Lords of Magic: Special Edition

OG Sierra development at it's finest. Just remember the game is almost 30 yrs old, so it's not a modern interface, and there is no hand-holding. LOMSE has never been a problem to get running (Win95 to the present 11, on non-gaming laptops/towers), and it's a natural 4:3 aspect. It's OK to start on Easy for your first time, like most 90s games- Hard difficulty is meant to be challenging, and near-impossible for 1st-timers. Save often, and have multiple saves slots while learning the ropes. When you lose/die, all you can do is reload a save. If you have replay 30 mins of turns, you will not be happy. Mythical/Fantasy setting. Beautiful old-school graphics. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Knights, Dragons, Giants, Necromancers, Lizardmen, Naval Ships, Kraken, Beast-riders, etc... 8 unique Faith/Races to choose from. You choose a Warrior, Thief or Mage for your Lord. Turn-based over-world movement around the map, real-time w/ pause for the battles (or you can auto-calculate). Great strategic options to play different ways.. using the rock-paper-scissors style in combat (Cavalry counters Ranged, Ranged counters Infantry, Infantry counters Cavalry), decimating enemies with Magic, or just building a big army of only cavalry.. it's all viable. Start in your land, and take-over other lands through conquest or diplomacy. Goal of the game is the defeat the Lord of Death, who will be actively running around the world doing his own thing while you build up your kingdom. After you beat Death, then you can play as Death in future playthroughs. Warriors fight and rally troops in battle. Mages do magic and research mage spells,. I know, unbelievable right? Thieves fight, take enemy champs hostage, and can also spy on allies/enemies, gaining info about opps, or even stealing opp resources. Semi-RPG.. Equip artifacts on your Lords & Champions, gain XP through battles and your units will level up and get stronger until they max-out, but you can't really choose any skills or stats. Lords/Champs can train units (warriors train inf/cav, thieves train ranged, mages train mages) Magic spells must be researched at a Mage Tower, so you have some input on what spells you want to use. Excellent depth in the mechanics, combat, kingdom management, and replay-ability. Not very story-heavy, but interesting setting/world-building. Basically, you write the story with the actions you take. Special Edition added new upgrades for each Faith/Race, and a new game mode that is more story-based, with stories influenced by King Arthur, Beowulf, and some original stories as well. Although it suffers from being released in 1997, and the limitations that come along with that, I can't say enough good things about this game. Maybe it feels a little clunky or wonky compared to newer games, but that is the same with many games from the 90s.. like Diablo, Doom or Fallout. Once you get the hang of it, many people enjoy the nuance of these older games. I would recommend to watch Youtube playthroughs, but there aren't many (with commentary) who know the game very well. They can actually mislead you, because they don't understand how they won/lost a battle, or which magic spell is the most important to focus on. (Overland Movement Spell is the answer, btw) So, you can watch them, just don't take their teachings as gospel. Savvy players will notice the systems at-play and will be just fine. The rest tend to figure it out after a couple tries. "Easy to play, difficult to master" is best way to describe it. I have played this game since it released, and every year or two, I go back for another round or two. Not a big community or anything, but there are a couple helpful websites that can give you data about the combat units and the Faith/Races differences. I just typed "LOMSE Unit Comparison" into the browser and some old site pops-up with a database you can find and compare all the stats in the game. OK, I'm done gas-baggin. This review has been nearly 30 years in the making. Thank you for your time. -- Happy Hunting --

What a great game from the glory years of Sierra. It came off the heals of Lords of the Realm 2, another great game, and was glorious. I had the demo as a game and pleaded with my parents that we get this game and it was rewarded with a Christmas morning. I played this and quickly found the best units and always got them. It did get a bit lame after a long time but then they had the fun extra missions of the legends of Urak. It was nice. So, when I came back as an adult I found a mod that rebalanced everything and made it fun. It is Mantera's mod by the way, here is the link http://mantera.xorgate.com/ It made the game far more fun, and made it so you can actually use some of the legendary summons when before it was near impossible. It can also increase the difficulty and make completely useless units actually usable. The balance was terrible before and it was easy to dominate, now it is more difficult but fun. I would suggest the mod and have fun with it. Edit: I've been going back and putting ratings on all my reviews. This one gets a solid 7.5/10 upping it to a 8.5/10 with the mod.

