Not very popular in the U.S. but totally worth while for someone who wants a hybrid RTS/RPG game.
Gameplay - Besides blending RTS and RPG very well, its very simple to use the menu and manage characters and units alike. You will get the rare lost or runaway unit. But the RTS controls are great. You basically have these tabs that you can set for groups of units you select. Once tabbed, they are your instant select. You can mix up units per solider/animal/catapalt, you name it. Or stick your more powerful party members with certain units. Its very easy to use and a great system. The RPG leveling is fairly basic with a ton of items. You'll often fins yourself with too much loot and not sure which item to use. Doing all the sidequests, the campaign is pretty long. None of it is boring. Take your time and you'll get over 45 hours out of it. Its so long the time could vary by 10 hours or more depending on the players style. Graphics - This is not terribly important in this type of game but on release they were nothing great. Not bad either. The character models are pretty well done. Sound -- The voice acting for the english release varies from pretty solid to pretty dull. The score is pretty good and the the sound effects are pretty dull in most spellcasting and unit fighting. Replay - Online and Skirmish modes offer some extended play. There is also a toolset available for user created maps. The RTS system in this game is not outstanding and works better in the single player aspect when there is a clear goal. You also get to use a hero to lead your troops like you do in the campaign. Its RTS elements are not good enough on their own though. If you are into RPS or RTS you might want to give this one a shot. Or better yet, if you are skeptical one of those genres and love the other, this may teach you to appreciate both.