The original Etherlords was targeted squarely at fans of the fantasy trading card game called Magic the Gathering. It looked and sounded great and the combat itself was undeniably compulsive and fun to play out. However, this would never be enough, in itself, to sustain the appetite of your average video gamer. So a fantasy strategy element along the lines of Heroes of Might and Magic was wrapped around the core game mechanic to fill things out. This only proved to be marginally successful though, and ultimately felt somewhat under-developed.

So, some two years later then, and given Nival Interactive's conviction that a sequel was required, one would be quite right to expect the shortcomings of its predecessor to be addressed. Certainly, the effort is evident, but the end result somehow feels more half-baked than before. Now, instead of fantasy strategy providing the rationale for those still dazzlingly addictive and graphically beguiling card battles, we have a diluted RPG element instead.

   

In campaign mode, you decide on a race of hero from a choice of four of the ether colours; Chaots (red ether of chaos), Kinets (blue ether of motion), Vitals (green ether of vitality), or Synthets (black ether of synthesis). These classes offer the player a broad range of strengths and weaknesses. The Chaots, as their name implies, use brute force in their spell casting and are positively unhinged. Kinets use brains over brawn to get the job done. Vitals are hippies and employ the magic of nature. The Synthets are weird man/machine hybrids and are the misfits of the world.

Once you take your chosen hero out for a wander you're presented with a 3D isometric viewpoint that represents the surrounding territory. You're free to explore as you see fit, your primary motivation being to seek out resources with which to strengthen your character's spell deck. Natural resources take the form of stone, plants and frozen flames and these are the currency used in your dealings with apprentice labs and later, the summoner towers. Sometimes, you'll find these elements being mined or farmed; you can capture them but invariably they're guarded by hostile NPCs. You'll also come across friendlies who may offer you quests and primarily serve to advance the "plot".

And well, that's pretty much all there is to the campaign element. It seems simple in concept and it really is; there are no hidden depths to be plundered here, no twists or turns, no ethical choices to be made and hence, nothing to drive your character. It's all very staid and linear and not terribly engaging. Ultimately, this is essentially a light veneer and serves to get you from one excellent card battle to another - and that's a shame because this sketchy and overly pushy design means that an opportunity to provide the player with some substance and freedom is squandered. Thus, the term RPG can only really be applied in the broadest sense. Players of the original would perhaps be inclined to feel that the old strategy style was a more fitting and honest stage on which to base the card battles, and that Nival have taken a backward step in order to deliver a lighter, more mainstream game style.

   

Having said all that though, this game really is about the card battles and when in multiplayer or solo duel mode, things really come to life, so much so that the game's lacklustre campaign might almost be forgiven.

Solo duel is completely free of the confines of the main game; you may choose to configure your deck as you see fit and set up the rounds in a way that suits you. So, for example, if you choose to limit the game to level one, then you and your chosen opponent will only employ spells governed by level one resources during battle. This can prove intriguing and is a superb way of easing the player into the multiplayer mode. It provides the opportunity to not only exploit the rich and incredibly fun card battles at will and with ease and flexibility, but to do so with the express intention of honing skills in preparation for encounters with dastardly and extremely inventive human players who will, undoubtedly, present a far more unpredictable challenge.

The multiplayer game is where the party is and for all those who have spent fortunes on their Magic: The Gathering decks over the years, the excitement of this game really is about hanging out in the lobby, trying to match yourself against players of suitable ability in the round table mode. Putting your skills and chosen deck to the test in an 8 player knockout tournament and thus, your fragile reputation on the line is as close to delivering the compulsive nature of card gaming as you can get and, combined with the immersion that excellent graphical presentation provides, Etherlords 2 really flies.

   

I have had so much fun testing my skills with the deck in duel mode and then taking my game online that I feel half inclined to wish that Nivel Interactive had chosen to dispense with the somewhat risible campaign mode entirely, sticking instead with duel and multiplayer modes and dropping the asking price by 10 or 15 quid. Had this been the case, I'd have no problem at all in giving Etherlords 2 a double thumbs up and a hallowed Gamecell 9 out of 10.

As it is though, all things considered, the complete product is merely pretty good rather than remarkable. Sure, the gameplay tweaks make for a more immediate experience than before, those graphics are still lovely (though not markedly improved over the original) and the card battles themselves seem somehow weightier and more potentially complex than the previous game. But there just isn't enough in addition to really recommend the game wholeheartedly and without some reservations.