King's Bounty: The Legend demo is out

[Zhuangzi]

First I've heard about this, but King's Bounty: The Legend is due to be released as early as 23rd September in the US. A playable demo has been released (700mb) which you can get from Gamershell:

http://www.gamershell.com/news_59956.html

Which the graphics sure do look cartoony and garish, it's important to remember that the developer of this game is none other than Katauri Interactive, makers of Space Rangers 2. If that doesn't excite RPG/Strategy fans, then it should.

Has anyone played the demo yet? Apparently this game consistently scored over 90% in Russia, according to their website anyway:

http://kings-bounty.com/eng/

It seems that European gamers will have to wait for 1C Publishing to get their act together and release the game (these are the chumps who have been holding gamers up re: Space Rangers 2: Reboot for several months). Their website says the game will be out in Europe Q4 2008. :evil:

 

[RK47]

I gave it a try. It looked...very clean. Not a bad game with some effort at writing. I won't prioritize purchasing it so early, but the sound track is great.

 

[Zhuangzi]

OK, in actual fact the game will be on Gamersgate as of Sep 23! I can recommend GG - I've used it for buying several games, including Space Rangers 2.

I tried the demo and it does look very polished. The colours are REALLY bright and cartoony, but I'm willing to look past that if there's a solid game underneath. :wink: I read an interview with the devs and they said the game was 'like Fallout.' Some big shoes to fill there!

Basically, there is a real time component that plays like a RPG (fairly lightweight, it would appear) and the battles play out in turn based fashion, very similar to HoMM V. I disliked the demo of HoMM V, found it tedious and boring, so I never played the full game, but King's Bounty looks like it might be better.

I am hoping it will be a worthy successor to Disciples 2.

 

[made]

Did this game go by a different name while in development? I remember reading about a King's Bounty clone/remake with that art style, also from a russian developer, a while back. Same game or is there another one in the works?

 

[Trash]

Heard good things about the game from some ruskies here on the forum. Will wait to see wether the translation isn't the usual atrocity.

 

[Kraszu]

Did this game go by a different name while in development? I remember reading about a King's Bounty clone/remake with that art style, also from a russian developer, a while back. Same game or is there another one in the works?

Yes it was called Battle Lord before.

 

[Gragt]

I have to say it's been a while since I spent so much time on a demo. The graphics are cartoony and some may not like it but they are well-done with nice colours and animations and, important point, do not ask for last generation hardware. They seemed to go the Blizzard route: do not be very technical but use the art to give personnality to the visuals. Musics are also very fitting and while they often repeat do not get very tiring. Then again it's only a demo and maybe after playing for 3 months I'll be tired of hearing it.

The cartoony look, I guess, is probably there to enhance the parody feel you get from the dialogs. You can tell the game is set in a generic high-fantasy setting but does not take itself very seriously, a bit like Divine Divinity. Unfortunately the translation, while honest compared to others, isn't great and has a fair bit of Engrish though you can understand what is being said. I read somewhere else on the Codex that the game was made to be very moddable and so someone may easily make a mod to correct the script though.

So in short I'm very positive about this game. The demo is long and made me want more of it and that really hasn't happened in a long time. I'll pick it up as soon as I can and if there is no distribution problem I'll remove it legally from an inventory.

 

[Heresiarch]

Just messing a few minutes with the game had already made me really really really want to buy the game ASAP. The colourful graphics is surprisingly comfortable and pleasing to look at and the music is very beautiful. The moment I see the HOMM style hex board combat and all those greatly detailed animations I knew this game is a must buy (although I've already looked forward to this game awhile ago).

 

[Hamster]

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=3872

USA version will not use Starforce protection.

Europen version also won't use Starforce.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Hell, after the release of patch 1.6 even Russian version doesn't use Starforce.

 

[Balor]

Hell, after the release of patch 1.6 even Russian version doesn't use Starforce.

1.6 patch removed copyprotection altogether. Respect++

 

[Zhuangzi]

I've just finished my playthrough of the demo and I am seriously impressed.

Firstly, the graphics are awesome. I'm not a graphics junkie but it doesn't hurt. Really colourful (you get used to it), fully rotatable 3D environment.

Basically, the real time component looks a LOT like the worldmap on Disciples 2, with a similar philosophy in that you build up your powers by attacking small enemies and picking up smaller treasures etc. In some ways this reminded me of the 'RPG lite' aspects of Warcraft 3, with one very big difference:

TURN BASED COMBAT!

