SpellForce III Gamescom Gameplay

SpellForce III, the upcoming RPG/RTS hybrid from THQ Nordic and Grimlore Games, was showcased at Gamescom by its executive producer Reinhard Pollice. Over the course of ten or so minutes, he presented some gameplay and answered a number of systems-related questions live on stage, and thanks to that we now have a clearer picture of how the game will look and play.

In SpellForce III we'll have access to a large pool of heroes but will be limited to a party of four. Each of the heroes will have an arsenal of spells at their disposal, as well as some consumable items. If you're not particularly well-versed in RTS games - controlling four heroes, using their abilities, building a base and managing resources all at the same time may seem overwhelming. Acknowledging this, SpellForce III will feature a radial menu for spellcasting and simplified worker controls, and in general won't require intense micro or a high action per minute count; the game's focus is on expansion and unit composition, as opposed to hectic decision-making. To put this into perspective, the developers compare the previous SpellForce titles to Warcraft, while this one is promised to be more akin to The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth.

The VOD, now available on YouTube, has more info, so if you're interested in the game you probably should check it out: