Avaris 2: The Return of the Empress is a battlefield management simulation game that blends action and casual elements on PC. Players take the role of an empress reclaiming territory in a war against an evil warlord, commanding growing armies across successive battles while managing troop types and resources.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on leading troops in large-scale battles where the player directs the empress to guide formations. Troops follow the leader's position, allowing players to flank enemies or concentrate force at key points. As battles conclude successfully, the army expands, loot and gold are collected, and experience points enable leveling. Gold purchases weapons and magical rings that strengthen units over time.
Elite troops come in four configurable classes. Warriors serve as the standard fighters and can switch to other roles. Ninjas emphasize speed and ranged shuriken throws. Mages strike from afar with magic projectiles. Mummies deliver high damage and defense at the cost of reduced mobility. Allied soldiers from the neighboring Orsas Empire fight independently without direct control, contributing to victories but awarding fewer points than direct player kills.
Game Modes
Progression occurs through a sequence of battles that recover empire territory one engagement at a time. Each victory increases available fighters, scaling up to thousands of individual units visible simultaneously on the field. A score system evaluates battle outcomes, combat style, and additional achievements, feeding into leaderboards that compare results against other players.
The experience remains single-player focused, with no separate competitive or cooperative modes beyond the integrated ranking feature that tracks performance across the campaign.
Army Management and Progression
Resource management ties directly into battle performance. Wins provide gold for equipment upgrades and experience for character leveling, which in turn improves troop effectiveness. Players customize loadouts by assigning classes and purchasing enhancements, adapting the force to preferred tactics as the war advances.
The system rewards consistent success by steadily growing army size and power, creating a feedback loop where early victories enable stronger later engagements.
Is It Worth Playing?
The game suits players interested in straightforward army command and score chasing within a compact simulation framework. Its mixed reception stems from a small review sample, reflecting limited ongoing visibility since its 2015 release. Those seeking deep strategic layers or frequent content updates may find the scope modest, while fans of indie battlefield management titles with simple progression and leaderboard competition can appreciate its focused design and visual scale of massed units.