If you loved the music in this game, thank Keith Zizza at https://buymeacoffee.com/zizza

Lords of Magic: Special Edition, developed by Impressions Games and published by Rebellion, stands as one of the most ambitious strategy titles of the late 1990s—a hybrid of turn-based empire management, real-time tactical battles, and role-playing progression wrapped in a mythic fantasy world. It presents the land of Urak, a continent divided by eight elemental faiths—Life, Death, Order, Chaos, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air—all locked in eternal rivalry after the dark lord Balkoth plunged the realm into chaos. Players take the role of a chosen lord from one of these faiths and must rebuild their temple, rally armies, explore ruins, forge alliances, and ultimately bring balance back to the world. The Special Edition bundles the original game with the Legends of Urak expansion, introduces small quality-of-life improvements, and polishes some rough edges, offering a more stable version of a cult classic that has long fascinated strategy enthusiasts. At its heart, Lords of Magic operates on two interlocking layers. The overworld map is turn-based, where players manage resources, move heroes, construct buildings, and expand influence across provinces. Cities and temples produce units, generate income, and research spells, while wandering heroes can embark on side quests or seek relics that enhance their power. When opposing armies meet, the game shifts into real-time combat, a distinctive feature that separates it from many contemporaries like Heroes of Might and Magic or Master of Magic. Battles unfold on small, enclosed maps where positioning, timing, and hero abilities make the difference between victory and annihilation. The interplay between these systems gives the game its depth: the slow, deliberate pace of empire management contrasts with the chaos of real-time combat, where a moment’s hesitation can undo hours of careful planning. The Special Edition refines several aspects that frustrated players in the original release. Load times are noticeably shorter, resource collection and management feel smoother, and players can now access and control buildings directly from the interface rather than needing to move heroes to every structure. The diplomacy system is slightly more logical, with improved notifications and fairer trade evaluations, though it still retains a degree of unpredictability. The inclusion of a hero editor also helps mitigate the steep learning curve by allowing players to customize their starting conditions—choosing hero classes, spells, and items that better fit their preferred playstyle. These enhancements, while modest, make the game more accessible without diluting its original complexity. However, many of the underlying mechanics remain unchanged, meaning the core experience still reflects the design philosophy of its era: slow, deliberate, and often unforgiving. One of the most notable additions in this edition is the Legends of Urak expansion, which offers a series of standalone campaigns inspired by myth and folklore. These scenarios focus on self-contained stories drawn from familiar legends—Arthurian quests, demonic uprisings, or battles among gods—each designed to test specific skills or strategies. They serve as a welcome alternative to the sprawling sandbox campaign, giving players bite-sized experiences with clear objectives. These legends also showcase the breadth of Urak’s world-building, revealing a setting that feels ancient and lived-in, populated by tribes, monsters, and deities tied to each elemental faith. It is in these smaller, narrative-driven missions that Lords of Magic’s atmosphere shines most clearly, blending the mystery of myth with the texture of tactical warfare. Despite these strengths, Lords of Magic: Special Edition remains a game defined as much by its flaws as by its ambition. The real-time combat, while conceptually exciting, is often hampered by awkward controls, clumsy pathfinding, and inconsistent unit behavior. Armies sometimes fail to engage properly or get stuck on terrain, and battles can devolve into chaotic brawls where precision feels secondary to brute force. The early game can also be punishing, especially for players unfamiliar with the mechanics. Marauding enemy bands roam the map freely and will mercilessly destroy your holdings if left unchecked, forcing you to juggle expansion and defense with limited resources. Healing units takes several turns, slowing down momentum, and because there is no easy catch-up mechanic, an early mistake can spell long-term disaster. The pacing reflects an older, more methodical design ethos, rewarding patience and persistence rather than accessibility or convenience. Still, for those willing to engage with its eccentricities, there is a remarkable sense of depth beneath the surface. Each faith plays differently, not only in the types of units and spells they command but also in philosophy and approach. Fire favors aggression and destruction, Life excels at healing and protection, Order emphasizes discipline, and Chaos thrives on unpredictability. This diversity ensures that no two campaigns feel entirely alike. The game also allows for multiple victory conditions, from outright conquest to religious domination or the defeat of Balkoth himself. The moral and elemental system gives the world of Urak a strong identity, one that feels distinct from other fantasy settings of its time. Combined with haunting music, darkly atmospheric art, and a sense of mysticism that permeates every corner of the world, Lords of Magic achieves a level of immersion that transcends its technical limitations. In terms of presentation, the game shows its age but retains a certain charm. The isometric overworld has a painterly quality, while the unit sprites and battlefields evoke the feel of classic high-fantasy illustrations. The interface, though dated, is functional once mastered, and the ambient soundtrack does much to build the mood of exploration and peril. Modern players accustomed to slick interfaces and streamlined mechanics will find the experience cumbersome at first, but those with patience will discover an atmospheric world that rewards attention to detail. The overall aesthetic reinforces a sense of mythic scale, reminding players that they are not just generals commanding troops, but divine agents shaping the fate of a fractured world. Ultimately, Lords of Magic: Special Edition is a time capsule from a different era of PC strategy design—one where ambition outweighed accessibility, and where depth often came with rough edges. It is not a game that holds your hand or forgives your mistakes, but it remains captivating in its scope and imagination. The Special Edition’s improvements make it more stable and slightly easier to navigate, but its heart is still that of a complex, challenging, and sometimes exasperating classic. For fans of grand strategy, mythic storytelling, and games that reward experimentation, it stands as a worthy relic, offering a kind of strategic freedom and world-building rarely seen today. For newcomers, it may feel archaic, but beneath the dated interface and stubborn mechanics lies a world rich with potential—a flawed masterpiece whose ambition continues to command respect decades after its release. Rating: 9/10