For all of us who thought Diablo 2's hack and slash got boring quickly (I never replayed it at all), this is a godsend. Really, this can be seen as a spiritual successor to Disciples 2, except that there's no 'base construction' (at least not in the demo).

The demo lets you play for about 5 or so hours, and you can repeat the game with another class if you like (there are 3, basically warrior, paladin and mage).

This doesn't appear to be a 'deep' RPG, but it's not trying to be. What this game has is it looks wonderful and the gameplay is fun.

If you didn't mind the 'scaled back' strategy of Disciples 2, and are looking for something similar, then I think King's Bounty: The Legend is a winner! Can't wait for the full version, which will be available on Gamersgate on the 23rd. :D

 

[Heresiarch]

Actually the turn based combat is a true spiritual successor to Heroes of M&M. It is almost EXACTLY the same as HOMM3. Hex board? Check. Hero hiding behind casting strategic spells? Check. Hit-then-retaliate? Check.

Heck, you can find tons of exact resemblances of HOMM like, griffons can make unlimited retaliations, cavarlies can charge attack, sprites attack without fear of retaliations, archmages can buff your troops, and even archers who attack enemies very far away will get the "broken arrow" icon indicating less damage. Almost all the shortcuts of HOMM3 can be used here with the exactly same usage. I got many a time the illusion that I'm actually playing HOMM. Though it seems perfectly normal since the original HOMM is heavily based on the original King's Bounty.

But the combat system is greatly improved, instead of bastardized like what HOMM4 did. The game will calculate for you how much damage your troops and spells will do, there is a very cool very useful "Spirits of Rage" system which you can summon powerful spirit pets to cast spells to attack, and there are many fun random stuff in the battlefield like chests to open and statues which can randomly heal or attack people.

 

[inwoker]

wow, with copyprotection removed I will buy it now.

 

[Texas Red]

Can GF 6600 run this game without retardation inducing lag?

 

[Gragt]

I use an x800xl and the game is smooth with all settings to max except anisotropy at 2x and AA deactivated. So I guess a 6600 should have similar performances.

 

[Black]

Can GF 6600 run this game without retardation inducing lag?

yes

 

[made]

Hmz... no auto-resolve option for battles? It might get tedious after a while having to sit through the same mundane battle for the nth time.

 

[MetalCraze]

Hell, after the release of patch 1.6 even Russian version doesn't use Starforce.

1.6 patch removed copyprotection altogether. Respect++

More like "holy shit europeans won't buy our game with shitforce(tm) so we will have to remove it - and oh shit - let's remove it from russian version as well so russkies won't be butthurt about that and will remove our game from the inventory"
Respect - -

 

[Trash]

You still a whiny bitch Skyway?

 

[pkt-zer0]

US/Europe version will ship with SecuROM, though that might get removed later on.

 

[MetalCraze]

You still a whiny bitch Skyway?

I have an image to keep.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

Damn. That demo is addicting. I just wanted to play a hour or so and ended up with three, i think. This strangely happens more often when the game is turnbased, with Civilization i have the same problem to stop playing it. The graphics/art could be made by Blizzard, they got the Diablo 3 candles in dark areas. The mouse cursor and the GUI look like from Warcraft 3 when you play as human. The game plays like Heroes Might and Magic 3, except that you have to move the camera around. The fantasy music gets a bit annoying after the first hour, so i tuned the volume down. You can have some dialogues with NPC`s and i don`t know if this always happens, but one character made some witty comment about my shield, which was a wooden cartwheel, hehe. It also features small C&C, help somebody and he`ll lower the price for something quest-important, but don`t except too much. I picked up the Mage character, they only real negative point for me: You can only cast one spell per round, so whats logical? You`ll always cast your best spell. It would be better if there was a mana limit, say you can cast spells as many you like in one turn as long they don`t exceed 10 mana points etc.

In short: If you liked Might & Magic, this game could be for you. I`ll have to pass though, it consumes too much of my time.

Oh and somehow i am allowed to play the demo untill 2010 or something. Don`t ask.

 

[Gragt]

This strangely happens more often when the game is turnbased, with Civilization i have the same problem to stop playing it.

Yet the idea is that turn-based games are good because you can stop playing them anytime to go eat or sleep.

Those who think that usualy play real-time games.

 

[MetalCraze]

I wonder how many of you old-time faggots will recognize an easter egg in the default warrior's name