Download Battle Isle 2

Battle Isle 2, the successor to the famous first part, is a truly unique strategy game. The designers combined the good parts of the predecessor with a brand new warfare concept. Whereas in the first game you could either move your units or attack in a turn, you can do both things in the same turn in this game. This brings new tactics and strategies and was adopted in many later games. When it came out in 1994, Battle Isle 2 was one of the first games which used this method of round-based combat, so at that time it was revolutionary. 

As for the story: It continues where the first part ended. After you finished the game, a Drull spaceship (these are the good guys) comes for you and takes you to their planet which is under attack by Titan Net. You are the chosen one, who shall lead the army of the Drulls to victory. 

After the intro which tells the story described above, you are thrown straight into the first mission of the main campaign which comprises twenty-four battles. The battles get tougher and tougher as you move towards your goal to defeat Titan Net. The maps are well made, but later missions become very hard to win, even on lower difficulty levels. 

The strategic aspect of the game is superb; it has tons of units, from infantry robots through tanks and planes to huge battleships, each with different attributes and weapons systems, making most of them vital for the game, so you will have to use most of them to achieve victory. Many units have more than one weapon, which gives you even more flexibility when using them. Another good thing is that units gain experience, which does make a difference in this game, as veteran units get huge bonuses and can often hold off more powerful but inexperienced units. The map also has strategic value, as the weather and the terrain will have an impact on your tactics. 

The graphics looked very good at the time of release, but today the best word to describe them would be 'functional', although the handpainted maps and the rendered units between the battles still look good. The music and sound effects are also nothing special. The user interface is quite easy to use once you have got the hang of it - but that will take some time, as it is a bit unconventional. I would rate the game at 4, as it is very good, but too difficult for Joe Gamer, who will become frustrated after some missions. 

Battle Isle 2 is truly one of the best strategy games of the era, though one of the most difficult ones. If you have tons of free time and like a challenge, you should try defeating Titan Net.

Part of the Battle Isle series