A visual stunner with strong AI, fast-moving gameplay, and a lot of depth. [Feb 2002, p.79]

The campaigns are exceedingly difficult—so difficult they diminish the attraction of the game's solid mechanics.

Feels like a far less weighty package than the original. The graphics are still beautiful compared to most competing games, and Etherlords II retains the title of best-looking turn-based combat game on the market. This might be enough for some, but if you liked the strategic elements from the first game, Etherlords II may well prove to be a big disappointment.

The surprise, given the unplayability of the strategic game, is that this is easily the best "Magic" rip-off ever done for a PC, handily beating the official game from a couple years back. [Mar 2002, p.93]

The plot to Etherlords, the new fantasy strategy game from Nival and Fishtank, is such complete and utter cobblers.