Disciples II: Dark Prophecy

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a game by Strategy First
Platform: PC
Editor Rating: 8/10, based on 1 review, 2 reviews are shown
User Rating: 10.0/10 - 3 votes
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See also: RPGs
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy
Disciples II: Dark Prophecy

NO matter how much you may hope for a new game in your genre of choice that breaks all boundaries or even treads slightly new territory, you know as well as I do that it’s never going to happen. Etheriords may well have raised the benchmark for combat graphics in turn-based strategy games, but the gameplay is still all too familiar. Disciples II, for its part, is as close to Heroes Of Might & Magic III as it can possibly get without the developers being sued. Take the territory map for example - it’s almost identical to HOM&M III. That doesn’t make Disciples II a bad game, it just makes it one you’ve played before, albeit with minor gameplay tweaks and nuances (presumably to prevent court action).

Same Again

The familiar premise for gameplay is simplicity itself. Explore the map looking for gold mines and mana spots, fighting battles to gain experience for your heroes and also for the units in your party (in this respect Dll differs from HOM&M III in that individual units gain levels and even new classes as they progress). There are spells to be researched and used both in the world map and in the battle screen, there are structures to be built, which you can upgrade your units with over time, and there are mundane quests to waste your time with, which give you unique items and advantages. Generally speaking, just about all the 'vital’ ingredients for a respectable turn-based RPG are present and correct in Disciples II.

The X Factor

You may well be thinking Disciples II is just another average RPG to add to the many already in existence. Well technically, it is, but in practice it has that inexplicable ability to keep pulling you back for more. The gameplay elements may well be tried and tested and nothing new, but they blend together in such a way as to make for an addictive and engrossing gameplay experience, much in the same way the Heroes series does. The only thing that stops Dll getting an unreserved recommendation is its woeful presentation. The graphics, as you can see from the screenshots on this page, are tripe. If you like tasty visuals with your addictive gameplay, ditch this and go for Etheriords. If you don’t care either way, you could do a lot worse than Disciples II to get your turn-based RPG fix.

Download Disciples II: Dark Prophecy

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

Overview

"The gates of hell have been sealed, and the four races have staggered, bloody, but victorious, to their respective homes. They are greeted by ruins, for the war has savaged the land." -The History of Nevendaar

Apocalyptic fantasy stories don't seem farfetched in today's world where we fight a global war using magic-like, high-tech weapons against an unseen, evil enemy. Attributes of valor, loyalty, and cleverness in battle seem more important than they used to. Heroes are no longer fictional characters, but real policemen, firefighters, soldiers, and airline passengers who can be observed in everyday life. With plenty of heroes, villains, and everything in between, Disciples II: Dark Prophecy is the sequel to Disciples: Sacred Lands, released in 1999.The game falls into the turn-based strategy genre with some discernible role playing elements. It has been frequently compared to New World Computing's Heroes of Might and Magic series. If you're new to this type of game like me'normally my reviews involve fragging, flying, or racing'understand that turn-based means that you don't have a lot of pressure to do things quickly as in real time strategy games like Homeworld or Command and Conquer. There are enough formidible foes in this game, so not having to fight the clock is nice. Simply take your time, figure out the best move, and click "end turn" when done. It helps me to think of turn-based strategy as a chess game where you observe the pieces actually fight each other.

These are dark times for Nevendaar. All four of its distinct races, the Empire, the Mountain Clans, the Legions of the Dead, and the Undead Hordes, have their own unique woes. A generation ago, the Empire celebrated its Golden Age, but now, this epoch is so removed that it has been relegated to fantasy. Victory has long passed from the Empire. They have been only surviving, existing in a climate of fear. They long for the ancient peace they once possessed. Then, a dark prophecy from the Elders is whispered, "The accursed angel, riding his fiery steed, will curse the land, and the poisoned soil shall harvest beasts and demons."

You don't have to be Notstradamus to know that trouble is brewing for an already troubled land. Ten years after the prophecy, the state of the Empire has sunken into strife, plague, famine. To make matters worse, the king lost his consort and only son during the Great Wars, a time which marked the breaking apart of the Empire itself. He now hosts himself only to the Empire's greatest pity party, sitting as a recluse atop the highest tower of his castle.

