Disciples 2. Gold Edition

2002 WAS a vintage year for fantasy strategy games. Heroes Of Might & Magic made a return, as did Warlords and its usurper Age Of Shadows. Lesser known was the sequel to Disciples, a turn-based strategy affair notable for its more console-inspired strategies and storylines. Taking the standard Tolkien-inspired setting, it sprinkled on it - although not altogether successfully - some Final Fantasy magic. The result was a story-driven game that whilst lacking in meaty depth, at least managed to provide a goodly amount of role-playing.

The themes were continued and the game updated through three expansion packs, none of which made it to these shores (hence this timely Gold Edition). The first expansion explored the dark side with a story centring on demons and the undead; the next featured the dwarven Mountain Clans and the Empire, whilst 2003's add-on enlisted the help of elves. Of course, each offering featured much the same style of gameplay, but at least the switch in perspective and focus kept things from getting too stale.

With hundreds of hours of gameplay, this certainly is a time-consuming anthology to work through. And considering its price and the fact that fantasy games are rather thin on the ground, this collection offers obscene value for money. The downside is that graphically the game is looking more than a little dated. However, if you're a fan of the 'Gold Box' RPGs of old and don't mind it looking a little rough, this should keep you going until part three in the series surfaces later in the year.