Fantasy General 2: Invasion

At first glance (e.g. opening missions) the game looks like a potential snooze-fest, "Civilisation combat without the cities" thought I. Give it time, everything changes.
You will find yourself in huge moving battles with upwards of 40 very different units sprawled across a dangerous map, sending stealthy scouts out to shady territories to scout, and check for alternate routes or places of power to give your armies an advantage.
Summarily, the strategy is strong in this one.
You will have lots of summons, buffs, debuffs, and a plethora of magic items (of different rarities) to kit out not just heroes, but basic units too. These basic units can, in time, both level up to become more powerful, and be transformed into higher tier variants, with multiple options available - but this will cost resources which can only be looted. Stray too far from the path and you may come unstuck, high risk high reward...
In an RPG-lite kinda way, the units will mean something to you - their experience, their different items, roles and functions. Losing a high investment hurts, as it should. And losing a key hero loses you the game (good to have a lose-con for bad play, no matter how good you get).
There is a learning curve. On ironman mode and normal difficulty, I was forced to restart 3 times(!?) due to rookie mistakes, and I am a regular 'impossible/diety level' strategy veteran. Modest, too.
Some advice:
1. Tick 'enemy scaling' off until you have learned the game. You are welcome.
2. Play Ironman mode. Because let's face it, you deserve to be punished for sending your 'lose the game if he dies' hero ahead of the army to be ambushed by three spiders.
3. If you play Ironman mode, please use captured cities to hire mercenary reinforcements each map. Don't question it, just do it. And ensure you have at least a couple hundred gold free at any time for precisely this.
4. You died, didn't you? You went Ironman on hard with enemy scaling on, didn't bother hiring battle-only reinforcements, and watched all your main characters simultaneously get eaten in the wilderness while your army faced down a force half again its size...and lost. Go to steps 1-3
Enjoy!

Gameplay Mechanics: 8/10
Narrative: 6/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound and Music: 7/10
Replayability: 5/10
Innovation: 6/10
Fantasy General II brings back the classic hex-based tactics of the original game with a solid modern revamp. It’s a turn-based fantasy strategy title that knows its niche—tight tactical battles, solid unit progression, and just enough RPG flavor to keep it interesting.
Gameplay mechanics are the highlight. The combat is tactical and satisfying, with plenty of emphasis on terrain, flanking, morale, and unit synergies. Each unit type has its role, and the addition of hero units with gear and leveling adds a light RPG twist. The campaign features varied objectives, and while some missions drag a bit, overall the flow of combat and progression is solid. Score: 8/10.
Narrative is passable. It sets the stage with some political and personal stakes, and there are occasional choices that branch the campaign slightly, but the story won’t leave a lasting impression. Score: 6/10.
Graphics are respectable. The hand-painted style gives the world some visual flair, unit models are clean, and the battlefield has enough detail to keep things readable and immersive. It’s not flashy, but it looks good for a mid-tier tactics game. Score: 7/10.
Sound and music do their job. The fantasy soundtrack fits the mood, and the combat effects are satisfying. Nothing especially memorable, but nothing distracting either. Score: 7/10.
Replayability is limited. While there are some branching paths and optional side content, the campaign plays out largely the same each time, and unit choices don’t dramatically shift gameplay. Once you’ve seen the core content, there’s not a huge reason to return. Score: 5/10.
Innovation is moderate. It does a good job modernizing an old-school tactics formula, but it doesn’t bring much new to the genre. The RPG-lite systems are familiar, and there’s little in terms of bold mechanical leaps. Score: 6/10.
In summary, Fantasy General II is a fun, focused tactics game that delivers satisfying combat and a nostalgic fantasy feel. It doesn’t offer a ton of replay value or innovation, but what’s here is well-made and enjoyable for fans of hex-based strategy.

This is my favorite turn based war game.

I have played the base game and the Empire Aflame expansion all the way through multiple times. The combination of scenarios, unit choices, and story, have pushed this to the top. I have been playing pc games since the beginning of home pc gaming. I loved Civ, Master of Magic, and Panzer General, when they released. I played every successor to Panzer General I could find. For me, this one is the top. Many list Panzer Corps 2 as their favorite. It has more content. Many units. A different style of leadership upgrades. Something about the scenarios, probably because of history, drops the campaigns down a peg for me. I will probably dive back into that when I finish the Legend campaign I started yesterday in FG2.

This game is pretty big.

