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King’s Bounty, a long-standing franchise dating back to the original 1990 release, established itself with engaging turn-based RPG gameplay and laid the foundation for the renowned Heroes of Might and Magic series. While Heroes of Might and Magic enjoyed immense success, King’s Bounty faded into obscurity until its revival by 1C Company. The 2008 release of King’s Bounty: The Legend marked a triumphant return, but subsequent iterations felt stagnant. Now, Katauri Games attempts to breathe new life into the series with King’s Bounty: Dark Side. Let’s delve into what this dark twist brings to the table.

King's Bounty: Dark Side gameplay

A Story with Depth

Unlike previous entries that often relied on generic “save the world” narratives, King’s Bounty: Dark Side takes a different approach. For the first time, players can experience three distinct storylines based on their chosen character class: the Orc warrior Bagyr, the Demoness princess Neoline (Knight class), and the Vampire prince Daert (Mage class). True to its name, the game offers a perspective from the darker side of the conflict.

While all three characters share the common ground of facing extinction at the hands of righteous factions, their motivations differ. Bagyr seeks to restore his people’s lost glory, Neoline fights for the survival of her besieged Demoness kin, and Daert strives to unite the dark races against the powerful Demon Hunters. Regardless of your choice, the game presents a challenging start, with enemies lurking around every corner. This narrative approach encourages players to engage with the dialogue and unravel the complex storyline, a welcome change from the often-skipped exposition of previous titles.

King's Bounty: Dark Side environment

Polished Visuals and Sound

While the King’s Bounty series has relied on the same graphical foundation since The Legend, King’s Bounty: Dark Side takes it a step further. Katauri Games leverages existing tools to craft a visually compelling dark world. The environmental changes are particularly striking. Lush green landscapes are replaced with grim battlefields littered with Orc corpses, fiery infernos of the Demon world, and eerie ghost-ridden realms. The atmosphere effectively conveys the unique perspectives of the traditionally “evil” factions.

King's Bounty: Dark Side units

The unit designs also receive a significant upgrade. New units like Cerberus, Vampire Lords, and Goblins exhibit more character and detail compared to older units. The soundtrack complements the visuals with a mix of heroic themes, mournful battlefield melodies, thrilling underworld tracks, and serene overworld tunes, enhancing the overall experience.

Lingering Flaws

Despite the improvements, King’s Bounty: Dark Side isn’t without its shortcomings. Fortunately, these issues don’t entirely detract from the game’s value. Many of these flaws are remnants from earlier King’s Bounty titles.

King's Bounty: Dark Side combat

The inadequate tutorial system remains a significant issue. With a plethora of units, skills, and mechanics, the game throws players into the fray with minimal guidance. Each faction introduces unique mechanics like Adrenaline (Orc), Necro Energy (Vampire), and Frenzy (Demoness), but players are left to discover their intricacies through trial and error.

King's Bounty: Dark Side difficulty

The difficulty spikes dramatically after the second chapter, posing a significant challenge even for seasoned turn-based strategy veterans. Achieving victory, let alone minimizing casualties, becomes a Herculean task. Finally, while the game offers three classes, they all share the same skill tree divided into Might, Leadership, and Magic, limiting character customization and build diversity.

Conclusion

King’s Bounty: Dark Side offers a refreshing take on the classic formula with its engaging narrative, improved visuals and audio, and unique faction mechanics. However, it’s held back by persistent flaws like the inadequate tutorial and steep difficulty curve. Despite these issues, the game provides a compelling experience for fans of the series and newcomers alike looking for a dark fantasy adventure.

System Requirements and Game Information

Developer: 1C-Softclub
Publisher: 1C Company
Genre: RPG
Release Date: August 14, 2013
Platform: PC

Minimum Requirements:

• OS: Windows XP SP3 | Vista | 7 | 8
• CPU: 2.6GHz or higher
• RAM: 1GB
• GPU: 128MB GeForce 6600
• HDD: 8GB

Tested System:

• OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
• CPU: Ryzen R7 1700 @ 3.7 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Gigabyte Rx 560 OC 2GB
• HDD: Samsung 950 Pro 256GB