(Note: This preview can also be found at Front Towards Gamer)

If there’s one thing that’s synonymous with PC gaming, it’s strategy. If you have a halfway decent rig and an appetite for conquering lands or casting magic, you’re platter is likely full to bursting. One of those games you’ve likely come across in your travels is Elemental: War of Magic (2010). Developed by Stardock Entertainment, Elemental is a turn-based strategy game with an emphasis on magic and mythos. While War of Magic received mixed reviews for a lack of polish, the backbone for a genuinely fun strategy game was there. And so with two more years under its belt, Stardock is taking another crack at the ever-expanding PC market with Elemental: Fallen Enchantress.

Set in a fantasy world called (oddly enough) Elemental, Fallen Enchantress casts you in the role of one of small number beings capable of channeling magic in the aftermath of a war between humanity and the Titans. As a member of the magical one percent, people naturally look to you for guidance and leadership. It may not be the most original concept, but Fallen Enchantress’ dark storybook art style really sells the world of Elemental as one of strife and wonder.

Stardock’s pedigree as a 4x (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) developer comes to bear in Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, as experienced gamers should have little trouble adapting to the conquer-by-any-means-necessary style of the genre. With 10 factions to choose from, it’s your job as a sovereign to lead your faction to glory through copious amounts of mouse clicks and hotkeys. The premise is simple enough: begin with a single capital city and, through battle, resource and technology management, diplomacy, or guile, be the last man standing.

Elemental’s hook is that, rather than have predetermined outcomes for battles based on unit stats, you have the option of getting into the nitty gritty and mixing it up with your foes. From what we’ve seen, the combat plays similarly to that of Might and Magic, which definitely isn’t a bad thing. You can keep your hands clean and play armchair general, or get into the fray yourself and let loose a wide variety of spells. Speaking of which, there are several flavors of magic at your disposal, most of which is standard fare for the genre. You have the basics like Fire and Water along with Death and Life which add buffs, all of which have five levels of mastery.

With such franchises as Galactic Civilizations and Sins of a Solar Empire under their belt, Stardock provides plenty of reason for optimism with Elemental: Fallen Enchantress. War of Magic may have lacked polish, but the base for a solid 4x strategy game was most certainly there. Currently in beta, Fallen Enchantress looks to be a legitimate competitor in the ever-growing PC strategy market. If you already own a copy of War of Magic, you may be eligible to receive Fallen Enchantress for free or at a discounted price, but for the rest of us, Fallen Enchantress is available for pre-order now at $40. With no hard release date, it looks as though Fallen Enchantress will see a late 2012 or early 2013 release, but if the early footage is any indication, we can’t wait to start conquering the lands of Elemental. For more information on Stardock and Elemental, check out www.stardock.com/games/.

(Note: This preview can also be found at Front Towards Gamer)

If there’s one thing that’s synonymous with PC gaming, it’s strategy. If you have a halfway decent rig and an appetite for conquering lands or casting magic, you’re platter is likely full to bursting. One of those games you’ve likely come across in your travels is Elemental: War of Magic (2010). Developed by Stardock Entertainment, Elemental is a turn-based strategy game with an emphasis on magic and mythos. While War of Magic received mixed reviews for a lack of polish, the backbone for a genuinely fun strategy game was there. And so with two more years under its belt, Stardock is taking another crack at the ever-expanding PC market with Elemental: Fallen Enchantress.

Set in a fantasy world called (oddly enough) Elemental, Fallen Enchantress casts you in the role of one of small number beings capable of channeling magic in the aftermath of a war between humanity and the Titans. As a member of the magical one percent, people naturally look to you for guidance and leadership. It may not be the most original concept, but Fallen Enchantress’ dark storybook art style really sells the world of Elemental as one of strife and wonder.

Stardock’s pedigree as a 4x (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) developer comes to bear in Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, as experienced gamers should have little trouble adapting to the conquer-by-any-means-necessary style of the genre. With 10 factions to choose from, it’s your job as a sovereign to lead your faction to glory through copious amounts of mouse clicks and hotkeys. The premise is simple enough: begin with a single capital city and, through battle, resource and technology management, diplomacy, or guile, be the last man standing.

Elemental’s hook is that, rather than have predetermined outcomes for battles based on unit stats, you have the option of getting into the nitty gritty and mixing it up with your foes. From what we’ve seen, the combat plays similarly to that of Might and Magic, which definitely isn’t a bad thing. You can keep your hands clean and play armchair general, or get into the fray yourself and let loose a wide variety of spells. Speaking of which, there are several flavors of magic at your disposal, most of which is standard fare for the genre. You have the basics like Fire and Water along with Death and Life which add buffs, all of which have five levels of mastery.

With such franchises as Galactic Civilizations and Sins of a Solar Empire under their belt, Stardock provides plenty of reason for optimism with Elemental: Fallen Enchantress. War of Magic may have lacked polish, but the base for a solid 4x strategy game was most certainly there. Currently in beta, Fallen Enchantress looks to be a legitimate competitor in the ever-growing PC strategy market. If you already own a copy of War of Magic, you may be eligible to receive Fallen Enchantress for free or at a discounted price, but for the rest of us, Fallen Enchantress is available for pre-order now at $40. With no hard release date, it looks as though Fallen Enchantress will see a late 2012 or early 2013 release, but if the early footage is any indication, we can’t wait to start conquering the lands of Elemental. For more information on Stardock and Elemental, check out www.stardock.com/games/.