Disciples II anyone can want. “>
You might say that I’m the perfect example of the target audience for turn-based strategy games. I’m a classic turtler, and love to take my time building up my kingdom and heroes, and am also a fantasy fiction fan. Slow, evenly paced gameplay is right up my alley. I’m also big on tradition and nostalgia, and don’t really want things to change very much in updated versions of favorite classics, like HOMM. I was really torqued when HOMMV was cancelled, as it’s one of my favorite series ever. So, it’s rather odd that I’ve never gotten around to playing the Disciples games, which are similar in gameplay to the HOMM series. Well, with Disciples II Gold, I can definitely become acquainted with this excellent series, as it includes not only Disciples II, but three expansion packs as well.
The story is your typical dark hordes versus the powers of good, which serves merely to give a backdrop for the battle over the scenario map. There are four races to choose from in Disciples II, the Empire, the Mountain Clans, the Legions of the Damned and the Undead Hordes, plus an additional Elves race in the last add-on. In addition to choosing a race, each with its own unique units, players will also choose a Lord type, of which there are three. These determine whether the army focus is on stealth, strength or magic.
The basic gameplay is a lot like HOMM, which was lucky, as this game has to have the worst tutorial system ever. The tutorial consisted of an advisor at the beginning of the scenario giving out a few sage comments, with absolutely no information on how to implement these commands. The menu buttons weren’t described at all, neither was there any information given on any aspect of strategy or general information. There is an online manual, but as it’s not accessible during the game, it’s not much help. Players new to Disciples will probably spend a lot of time going back and forth from the game to the manual in the beginning. That said, once the game is figured out, the menu design is actually elegant and easy to use.
The hero and units are upgraded by a combination of experience points during combat, and buying upgraded buildings in the capital city. It’s pretty cool watching your heroes morph into stronger warriors after a battle. Heroes can also be outfitted with various artifacts and objects, depending on whether they have the upgraded ability to utilize them or not. Combat is stationary and turn-based, which means that placement of troops in the line-up is important before battle. One odd feature that takes a little getting used to is that the hero can die without the stack getting defeated, as long as there’s at least one unit still alive. Heroes and units can be rejuvenated either with a potion in the field, or back at a city.
While there is treasure lying around to be discovered and picked up, it’s not very plentiful. And, everything is guarded by monsters, but as the heroes have to be upgraded by combat, it’s necessary to fight everything in sight, anyway. In fact, players may sometimes wish for more enemies, as some scenarios may require a castle with a powerful defender to be defeated, which is impossible until a hero is strong enough to do the job. The combination of a small map and few monsters may mean that players will spend some dead time waiting to battle enemy heroes that issue from time to time from opposing cities, as all other monsters on the map have been defeated.
The visual appearance of the game and the add-ons still looks pretty good three years after the first initial release of the main game. Everything is sharp and detailed, with actually a bit too much detail on the maps, as items can be hard to see in the background clutter. The fantasy theme is handled well, with the castles, units and backgrounds matching each other nicely in their respective features.
I’ve enjoyed playing this game tremendously the last several days, and can report that it’s indeed an addictive experience. The gameplay and visuals compare well to other turn-based games currently on the market. With the tremendous amount of campaigns included with all the add-ons, plus the low price of under $30, this game is a great buy for all strategy fans.
Gameplay: 8.5
Playing this game is a whole lot of fun, which is what it’s all about. Any fan of turn-based strategy games who doesn’t already own this series, or who may not have any of the add-ons, will enjoy this game. There are lots of things to do each turn, which keeps the game interesting, and plenty to explore. The only drawback is the small size of the maps.
Graphics: 8
The graphics have held up well over the years, and look pretty much the same as many of the newer games.
Sound: 7
The music isn’t very memorable, but is pleasant enough.
Difficulty: Medium
There are several difficulty levels, which mainly affect the amount of resources available and the AI of the computer opponents.
Concept: 7
While there’s nothing radically new here, there’s something to be said for keeping the good stuff. The gameplay and features, while a few years old, still compare well to current strategy games.
Multiplayer: 8
There is a hotseat and online multiplayer mode, which adds depth to an already large package.
Overall: 8.5
This game is a lot of fun to play, and is a good value to boot. While not quite as good as HOMM, it’s still a great strategy experience and will offer hours of gameplay.
