Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.5 stars Outstanding
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 9.1 (4.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Tony Lopez
• Reviewed on: 09/08/1999
• Updated on: 05/01/2000
• Released on: 07/31/1999
• Originally published on GameSpot: Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars (PC) Review

Seven Kingdoms was one of the most pleasant surprises of 1998: an unexpected, original, and deep game of conquest, economics, and diplomacy. Created by Trevor Chan and Enlight Software, the developers of Capitalism, Seven Kingdoms became a favorite with critics and built a loyal following based on word of mouth. Chan then went right to work on the sequel to build on this success and improve and expand upon the original. And despite some bumps in the road, Seven Kingdoms II is finally done.

While fans of the original may find that some of the new conventions take a little getting used to, there's no question that Seven Kingdoms II is a richer, more fully realized game. Every single aspect of the original gameplay has been modified, streamlined, expanded, or improved in some way. You can read our review of the original Seven Kingdoms to get the full details of the game and its world, but the basics are simple enough to explain. Seven Kingdoms II is a pseudo-real-time strategy and empire-building game that merges the feel of Civilization with the real-time combat of games like Warcraft, all on one screen. The object of the game is conquest through financial, military, or diplomatic means. However, performing this task is a remarkably elaborate yet completely manageable process, and displays an astonishing balance and integration of elements.

The best way to understand what Seven Kingdoms II does - and does differently - is to take on its changes one by one.

First, you can not only play as one of twelve human races, but also as one of the seven monstrous races known as the Fryhtans. The human and Fryhtan civilizations are substantially different. Humans are penalized for killing civilians, while Fryhtans are rewarded. Fryhtans must breed soldiers, while humans can recruit them from neutral towns. The Fryhtan economy isn't driven by trade, but by tribute from enslaved towns. In addition, each human and Fryhtan race has its own units, structures, and attributes. To create a well-rounded force of skirmishers, cavalry, archers, and other soldiers, humans must take over the neutral towns of another race or hire mercenaries. All this can lead to some pretty interesting interactions; Fryhtans can take over the rule of human kingdoms and even join forces with them.

Units are either civilian or military, and both are able to double as spies. New spying technologies can be researched such that experienced spies can steal technology and information, start a war between two countries, and even become invisible. Military heroes can be developed or hired, often wielding powerful items to give them an edge in combat. In the original Seven Kingdoms, civilians would train in a trade, build a structure, and then enter that structure to work. In Seven Kingdoms II, civilian training is gone, and structures are built by recruited townspeople. This change may not sit well with everyone, since workers can't begin with a skill boost and you can't just train a bunch of workers, send them out to build structures simultaneously, and automatically staff those structures. Instead, you recruit a band of roving carpenters to build all the buildings. Once the building is complete, you can access a slider bar for that building to set the maximum amount of workers that will be drawn from the idle pool in each adjoining town. This is a more streamlined way to handle structures and workers, but it takes a little time to adapt to the new convention. Another big change is the expanded role of research. There are now multiple areas of research, and the path you follow is determined by your gameplay strategy. If you want to build a strong economy and buy victory, you can focus on technologies to improve various aspects of trade and production. If you'd prefer a more stealthy approach, espionage technology can provide spies with advanced skills. War machines, from the catapult to the cannon and spitfire, can be developed for those who enjoy a good siege, while various offensive, defensive, and ranged attack boosters can be explored for combat. These alternatives all constitute a simple-to-use yet expansive tech tree that can result in some interesting late game kingdom profiles.

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