The Mountain Clans have become radically separatist, even by Dwarven standards. After being told of an ominous dream by Memnor, the oldest and wisest of the Dwarves, and that their salvation depended on interpreting the ancient runes, they sent an expedition to research the runes. Upon their return, they discovered, to their horror, that the goddess Mortis had marched upon the Dwarven Mountain Clans, unleashing destruction of their land and killing their king. Under those circumstances, it's hard to blame them for retreating to an underground city.

The Legions of the Damned belong to a once beautiful angel named Bethrezen, a Lucifer-like figure who was allowed to create Nevendaar, but ended up mismanaging it. For his punishment, he was locked up by the High Father and the Legions of the Damned were imprisoned in their mountain temple. However, the Legions have broken out and are about to free their fallen angelic leader.

To understand the Undead Hordes, you have to know something of the tragic tale of the life of the goddess, Mortis. Formerly, a goddess of life, she was transformed into a vengeful killer after Wotan, the god of the Mountain Clans transformed himself into a wolf and literally tore the heart out of Mortis' beloved husband, Gallean. The hideous army she raised to carry out her wrath upon the Mountain Clans carries the name, the Undead Hordes. She and her horrific legions only backed off after wreaking massive destruction upon the the Mountain Clans.

Gameplay, Controls, Interface

The Quest and Saga are the two forms of gameplay. The Quest is a standalone adventure; the Saga comprises a series of linked Quests. Before beginning your world conquest, you select a race that suits you. I chose to start out as the Empire race because I can relate to humans and jumped at the opportunity to destroy evil forces. Next you select from one of three Lords: Warrior, Mage, or Guildmaster. Choose a Lord with strengths that match your long term strategy: combat (Warrior), spell casting (Mage), or thievery (Guildmaster). Regardless of which race or lord you choose, you'll encounter a diverse multitude of enemies as you complete your objectives. You're liable to cross paths with White Wizards, Druidesses, Gargoyles, Dreadwyrms or others of the thirty or so units that comprise each race. As you expand your territory, your race builds structures, manages resources, and researches spells. You can also ally with another race against enemies. Hint: watch your back.

Graphics

Most of the graphical energy goes toward each character's unique animations during battle. You will see characters move and fight with detailed action against a 2D background using their magic spells or fire or physical weapons. Although impressive, seeing the same guy perform the same animation sequence each time begins to wear. I am resisting the temptation to judge a turn-based game by the same graphical standard as the action games. The interface maintains the haunting medieval mood quite consistently. Subtle moving water and fadeouts catch the eye. The unsexy gray look reminds me of the old TV series, Dark Shadows, which used to strike mortal fear in my spine as a small child. Truly, this is a dark game in every sense. You may even find yourself upping the brightness on your monitor. But don't think of adjusting your resolution higher than 800 X 600 because that's the limit.I didn't notice any graphical anomalies and this resolution seemed acceptable for the most part, especially given that the title has been in development since 1999.

Audio

The sound effects are of the usual sort and ring a bit average to me. The music is a different story. It's not often that I have the thought of "wonder where I can get that mp3 file?" when I hear game interface music. My musical taste is very discriminating, but the gothic music with bells and wailing female choruses and strings won my approval. The production is of the highest quality I've heard. Here's a thought: Dead Can Dance soundtrack for Disciples III?

Multiplayer

You can play Disciples II: Dark Prophecy over a LAN, the Internet or connect to another modem. Being turn-based, the game fittingly has a mode for playing someone right there in the room with you: the Hotseat mode. This mode can be particularly useful for challenging that stubborn friend or relative that everyone has who refuses to play online and insists on dwelling exclusively on single player games.

Bottom Line

Not being a fan of turn-based stategy or role playing games, my positives concerning Disciples II: Dark Prophecy are more of appreciation than enjoyment. However, this game gave me a new respect for turn-based strategy. Turn-based does not equal boring, as I had thought. Clearly, a lot of hard work went into this game to balance the units for challenging gameplay. One thing that bugged me throughout the game was that the story and characters seemed to have been drawn from every source imaginable and thrown into the melting pot and stirred. Anything goes: elements from Tolkien, Norse mythology, Judeo Christian theology and even Himalayan folklore appear in the mix. If you're trying to teach your kids about religion or science or diplomacy, they are probably going to be very confused after giving this game a whirl. Other occultic elements like spirit possession, will be too much for some to handle.Those who already enjoy turn-based strategy or who are enchanted with today's fantasy genre will likely be captivated by Disciples II: Dark Prophecy. For others, it may require being under a spell.

Snapshots and Media

PC Screenshots