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When elves cry

18 years ago (holy ****), SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars was released as one of the best role-playing games of all time - at least that's what I say. With its timeless graphics, a great story and the cleverly expanded gameplay of its no less great predecessor SpellForce: The Order of Dawn , it remains in both my hall of fame of great role-playing games ... and strategy games.

After all, the SpellForce-series has always combined the classic party role-playing game concept à la Dungeons & Dragons with real-time strategy. Instead of exploring a map and completing quests, we explore a map, complete quests and at the same time build a base to support our hero party with a powerful army. The story is classically epic and sends us from one varied world to the next. If you want to get a feel for it, you can take a look at my game review of SpellForce: The Order of DawnSpellForce: The Order of Dawn.

Thankfully, there have also been a few quality-of-life improvements, so that, for example, our units don't disappear when we change maps and we're not faced with depleted mineral deposits in areas we've already visited - which is really annoying when resources are finite. I don't even want to talk about details such as new units, spells and our own barony, which we continue to expand as the story progresses. After all, I'm not going to get anyone here to try out this gem, let alone its one addon. And yes, there is only Dragon Storm (2007). The stand-alone expansions Faith in Destiny (2012) and Demons of the Past were an absolute travesty.

If I can't do that, then I'd like to try to convince you of the soundtrack. I have to confess that I've been putting off writing this review because I knew it would be more extensive. So here are the hard facts: The OST was released under the title Sounds of the Shadows and comprises 24 tracks, which, with a minimum length of just under a minute and a maximum of around seven minutes, results in a total length of just over an hour - very nice!

What's even better is that the quality of this hour of acoustic delight remains at a very high level throughout. There are hardly any pieces here that are not worth listening to, everything interlocks skillfully. The reason for this is probably Pierre Langer and Tilman Sillescu from the German composer studio Dynamedion, who also wrote the scores for the predecessor and its expansions The Breath of Winter and Shadow of the Phoenix . If you had to label it, 'epic fantasy' would probably describe it best. "So something like Dragon Age?" Not quite. "Then Dark Souls?" Not at all. "Okay, then rather-". Just let me tell you, and you'll get the idea.

Anyone who has listened to the music of Dynamedion's predecessors or other works, especially the Anno-series since Anno 1404, will quickly recognize the familiar and high-quality style of composition that originates here. Aspects such as the medieval feeling from The Guild 2 or the aforementioned Anno 1404, mixed with fantasy references that we also hear in Sacred 2: Fallen Angel or SpellForce: The Order of Dawn , come together in this OST to form a glorious fusion. I would even go so far as to say that this class of music is not only on a par with the Gothic 3-score released in the same year, but in many places comes close to Howard Shore's cinematic compositions for the The Lord of the Rings-trilogy! Big words, which I utter with confidence, for it's a fact. It will of course be due to my subjective romanticization, but that has never stopped me from praising music to high heaven ... so let's begin.

Sound of the Shadows starts with the title track Shadowsong, which is reminiscent of the intros to Gothic 3 and Skyrim with its thunderous drums. However, the first major difference soon becomes clear. As with its predecessor (Cenwen), Langer and Sillescu once again use German singer Talia's vocals, who warbles an elf-like ballad in a made-up language. You can find this beautiful (as I did then) or corny (as I do now), but it works well, as it did in Dragon Age: Origins . And for the hater, there is at least an instrumental version.

In addition, the track also contains a leitmotif that runs through the entire composition. I have already mentioned several times that this helps to give the soundtrack its own identity, but I will never tire of doing so anyway. At the same time, it vividly illustrates the contrast to the score of its predecessor, which was also very good, but nevertheless seems more disjointed and 'arbitrary' due to the lack of a main motif. Thanks to this thematic frame, however, the music of SpellForce 2 makes the leap onto the master's podium to compete with the greats.

The battle tracks, for example, are excellent across the board: Be it the dramatic The Shaikan, whose vocals promise titanic battles. The irrepressible Attack of the Nightblades, whose horns bear witness to heroism like an opera. Or The Realm, which chases around like a swarm of angry wasps with its strings - not for nothing does it make it into my Top 50 best battle tracks as Epilogue.

In general, the orchestration is masterful, even if the selection of strings, winds and harps is somewhat stereotypically medieval fantasy. I don't mind if I get sublime pieces like the Anno-like Hawkeyrie in return. Freedom, on the other hand, lives up to its title and explores the duality of the eponymous freedom in an interplay of winds and strings: from oppressive uncertainty to exhilarating liberation, the track floats across the expanse, light and yet heavy at the same time. Not unlike the theme to the equestrian nation of Rohan from The Lord of the Rings, this track is a tear-jerker, so beautiful, so moving.