You have a leader. You also get other heroes. These units have special upgrade trees just for them.

You get combat units. Most of them can be upgraded to other combat units or into heroes. There is a limit to how many units you can purchase but this number can be expanded based on your choices. At the Veteran difficulty level you can play with pretty much whatever combination of upgraded troops suit your fancy, though I have not tried doing anything as extreme as all cavalry, all archers, all heavy armor sloggers, or the like. There are good play guides out there if you want them. I am using one on the Legend difficulty campaign I just started. There are better unit upgrade choices which are not obvious.

Inventory. You get gear throughout the game that can be assigned to your units as you choose. Extra armor, faster movement, spell like abilities, consumables, and special one of a kind stuff.

The scenario progression is semi linear. Sometimes you have more than one choice about what battle to play next. The game automatically creates a save after every battle. During my subsequent campaigns I looked back at my old saves and then chose to play the battles I had not played before.

The story is not mind blowing but it is good. It kept me interested. Story line heroes can join and leave your army. Your choices can make different troops available to you. It isn't good role playing game level but it is pretty much the pinnacle for this style of game.

Empire Aflame expansion. One of the best experiences I have had while playing computer games. It is basically Fantasy General 3 using the Fantasy General 2 engine. The choice you are given half way through the campaign was such a big deal that I made sure to save my in battle game save so that I could re-load that save later and make the other choice. Some of the other expansions aren't reviewed well but this one I highly recommend.

Combat... Support your front line troops with ranged units. Your units get better with combat experience. Every unit within 3 hexes of an enemy unit you just destroyed will get experience. Find a guide if you need more than this.

SAVES. This game loads and saves FAST. My hat is off to the programmers! Well done. Artistic design, level design, speed of play, AI enemy play, e v e r y t h i n g. I am bowing.

This post is long enough. If you enjoy turn based war games, I highly recommend this one. If you are so-so about them, I recommend getting and playing this on an easy setting so that you can enjoy the experience of the story and unit upgrades, along with the freedom to play as you want without dire consequences.

I enjoy it well enough, but I did get it for free so keep that in mind.
The fantasy stuff is pretty generic; think of your typical Age of Wonders style mashup of fantasy tropes. Fun enough, but not exactly unique or super inspired writing. The gameplay is tactical enough, and if you like getting attached to your units the game supports a lot of customization options for them, from renaming to multiple upgrade paths that turn them into more specialized unit types, and you can even give them the same artefacts your heroes get, which is cool.
If you get it for free (or at least discounted), and you like that slower paced tactical strategy gameplay with a decent enough fantasy angle, you'll enjoy it. Solid 6.5/10 sort of game (as in, 5 being 'average', not an IGN 6.5/10).

Fun game if you like strategy war-games. It has a clunky UI, some annoying design deficiencies (hard to scout effectively if you don't want your scouts dying a lot!), ok story, repetitive music (main theme is pretty good but rest are like 30 second loops! I turned game music off for most of the time and played Two Steps from Hell and Viking inspired battle/folk/rock. That was a good work around. In fact probably made things more exciting!) and it goes on too long and it kind of requires save scumming to get through it sensibly... But it has that X factor of just being fun. I am not sure if I will return and play the DLC campaign, as I am fatigued right now, but maybe. Certainly it is worth playing the main campaign.

Such a great game, it's a shame I overlooked this for so long, this is an hidden gem if you like deep challenging turn based wargames without rainbows or childish stuff inside. I was looking for exactly this type of granular PC game with serious classic fantasy art style, you can also disable enemies scaling which is another very nice feature. I had to get the Complete edition soon after I tried the base game because for me this is already a super underrated game.

Fantasy General II is a hidden gem for turn-based strategy enthusiasts. The campaign spans over 30 missions, following Falirson – a young barbarian leader – as he battles rival clans and the powerful Empire. The story isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s well delivered through meaningful choices and solid writing.
Gameplay-wise, it shines with classic hex-based tactics, a wide variety of units, and a smart upgrade system. Veteran units level up and can be customized with loot, adding depth to army management. Combat is challenging, with morale playing a key role – knowing when to retreat can be just as important as attacking.
On the downside, some missions feel repetitive, and the random loot system can disrupt strategic planning. Visually, it’s not flashy, but the gritty style fits the setting. If you enjoy thoughtful, tactical gameplay and don’t mind a bit of grind, Fantasy General II delivers a rewarding experience.