Lords of the Realm II
{{Short description|1996 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Lords of the Realm II
| image = Lords of the Realm II Coverart.png
| caption = North American cover art
| developer = Impressions Games
| publisher = Sierra On-Line
| director = Chris Beatrice
| producer = Eric Ouellette
| designer = David Lester
Chris Beatrice
Simon Bradbury
Eric Ouellette
| programmer = Simon Bradbury
| composer = Keith Zizza
| engine =
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|November 20, 1996{{Cite web |date=1997-02-27 |title=Online Gaming Review |url=http://www.ogr.com/news/news1196.html |access-date=2023-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970227065708/http://www.ogr.com/news/news1196.html |archive-date=1997-02-27 }}|EU|1996}}
| genre = Turn-based strategy
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| platforms = DOS, Windows, Macintosh
}}
Lords of the Realm II (also known as Lords 2) is a computer game published by Sierra On-Line and developed by Impressions Games. It was first released for the PC in 1996, and is the second game in the Lords of the Realm series.
The game takes place in a medieval setting, with rulers of several counties warring for the right to be king of the land. Players grow crops, accumulate resources, manufacture weapons, manage armies, build and lay siege to castles, capture provinces, and ultimately attempt to conquer their enemies.
Gameplay
Lords of the Realm II is very different from many medieval strategy games. There is no magic, and unlike many strategy games, it has no technology tree. Players need to carefully manage food (cows, dairy, grain), population, and happiness levels whilst avoiding Malthusian population meltdowns or other players invading their counties. The game is a combination of a turn-based resource management game, in which players grow crops, accumulate resources, manufacture weapons, manage armies, and build and lay siege to castles; and a real-time strategy game with players controlling units individually or in group formations in battles or during sieges.
Compared to the original, Lords of the Realm II features updated graphics and an improved management system.
Development
Impressions Games general manager David Lester commented during development, "We wanted the game to be more multiplayer friendly, and one way to do that was by adding realtime combat. Besides, when you can bring a castle down by aiming a battering ram or a catapult at it in realtime, it's a lot more satisfying."{{cite magazine|title=Lords of the Realm II |magazine=Next Generation|issue=18|publisher=Imagine Media|date=June 1996|page=86}}{{cite magazine|magazine=PC Review|title=Sovereign: Lords of the Realm 2 - In Progress|date=October 1996|pages=27-8|url=https://archive.org/details/pc-review-60/page/26}}
Reception
=Sales=
In the United States, Lords of the Realm II debuted in 16th place on PC Data's computer game sales rankings for December 1996.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970718224800/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,527,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,527,00.html | title=December's 30 best-sellers | author=GamerX | date=February 3, 1997 | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=July 18, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970331224133/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,661,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,661,00.html | title=January's 30 best-sellers | date=March 17, 1997 | author=GamerX | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=March 31, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} It rose to #9 in January, and it remained in the firm's top 20 for another two months,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970720063036/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,760,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,760,00.html | title=February's 30 best-sellers | author=GamerX | date=April 15, 1997 | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=July 20, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000306101157/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/01_pcdatamar/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_05/01_pcdatamar/index.html | title=PC Data Releases Monthly Numbers | work=GameSpot | author=Lee, Helen | date=May 1, 1997 | archive-date=March 6, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} before dropping out in April.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970717164459/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,900,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,900,00.html | title=April's 30 best-sellers | date=June 4, 1997 | author=GamerX | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=July 17, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} Returning to the top 20 in May and June,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970720040931/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,973,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,973,00.html | title=May's 30 best-sellers | author=GamerX | date=July 10, 1997 | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=July 20, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000517073736/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,1034,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,1034,00.html | title=June's 30 Best-Sellers | date=August 5, 1997 | author=GamerX | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=May 17, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} Lords of the Realm II became the 14th-best-selling computer game in the United States during 1997's first half.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000307163045/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_09/12_toptwenty/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_09/12_toptwenty/index.html | title=Game Sales on the Rise | date=September 12, 1997 | author=Staff | work=GameSpot | archive-date=March 7, 2000 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} It exited PC Data's monthly top 20 after a placement of 19th in July.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990223210755/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,1091,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,1091,00.html | title=July's 30 Best-Sellers | author=GamerX | date=August 29, 1997 | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=February 23, 1999 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }}{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990506013334/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-1149,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,0-1149,00.html | title=August's 30 Best-Sellers | date=September 24, 1997 | author=GamerX | work=CNET Gamecenter | archive-date=May 6, 1999 | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }} By November, global sales of Lords of the Realm II had surpassed 350,000 copies.{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980214045908/http://sierra.com/info/press/0066.html | url=http://sierra.com:80/info/press/0066.html | title=Impressions Announces: The Lords Royal Collection | date=November 3, 1997 | publisher=Sierra On-Line | archive-date=February 14, 1998 | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | url-status=dead | access-date=March 18, 2020 }}
Lords of the Realm II went on to be the 19th-biggest computer game seller of 1998, with 245,324 in sales and $2.99 million in revenues.{{cite journal| author=Staff| date=April 1999|volume=6|issue=4|title=The Numbers Game|journal=PC Gamer US|page=50}} Its total sales ultimately reached 2.5 million copies worldwide.{{Cite web|url=https://www.companiesmadesimple.com/project/blog/real-business-case-study-david-lester/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160604010733/https://www.companiesmadesimple.com/project/blog/real-business-case-study-david-lester/|archive-date = 2016-06-04|title = Real Business Case Study: David Lester|date = 6 February 2013}}
= Reviews=
{{Video game reviews
| GSpot = 7.6/10{{cite web |last=Soete |first=Tim |title=Lords of the Realm II Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/lords-of-the-realm-ii-review/1900-2535763/ |website=GameSpot |accessdate=16 August 2018 |date=January 7, 1997}}
| PCZone = 80%{{cite magazine|magazine=PC Zone|title=Lords of the Realm 2|last=Presley|first=Paul|date=February 1997|issue=47|pages=77|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_47_February_1997/page/n75}} / 75%{{cite magazine|magazine=PC Zone|title=Lords of the Realm 2|pages=118|issue=69|date=November 1998|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_069_1998-11_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n117}}
}}
According to review aggregator website Metacritic, Lords of the Realm II received "generally favorable" reviews.
Sequels
Lords of the Realm II: Siege Pack (released June 13, 1997){{cite web |url=http://sierra.com/info/press.html |title=News from Sierra |website=Press Release Information |publisher=Sierra On-Line |access-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980214123917/http://sierra.com/info/press.html |archive-date=1998-02-14 }}{{cite web|first=Helen|last=Lee|url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_06/10_lord/index.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990209055722/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_06/10_lord/index.html|title=Lords of the Realm II Enhanced|website=GameSpot|archivedate=February 9, 1999|date=June 10, 1997|accessdate=July 26, 2022}} is an expansion pack consisting of new combat scenarios and additional maps. It was followed by a spin-off, Lords of Magic, and a sequel, Lords of the Realm III.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.mobygames.com/game/lords-of-the-realm-ii Lords of the Realm II] at MobyGames
- [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/197801-lords-of-the-realm-ii Lords of the Realm II] at GameFAQs
{{Impressions Games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lords Of The Realm Ii}}
Category:Impressions Games games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Sierra Entertainment games
Category:Turn-based strategy video games
Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Category:Video games scored by Keith Zizza
Category:Video games set in castles
Category:Video games set in medieval England