In direct contrast to this are the clichéd rogue pieces such as the darkly diabolical tracks Sorvina and Dragh Lur or the tribal orc themes Karash and The Clans!, in which we can almost see the creatures of darkness dancing around a campfire. The Mines of Underhall is also beautifully dwarven with its hammer blows, while Fireforge sounds like something borrowed from a classic action adventure - playful and dramatic at the same time.

Before I come to my favorites of the score, a quick word about Oblivion, which should definitely not be forgotten, as well as Shadowplains and Desolation. The first is a track to savor, which has something calming and agitating about it with its undulating rhythm. The second, on the other hand, sounds more like classical music and, with its powerful horns, is reminiscent of something you would expect from Beethoven rather than Bytes. Desolation the third of the bunch, is different again. Initially stormy, it later crawls across the floor like a snake and stretches itself up here and there, almost curiously, before unleashing itself in a dreamlike symphony at the end. Give it time, please!

But now to my highlights: Plains of Chaos and Dun Mora. For me, both reach a level comparable to that of Howard Shores - for me one of the highest compliments in the soundtrack genre. Some may see it differently, but I don't care. Plains of Chaos is the 'weaker' of the two and actually only gets 4 stars, but the waltz-esque character moves me every time. I like this versatility, this complexity that turns a single piece into a journey, an experience. While we think at the beginning that we are in for the next epic, a few seconds later Langer and Sillescu are already painting a picture of an untouched landscape. The plains sung about are truly in chaos, in a musical maelstrom that promises alternation and progression.

The absolute highlight of SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars however, is Dun Mora. Without wanting to unravel the whole story of the game, I can't help but explain the setting for this track: As we journey through the world of Eo, we must unite the races of the Light to fight the Pact of Darkness. In other words, the classic battle of good versus evil. To do this, we travel to the different factions and firstly secure the alliance of the humans and dwarves. To do this, we teleport through world history. After we have reawakened the magic of the portal that leads to the Morhir tribe of elves in the swamp of Dun Mora, we look at a loading screen - and hear this song.

Like the dripping of dew on a leaf, a scale sounds, played on the harp, before a sustained violin rises laboriously. Like walking through the mire, the piece seems sluggish, oppressive and ponderous. But the darkness soon lifts and reveals a dreamlike scene in the truest sense of the word. For the Morhir are plagued by demons who feast on their immortal blood and feed their lethargy and grief. Dun Mora, also bears witness to this. It seems dreadfully gloomy and yet beautiful. It is reminiscent of The Grey Havens from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and as the first tears slowly slide down our cheeks, we reflect on Gandalf's words:

I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.

Gandalf the White, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

There is something cathartic and liberating about this track. It says that the absence of light does not necessarily mean darkness and that every sorrow was preceded by something beautiful.

Even without having played SpellForce 2, you can't deny the beauty of this score. And probably not its corniness either, but kitsch can also be beautiful. If you're looking for an even more in-depth analysis of the score, you'll find it in this review by user Simon.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Shadowsong	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
02	Hawkeyrie	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
03	Freedom	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
04	Sorvina	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
05	Karash	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
06	Plains of Chaos	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
07	Dun Mora	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
08	Oblivion	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
09	The Mines of Underhall	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
10	The Shaikan	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
11	The Realm	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
12	Sevencastles	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
13	Shadowplains	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
14	Fireforge	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
15	The Clans!	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
16	Dragh Lur	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
17	Attack of the Nightblades	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
18	Desolation	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
19	Dun Mora [Instrumental]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
20	Shadowsong [Instrumental]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
21	Uram Gor [Bonus]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3
22	Un'Shallach [Bonus]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
23	The Magnet Stones [Bonus]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3
24	The Crystal Fields [Bonus]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3

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Dragon Storm

The fact that I can only praise the first add-on, Dragon Storm , is not only due to the interesting story about the Shaikan, a new playable faction that expands the range of the feel-good races. No, the music was also worth listening to, as it was once again created by Langer and Sillescu. In eleven tracks, they present us with the continuation of their work for the main game, even if this time they are unfortunately not entirely convincing

And yet it starts so well with Dragon Storm : dramatic, upbeat, heroic - worthy of a winged lizard. However, this exclamation mark is followed by less exciting sounds: Land of Dragons sounds like a return to the soundscape of the first SpellForce with a hint of Star Trek, als also Land of Shapers is more restrained. Where the tracks in the main game are of the same quality as Howard Shore's moving compositions for Rohan, here we are more in the marshlands.

