Synopsis: Field Of Glory 2: Medieval is a turn-based tactical war game covering the High Middle Ages from 1040 AD to 1270 AD, encompassing many interesting battle scenarios. The DLC covers up to 1500 AD and adds many more troops and empires to play as and against.

Publisher: Slitherine Ltd
Reviewed on: PC (5800X, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3070)
Also available for: N/A

DLC Release Dates: Reconquista (21/05/2021), Swords and Scimitars (24/09/2021), Storm of Arrows (11/02/22), Rise of the Swiss (19/5/22)

Developer: Byzantine Games
Game Design & Programming: Richard Bodley Scott
Graphics: Pat Ward, Richard Evans, Koen Bekkema
Music Compsoer: Alessandro Ponti

FOGM gives credence to the saying, easy to learn, hard to master. Starting on the recommended difficulty, I soon had to reduce the settings to the easiest level due to my lack of technical skill on the battlefield. I initially found the tutorials hard to beat but easier once adjusting those settings. The learning curve is steep but rewarding; with the mass of information available, it is hard not to become overwhelmed. Taking additional time to re-read many of the on-screen prompts, my second attempt at playing the tutorials went much better.

FOGM has an extensive resource library in the form of a digital user manual, which contains two hundred and twenty-six pages of information, spanning basic guides of troops and nations, and including how to utilise each type of army. The user manual is a great tool to have on hand while playing. The in-game knowledge base is equally as dense, incorporating troops, factions, battle information, and complete scenarios for each. Preceding each battle, the player is given a rundown of the scenario to be faced; this includes reasoning, story, previous battles, field type and more. All this information culminates in the player’s strategy and setup for the ensuing battle.

The game’s graphical prowess varied from the menu to the in-game battle scenarios, with the main menu being an interesting mock-up of scroll style drawing and hardened steel menus to changing completely for the battlefields. The battlefield is detailed in various ways, and subtle changes allow the player a quick overview at first glance, but a more thorough inspection provides for greater clarity, with many formations to be found on the battlefield affecting troop movements and decisions for the battle. The formations range from water, marshes, forests, towns, valleys and heights. Troop placement is not taken lightly, archers gain advantages on hills, and lightweight troops benefit when fighting in marshes. Setting troops in a thick forest can hide them from enemies and allow for ambushes. These are just some of the many ways and tactics to fight the enemy.

Zooming in on the troops, you can see the detailing in the build of the outfits but less so in the faces. Each type of troop is unique to the country, and the flags are indicative of the country or armies they are fighting for. It is in these small details that the game shines. The inspiration from tabletop battles shows through with these detailing minis. The care given to every troop and army is inspirational, and although not many will play this game while zooming in, the information gleaned from these details is helpful in the heat of battle. Subtle changes such as the flag being torn, red or yellow indicators on the flag, and the flagman shaking in their boots all let you know how the troops are going without needing to hover over their name plates constantly.

Tactically, the game has many background processes, and understanding their functionality allows the player to generate a winning scenario for their team. The rules are laid out at the start of the match, allowing the player to see the current battle scenario’s goal. The main aim I have witnessed over various campaigns is to reduce the contingency of the other side and have them flee or be defeated on the battlefield. Once this occurs, the battle is won, and a triumphant trumpet is played, announcing your success. After this, you get a run down on the battle, with comparisons for losses and victories.

The audio in the game is very basic. The sounds of battle include the clashing of swords, the firing of arrows and the trampling of hooves. While they vary for a troop type, they are completely generic and do not change throughout the campaigns or battles. The menu music is the same track repeated while entering battle the music changes to a softer tone and is barely noticeable during the fighting. The overall quality of the music and audio mix could be better and add to the battle and draw the player into the game more.

FOGM includes a scenario editor and the ability to download campaigns and scenarios created by the community. This is one of the more significant assets to the game with the ever-expanding content and wars to fight or even customise and build yourself with a wide variety of tools to shape the fields of battle the way you want while filling the story and scenarios how you want to see them play out. On top of these scenarios, there are also quick battles for fast, epic battles, and custom battles, all allowing various changes to meet your battle needs and desires.

While turn-based tactical battle games are not my forte, I did enjoy my time with the game. The hard-won battles felt earned, and the losses taught me to change up and improve my strategies. The build quality of the game shows real thought, and the endless strategies and scenarios are amazingly detailed and well thought out. The sheer volume of battle and scenario information is overwhelming, but once you investigate it deeply, you can see exactly why it is the way it is. History buffs will get a kick out of the detailed notes. I enjoyed reading the setups before battles, especially before the campaigns and how each conflict affected the following and the overall war effort.

(Fields of Glory II: Medieval code provided for review)