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Req.: P2 233, 32MB RAM, 8MB Graphics card, 200+ MB hd Reviewed On: P3 800, 256MB, TNT2 32MB, SB, Win ME | |||
Intro It has been a decade since the First Great War and it is time for each race -- the Empire, Legions of the Damned, Mountain Clans, and the Undead Hordes -- to wage war once again. With rumors of the Chosen One spreading across the lands, each race is bracing themselves for the final conflict to leave theirs as the last one standing. Gameplay: 7.5/10 Rock solid. While the intricacies of Heroes of Might and Magic escape me, I do know from previous rounds with the aforementioned title that these two titles are both very similar in approach. The difference that I noted is that cities aren’t as prominent a feature here. With that said, there will be no further comparison of the two, only simple similarities in style; just note that Disciples II: Dark Prophecy will be easier to get into if you have had experience with its predecessor and with 3D0’s hot property. If you haven’t had much experience with this style of game, or even turn-based games in general, it’s ok, because neither did I. What is odd, and might confuse some players, is that the tutorial isn’t immediately accessible from the initial menu of options; instead, it is within the New Quest section, which certainly isn’t the first place a beginner would look. Speaking from experience, this wasn’t much of a problem as I had initially skipped the tutorial by accident and did fine by learning the ropes as I went along. Even though it isn’t the most confusing of games, it would still have been nothing but beneficial to have had the option readily available and a bit more beefed up with beginner strategies of some sort. However, if you’re left feeling uneasy about going through the game without much practice, you’re in luck, as there are both Quest and Saga modes. The Quest mode is a more involved Skirmish mode that has a small back-story to the struggle, while the Saga mode is a full-fledged campaign section for each of the races. To help brush up on multiplayer matches, there’s a Hotseat mode that is the equivalent of a Quest, sans the mini story. While having both a Hotsteat and Quest mode might seem like overkill, it’s nice to be offered that kind of variety. One annoyance was that the multiplayer section failed to mention the GameSpy option that allows gamers to play over the internet as opposed to direct modem and LAN games. Starting out, a choice must be made out of the four available races: The Empire, Legions of the Damned, Undead Hordes, and the Mountain clans, with each featuring the same style of units – ranged, melee, magical, thieves, etc. What really makes a difference between them is that before the game begins, the player can choose what type of lord they wish to play as. The warrior lord has their units heal during play and not just in cities, mage lords have access to stronger spells with a mage tower already built and the ability to cast two spells in one day, and the guildmaster can make thieves immediately and they will be stronger and have more abilities. Each path can lead to a different gaming experience. The player who chooses to be a warrior lord can go headlong into battle for long campaigns and keep their units in the field, holding resources and keeping stronger enemies away from weaker towns; a guildmaster can wreak havoc by gaining information sooner and taking down the energy of all troops within town walls before their armies even reach the gates, and a mage lord can soften up any enemy prior to combat with some devastating spells. Each has their advantages and disadvantages which really help to keep the game varied, as it is played through with all the races. The game is played out showing Heroes, towns, resources,
enemies, and various roaming creatures. Each hero can move a certain range, while
scouts are able to travel further. Resources are found in the form of gold mines,
as well as mana, which comes in death, life, runestone and infernal flavors. These
resources will belong to your kingdom whenever your influence has spread to it;
this is accomplished slowly over time, so to see that it doesn’t take hours
for your influence to spread across the land, special heroes can be bought that
can place rods near the resources. A rod will put that resource under that kingdom’s
possession, but other rod-wielders from the other kingdoms also have the ability
to shatter that rod, making its riches go back to whomever’s land it is on.
Creating an army that is balanced with the power to gain and protect resources,
while having the speed needed to get to them before the enemy, all while being
able to sneak spies into an enemy’s army is crucial. It is this delicate
balance that really makes the game a good deal of fun, and due to the turn-based
style, a long and thought-out plan can come together to crush an enemy as quickly
as they turn on you. Whether it’s taking down a corrupt lord or using skeleton warriors to cleanse the world of axe-swinging dwarves, Disciples II: Dark Prophecy really manages to add in a good deal of variety. All of this praise does not mean the game is perfect though. I encountered a bug that would crash my game to the desktop whenever I moved a certain hero or a unit around a certain area of the screen – I would like to thank autosaves for keeping me from pulling my hair out – and I was forced to use a cheat to skip past that level. I didn’t encounter that problem again, but believe me, once was enough. That, combined without any easy way to fight opponents over GameSpy (or any other service) really took some polish off of the game’s appeal. Still, this is one of those rare titles that will stay on my hard drive for years to come, and if it hadn’t been for the game-crashing bug, it would have garnered a higher score.
Graphics: 8/10
The maps are decorated rather nicely, with lovely snow-topped
mountains, lovely lakes and ruins littered throughout all the levels. While these
same scenes do show some of the game’s age by not taking maximum advantage
of the range of terrain features and general detail, they do hold their ground.
What looks especially nice are the spells; whether it’s an angel slamming
down a staff during a Wrath of God attack or the cold swirls of a Blizzard attack,
it’s all done extremely well, and all of them manage to look fantastic. What
really tops off the game are the cutscenes that present slightly animated paintings,
which tends to add an eerie feel and helps to focus attention on the scrolling
and spoken story. All in all, a fantastic job is done with the character design
and overall presentation. Sound:
8/10 Along
with orchestra-backed chants are various environmental and spell sounds. Crickets
will chirp while the winds howl as a Blizzard is called to demolish the enemy,
all while a very well-done soundtrack plays in the background. Another high point
was that the heroes had very distinct voices and featured sayings relevant to
their kingdoms. However, while the narratives were clean, the voices of the heroes
did suffer from a fuzzy sound that made it difficult to hear what they were saying.
Along with the graphical representations of the game, the sound managed to really
elevate the experience and create a great atmosphere. Purchasing spells, units, and setting up troop layouts are all a click or two away from each other. During combat an army can pause, retreat or defend to take less damage, or set the fighting to auto-combat with onscreen icons. Items and artifacts such as orbs or other objects found in ruins can easily be used as well. Attacking enemy units can be done by either clicking on the unit or their portrait, both of which do the job as well as can be expected. Playing throughout the map itself is a fairly easy task with one minor exception. If there is a hero next to another unit, it can be a bit tricky when trying to select him. Now, it’s possible to press the ‘Next Hero’ button until they are selected, but in the later missions when numerous heroes are spread throughout the map, it isn’t the most time-efficient approach. Also, when a hero is behind a building, they and the clickable circle underneath them is hidden, forcing you to do a click-by-click scan of the region that they are believed to be in. Aside from selection difficulties, which
are minor occurrences considering how long a mission can take, the rest of the
game provides an easy, simple experience. Combat is straightforward with melee
units up front and ranged in back; however, there is no party switching allowed
during combat. Special items are represented by a simple icon near the hero’s
portrait, and all the information needed about a unit is a simple click away.
While the majority of the controls are handled well, there could have been further
streamlining and tweaks. Overall:
7/10 [ top ] |