This impression is not saved by Lullaby of Death, which, sung by Talia, sounds a little like Anno towards the end, but never reaches the beauty of Shadowsong or Dun Mora . Things only get exciting again with Combat the Dark including its variation and Battle the Evil. With their interplay of horns, strings and percussion, they really get the action going. A good addition to the familiar, but nothing you couldn't have done without.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Dragon Storm	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
02	Land of Dragons	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
03	Land of Shapers	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3
04	Lullaby of Death	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
05	The Citadel	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3
06	Combat the Dark	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
07	Battle the Evil	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	5
08	Combat the Dark [Variation]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
09	Land of Shapers [Alternate]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	4
10	Lullaby of Death [Variaton]	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3
11	Credits	Tilman Sillescu; Pierre Langer	3

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Faith in Destiny

Whereas I could very well have done without Faith in Destiny. Six years after the release of the main game, a change of developer and the bankruptcy of publisher Jowood, the first of two stand-alone sequels was released, which unabashedly desecrated the proud SpellForce 2-corpse. It was not enough to present a bugfest, no, of course the composers were also replaced. This was probably inevitable, as Dynamedion had grown into a renowned brand in the meantime, not least because of the fantastic score for SpellForce 2, and was therefore too expensive for a simple cash grab.

The thankless task of taking on this great legacy fell to Josef Altersberger, whose discography is adorned with exactly two entries: SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny and SpellForce 2: Demons of the Past. Whether he decided to hang up his career after the two albums, whether he went into hiding or even changed his name, I don't know. That would be justified if you were expecting a similar musical quality to that of the main game - because the OST isn't particularly good.

I don't want to sound too mean, because this is where the expectations of a Schalke fan to play Champions League football next season meet the harsh reality of the bottom of the second division. In other words: anyone expecting Taylor Swift will probably be disappointed by Karen from the meat counter, no matter how good she is at karaoke. Or even simpler: expectation 10, reality 3 #Tinder.

Joking aside, even if compared to the standard set for an album from 2012, the score is below average. The composition is uninspired, irrelevant, repetitive, overly dramatic and at the same time very flat. Instead of an orchestra, there are sounds from a can. The only ray of hope is The Dream Weaver, which promises a hint of mystery and depth with its pizzicato. But even then, the OST falls short of the mischievous goings-on of a Trine . It's almost comforting that the 19 tracks can be listened to in just over half an hour.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Malangar Greens	Josef Altersberger	3
02	Warrior	Josef Altersberger	2
03	An Overwelming Foe	Josef Altersberger	3
04	A Nameless Wave	Josef Altersberger	2
05	A Demons Dance	Josef Altersberger	3
06	The Nameless Threat	Josef Altersberger	2
07	Mystical Fantasy	Josef Altersberger	2
08	A Fight to the Very End	Josef Altersberger	2
09	Lose	Josef Altersberger	1
10	Wastelands of Sorrow	Josef Altersberger	2
11	Magical	Josef Altersberger	2
12	The Dream Weaver	Josef Altersberger	4
13	The Prophecy Is Fulfilled	Josef Altersberger	2
14	Preparing for the Battle	Josef Altersberger	3
15	Silence	Josef Altersberger	2
16	Screaming Souls	Josef Altersberger	2
17	Tension	Josef Altersberger	3
18	A Warning	Josef Altersberger	2
19	Credits	Josef Altersberger	2

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Demons of the Past

As already mentioned, the music for the last expansion is also by Josef Altersberger and builds on his strengths - which is really remarkable considering their absence. Even if he is still nowhere near the works of Langer and Sillescu, a certain improvement is noticeable. The tracks seem a little more powerful, bolder. With Realm of the Gods there is even a bit of a Pirates of the Caribbean-vibe. Does this give us Hans Zimmer instead of Howard Shore? Not by a long shot.

Instead, the OST reaches a lower genre standard, which is a welcome upgrade compared to Faith in Destiny . Nevertheless, this album will hardly be remembered for its unhealthy ratio of the number of tracks (14) to the total length (24 min): too short, too irrelevant, too lacking in highlights. Not even enough for a recommendation for genre fans. The OST is rather the logical consequence of an unworthy ending that SpellForce 2 fell victim to. At least SpellForce 3 was somewhat able to restore the brand's brilliance, even if it falls short of the second installment for me. On the other hand, it easily puts the two add-ons behind it.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Danger in the Fields	Josef Altersberger	3
02	SpellForce 2: Demons of the Past	Josef Altersberger	4
03	Frozen	Josef Altersberger	3
04	Heroes	Josef Altersberger	3
05	Mysteriousness	Josef Altersberger	2
06	Occultism	Josef Altersberger	2
07	Realm of the Gods	Josef Altersberger	3
08	Romantic	Josef Altersberger	3
09	Shalibar	Josef Altersberger	3
10	Stormtroopers	Josef Altersberger	3
11	The Citadel	Josef Altersberger	2
12	The World of Zarach	Josef Altersberger	3
13	Venus Island	Josef Altersberger	2
14	Village	Josef Altersberger	3