SK2 lets you control one of twelve human kingdoms in a campaign to eliminate the threat of the evil Fryhtans. You can also choose to lead one of the seven Fryhtan races in their quest to destroy the human race. Your job is to successfully complete each mission until the different Fryhtan races (or humans) have been eliminated. Every campaign is randomly generated, making the game infinitely replayable. Each kingdom has unique units and also features a different Greater Being, which can be called upon for assistance during the game. However, unlike other titles such as Age of Empires and its sequel, the different kingdoms in SK2 don't have special strengths and weaknesses that make them truly different from one another. You gain power by controlling villages and the people who live there. The key to growing your kingdom is attracting villagers to your settlements, which can be done most effectively by growing your economy.

SK2 places a much stronger emphasis on the economics of an empire than other games of its ilk. This should come as no surprise for anyone who is familiar with Capitalism Plus, Trevor Chan's earlier business sim masterpiece. Collecting raw materials, turning them into products, and then selling or trading them is your main means to building a strong economy. Structures you can build include inns to recruit villagers with specialized skills like spying or manufacturing, or a Tower of Science to conduct research. Trade is achieved by creating markets that are linked either to your villages or other villages. Espionage, one of the more intriguing aspects of SK, has been enhanced even further in SK2. You can use spies to create conflicts between two other empires. Even more appealing is the ability to steal technological advancements, although technology is not one of the crucial factors of success. To differentiate between the twelve human kingdoms, each has at least one special unit to use in combat, and you can also obtain heroes to help your cause. In keeping with the growing trend in recent RTS titles to include RPG elements, SK2 allows you to take some units, with their abilities and experience intact, with you from one mission to the next. This, however, does not make later missions easier, because the computer opponents will also have stronger units to prepare for your veterans.

Playing as a Fryhtan is a nice twist, and entails different objectives (such as killing civilians). Your success depends on bringing towns under your control, whereby they pay you a fee to stay alive. The Fryhtan campaigns are easier than human ones, simply because there aren't as many options to consider (e.g. espionage and diplomacy). The different types of Fryhtans are interesting and range from the Kharshuf, who can plant big, man-eating plants that reproduce, to the Kerassos, who control animals that do the fighting for them.

Numerous other features in SK1 have been enhanced for this sequel. The graphics are better and the AI much stronger than before. Computer players succeed in the balancing act, splitting their time between enhancing their existing villages, making inroads into conquest, setting up trade, spying and so forth. If you are not careful, you will find it's game over before long. There are also more multiplayer options, although the stand-alone missions and campaigns are involving enough to last you at least a few dozen hours. Newcomers can learn the ropes relatively quickly, thanks to excellent tutorial missions and a clear, concise manual.

Overall, I find SK2 to be one of the best real-time strategy games ever made. If you like Warcraft and Ages of Empire but wish that these games were deeper and had stronger AI, SK2 more than fits the bill. The depth of play and different ways to win will keep strategy fans entertained for hours, if not days. A true classic in every respect.