Some context is necessary to begin. My first experience with this particular TBS form was with HoM&M II. The Chinese bootleg copy was understandably impossible to comprehend. Through the intuition a young child has, I somehow learned to play the game. It wasn’t until the third in the series that my eyes opened - it was apparent just what I had been playing all these years (a disk in a sleeveless black box meant I called HoM&M II ‘the Chinese game’). A love was born.
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| Ghost Rider |
Next was King’s Bounty, a high fantasy clone which recaptured the lost essence of Heroes of Might & Magic. The Ubisoft owned Heroes series had lost its powerful storytelling over the years, and King’s Bounty was a sponge waiting to soak up the fans. It was the exact same concept, but brought deeper role playing elements and a cleaner graphics engine.
And then we arrive at Disciples III: Resurrection, a European version without traction as a franchise outside of its home. If you’re without any pre-existing experience of the genre, it’s possible to find Disciples III an interesting series. However, anyone who’s qualified in the TBS genre will struggle to find much to warrant substantial play.
As already outlined, Disciples III treads an identical path. You begin with a single hero, a castle that can be upgraded and a world to explore. That’s it. Each campaign level is the same. Each hotseat multiplayer level is the same. Everything is the same.
This is by no means a bad thing. With narrative lightly sprinkled on top and quests driving you forward, there’s an appealing mix of RPG, TBS and storytelling, even if the source material and setting are as tired as the game type. Disciples doesn’t attempt to rewrite the storybooks – it knows what its target audience enjoys and attempts to present it to its best degree.
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| Critical [s]hit |
Except it doesn’t. Irritatingly, and this could just be our review copy, the game is riddled with technical issues. Over the course of the campaign, we had broken quests, crashing-to-desktop, looped animation that got stuck and required save reloads. There’s no explanation as to what’s gone wrong and bad quest signposting often leads you around in circles. You’re never sure whether you’re waiting to trigger a quest objective or the game’s got an issue.
Disciples III needs patience and that isn’t just limited to the technical. Disciples III, on anything but Easy, is hard. In fact, it’s brutal. The opening scenario in the Campaign will punish you – the AI opponents are highly skilled and the mobs you come across destroy your weak starter army. Easy is far more enjoyable if you’re starting out, but if you suddenly find yourself wanting a challenge, the shift to Normal is huge.
Obviously those familiar with the series will feel right at home and breeze through the opening levels at higher difficulties. In fact, there’s a lot of fan familiarity here. The plot, a twisting convoluted narrative that struggles to engage, will leave new players confused. The tutorial is merely a series of screens addressing various gameplay points, demonstrated by a short video. It’s hardly helpful.
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| Where the wolf at |
It is worth noting that just because a game’s unforgiving doesn’t mean it’s not fun. There’s certainly enjoyment to be had, and graphically they game’s fairly solid. The developers have crafted an intricate world that’s nice to look at. It’s not the most stunning of games, but it has a visual presentation that matches its narrative aims. It’s just a shame that technical issues impact upon the stability of the experience.
If you’re in a TBS lull and have the urge to play something new, Disciples III could fill the gap. You’ll have to be dedicated to the cause – not only is the amount of playtime huge, but the issues we had could strike yourself. Some will find its look and concept tired and defunct, but slow paced strategy titles are still big business. If anything, it’s good to have the choice of another franchise in English. It’s just a shame that the potential for something great has been squandered by a lack of sheen.
DISCIPLES III: RESURRECTION VERDICT
If you’re in a TBS lull and have the urge to play something new, Disciples III could fill the gap. You’ll have to be dedicated to the cause – not only is the amount of playtime huge, but the issues we had could strike yourself. Some will find its look and concept tired and defunct, but slow paced strategy titles are still big business. If anything, it’s good to have the choice of another franchise in English. It’s just a shame that the potential for something great has been squandered by a lack of sheen.
