Official Website for Etherlords II is open for business!

Quebec, Montreal. October 22, 2002 – The official Etherlords II website is open and ready for viewing. Strategy First and Nival Interactive announced in early June that they will be bringing Etherlords II to the North American market and now you can learn all about the sequel at; http://www.etherlords.com

“In an unprecedented meeting today between the elders of the four races that inhabit the Etherworld, it was announced that a new website would be placed on the Internet here on Earth in order to provide ordinary humans more information about key people and places there.  Commenting on the site, Octavius, a leading member of the Learned Council from the Kinets race said, “We wanted to dispel some of the myths about Etherlords II and of course encourage our tourism industry”.  – Quote from the website

Etherlords II is the sequel to the innovative turn-based strategy game originally released in November 2001.  Similar to Etherlords I, which was highly praised for its tactical depth and stunning graphics, Etherlords II promises to be even more spectacular, changing the emphasis of the game from simple exploration and resource gathering to a more enriching story-driven adventure.

Players control one of four races in a lavish 3D fantasy world, in which they will explore, and conquer territory, solve puzzles, and seek out enemies.  Combat takes place in wonderfully detailed and expansive arenas and is based upon fantasy collectable card games in which the player must make tactical decisions on the types and combinations of spells and creatures to cast against their foes. 

The sequel is based upon a new and enhanced narrative that lends itself to exploration and adventure.  4 new campaigns will offer 16 new creatures and over 30 new spells, including spells and creatures that can be wielded by all of the races.  A simplified interface and a thorough tutorial system enhances gameplay as well as new abilities, such as sailing, tunneling, teleporting, and an artifact editor for creating customized spells.  As Heroes develop their skills they will change in appearance, giving the game more of a role-playing aspect.

In addition, players will find a map editor that allows anyone to create their own maps and combine them into entire campaigns.  Added modes for one-on-one and team-based multiplayer duels on a new game server featuring auto-rating and recording will make on-line tournaments more captivating than ever before.

Strategy First is set to publish Etherlords II in Q2 2003 and Infogrames will exclusively distribute it.

About Nival Interactive

 Nival Interactive started developing games in 1996 and since then has become the leading Russian game developer through constant innovation and attention to detail.  Nival firmly established its presence in the international gaming industry with titles that include original role-playing/strategy games like the Rage of Mages series and Evil Islands, as well as the 3D turn-based strategy Etherlords. Other titles currently in development include Blitzkrieg, a World War II RTS, and Silent Storm, a 3D turn-based tactics/RPG title. For more information about Nival Interactive and our games visit www.nival.com

About Strategy First

Strategy First Inc. is a leading developer and worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC.  Founded in 1990, the company has grown rapidly, publishing major games in the industry and simultaneously developing its own in-house titles such as O.R.B., Disciples II, Nexagon: The Pit and Zero-G Marines.  After winning numerous awards for games such as Disciples: Sacred Lands, Europa Universalis, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns and Steel Beasts, Strategy First continues to push the gaming envelope with its own groundbreaking titles, while maintaining its reputation as a unique alternative for independent developers seeking to market their games to a worldwide audience