At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Unknown	PC	Arxel Tribe	Strategy First	Variable, Internet/LAN	Here
Requirements					Buy from Amazon.co.uk
At the time of writing, we did not have a requirements section.					Click here to buy Disciples II: Dark Prophecy.

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy review

Addictive... Very addictive...

WARNING: This game may make large chunks of your valuable time dissapear! Well, it did for me at least - once you pick it up, it's hard to put down - you may find yourself "just one more turn"-ing yourself on for hours.

So, what's this game about then? To be honest, I'm not quite sure. It seems to be a cross between RPG and turn-based strategy. You play one race of your choice, who has a distinct Capital City, land type and units. To build various parties you need to hire a leader and some men ("men" is a loose term here - substitute race/sex/creature of your choice here). Each leader has different abilities and leadership abilities (how many people they can command). To collect resources needed to research/cast spells and buy things you must send out a leader with rod-planting ablilites to plant a rod near some resources, placing it under your control. As your units win more battles they get more XP; a la every RPG on the face of the planet. It's probably all explained in the manual - and if not, you'll get it.

The battle scenes are where the action really gets going - albeit in a leasurely, turn-based style. It's You v. Them - who's stronger? You'll soon find out. The magical attacks provide the most stunning effects

If you get bored of the in-game music, there is an MP3 player built-in - unfortunately in my experience it is buggy - still, if you care that much you can just stick on Winamp (or equivalent). The music can get tedious and repetitive after a while, though, so it is a welcome addition.

Disciples II: Dark Prophecy is locked into 800x600, so naturally the graphics aren't as sharp as they could be - a resolution option would be highly appreciated. Of course, it is a strategy-cum-RPG game, so don't expect Unreal Tournament 2003 or Doom III graphics quality.

If you get bored just playing towards no particular goal, there is a group of scenarios (quests) which allow you to work towards a particular goal - there is also a tutorial quest which helps you learn the basics of the game.

Ratings

Graphics	High-quality, but limited to 800x600.	6/10
Gameplay	Extremely addictive - stay away if you value your time!	7/10
Value	At the time of writing, we did not have a value for money ranking.	0/10
Lifespan	As long as you don't get bored, custom and built-in sagas and quests will keep you going.	7/10
Audio	Slightly dull, repetitive music. Sound effects can be annoying the 50th time you hear them.	6/10
Overall	Addictive, but can get boring after a while. The 800x600 res is also tedious.	7/10

Click here to buy Disciples II: Dark Prophecy from Amazon.co.uk.

Copyright Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, except where otherwise noted.

Some screen captures on the site were made with HyperSnap-DX by Hyperionics.

Smileys taken from Crack's Smilies.