The nostalgia is strong with this one... Growing up, I used to watch my parents play this all the time. I remember when I finally got to play it for the first time. I chose the Chaos faction...and got absolutely wrecked. So many years later, I tried it again. Went with Order that time, came so close to victory...but no dice. THEN, we lost the disc for the game. Oof. When I saw this game was out on Steam, I immediately purchased it. I can proudly say that, after about 20 years of on and off playing, I FINALLY beat Balkoth! With elements of city development mixed with real-time strategy and more magic, dragons and elves than you can shake a stick at, Lords of Magic has something for every fantasy fan! Plan your moves carefully, as the Lord of Death waits for no one... Best advice I can give to any new players out there looking to pick this up, is choose Order. They're honestly the best faction to start with. Prioritize building up your city first, taking any resource nodes within your area while sending scouts to fill out the map and figure out where things are. You can choose to befriend other factions by freeing their Temples, or take them over by force by killing their Lord in combat. I'd suggest allying with Water (because boats) and Air (eagles FTW) Fantastic game, 10/10, so happy to have it back!

This is a Really ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Runescape RTS I Like it better than Grey Goo Actually It's too hard Just Like Grey Goo so ♥♥♥♥ this Game

Cool Game

Classic game, still very fun. Feels a bit slow paced by today's standards and the graphics could use an overhaul, but it is still a great game.

Oh Mann, damit hab ich früher Stunden verbracht! Unheimlich schönes Spiel!! :) Hier der Patch, um es in deutscher Sprache spielen zu können, mit deutschem Intro, was einfach zum nostalgischen Gefühl dazu gehört: https://steamcommunity.com/app/404040/discussions/0/591758690592227861/

This is my OG go to when I need to check out and have a good time. For me its a blast from the past that reminds me of a simpler time. It also has an amazing lore behind it which I am all about.