SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm

SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm is played from a third-person perspective, in which players control a custom-made avatar to explore a variety of maps in the game. The expansion operates on the same real-time strategy and role-playing gameplay mechanics of SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars, but with significant new elements incorporated to the game.

For the role-playing elements, the expansion allows avatars to now earn skills within a new skill tree called Shaikan - these feature new abilities not included in the main game, while each skill has a link to a piece of equipment that a skill in another tree can unlock. The expansion's story campaign also allows players to begin with avatars starting at level ten, allowing them. For the real-time strategy elements, players can now control a new faction, the Shaikan, who feature their own selection units and structures, but have the added ability of Tech buildings that can offer an upgrade to units; though as a rule, each unit can only have one of two upgrades active at any one time – the other replaces the current upgrade should the player require it.

SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm takes place on Eo – a high-fantasy world inhabited by several races, including humans, elves, dwarves and orcs – that was formed by the god Aonir, and originally consisted of large continents and various islands, with large oceans and seas. But after a cataclysmic event known as the Convocation shattered the world, the remaining landmass became islands, each held together around an obelisk called Aonir's Tower. While the islands float on an elemental sea that no ships can traverse, a powerful mage created a portal network to ensure the surviving inhabitants of Eo can remain connected to each other. However, since its creation, the network has begun to fall into decline, with portals slowly losing power, creating a rising fear that the islands will become isolated that has led to conflict between nations for resources.

Prior to the events of the expansion, Eo was once originally inhabited by an elven race known as the Shapers, who developed a connection to magic, including the powerful force known as the Archfire, which led to them creating a vast empire. However, the Shapers soon began to succumb to madness, from their connection to the Archfire, leading to Eo's dragons, who had remained in isolation up until then, to move in and eradicate the race before they could destroy the world. After this event, dragons remained the dominant force on Eo, until the eventual emergence of the other races that now inhabit the world forced them to return into isolation for their own safety.

Darren Allen of Eurogamer rated the game a 6/10, calling it a palatable expansion that refines the sequel's focus on smaller battles and quality questing, even if it lacks major new additions.