With crisp graphics and addictive turn-based gameplay, Etherlords II is an unexpectedly strong adventure/RPG/strategy title. [Dec 2003, p.92]

The animations are superb, despite the great quantity of creatures and heroes that appear during the campaign. The sound effects augment the animations perfectly. [Jan 2004, p.73]

Sound effects and music are well done as is the extra environmental samples that play during combat and as you travel around the map.

Basically the same as the first game, but with enough improvements to warrant a second outing.

A perfect example of what happens when the core of the game overweighs the plot, and quickly takes over it in importance.

If you like "Magic: The Gathering" and "Heroes of Might and Magic", then you should get a kick out of this - if you're willing to devote serious time to an occasional, nonsensically difficult battle.

Easily recommendable not only to anyone with an interest in collectible card games, including fans of the original, but also to those who enjoy turn-based strategy games with a twist.

Too bad its strategic and RPG elements fizzle out.

It has all of the trappings of a bad RPG: extremely linear gameplay, over-the-top voice acting, frustrating camera angles, and a ho-hum storyline. What saves it, and what ultimately makes it a fun game to play, is the terrific combat model combined with stellar graphics.

Good for fans of collectible card games, bad for fans of anything else. [Jan 2004, p.94]

Etherlords II, on the one hand, benefits from having an excellent combat mechanism lying within the game. Unfortunately it takes a nose-dive because the game that surrounds it isn’t worth a toss.

You have to sort of force yourself to play in the beginning. Putting in that time pays off in the end, though, much like some of those art-house flicks that go from head scratcher to heartstring tugger in just a couple of hours.

I really enjoyed this game. The string of battle after battle can get a little tedious after a while, and the lack of any compelling story line keeps you from getting completely sucked into the game. But it's a great antidote for those who were disenchanted by "Magic." [Dec 2003, p.130]

At first glance, Etherlords II looks pretty much like an RPG title, but take a few moments to play and you’ll soon discover an absorbing turn based strategy game similar to "Magic: The Gathering."

With an eight-player tournament mode to look forward to after the single-player mode you're bound to get your money's worth out of this sequel.

A wonderfully visual game that is bogged down by a bad dialogue delivered with equally bad vocal acting.

The premise of Etherlords II can be diluted down to a simple card game concept; one person plays their cards and then the other until somebody wins. By nature, it is a repetitive game and I think the game designers overestimated the fun factor.