King’s Bounty II Released, Reviews

Those of you looking for some tactical turn-based battles in a fantasy setting, should be happy to know that 1C entertainment’s King’s Bounty II is now live on Steam, the Epic Games Store, as well as the current gen consoles, priced at $49.99 or your regional equivalent.

The game offers a new, more story-driven, take on the classic series and features an expansive story campaign with three unique characters and plenty of tactical battles. Here’s the official launch trailer:

And the game’s description:

Darkness descends over the world of Nostria. Conspiracies, sabotage, and necromancy are overshadowing the country. But maybe a saviour – the kingdom’s last hope – is already here, to fight back and finally restore peace and order in Nostria!

King’s Bounty II is the long-awaited sequel to the legendary King’s Bounty video games franchise, one of the most iconic representatives of the turn-based RPG genre. Expanding on this legacy with an entirely new epic story, factions, enemies, and new features to forge an open and breaking fantasy world Antara. With the kingdoms in disarray, counties demanding independence, bandits prowl the roads, all the overseas nations have denied the King’s authority over them, and blighted creatures lie in wait for the unwary, new accidental heroes emerge as a last hope.

They are determined to bring order to the chaos. Play as one of them, recruiting, developing, and commanding your personal army on a non-linear adventure of betrayal, sacrifice, and survival. Fighting for your own future, outsmarting enemy in uniquely turn-based combat, making difficult decisions, and experience the intensity of one of the classic sagas in an exciting new way.

IMMERSIVE AND CHARACTER-DRIVEN EPIC STORY
Play as one of three main heroes, rescuing and building your personal army in a journey of leadership, survival, and sacrifice. Every decision you make has profound and lasting consequences.

UNIQUE MASSIVE WORLD TO DISCOVER
The world of Antara is wide open and ripe for exploration. Unearth hidden places and dangerous enemies — Antara is a vast home to a thousand wonders and secrets for players to discover.

CUSTOMIZABLE SQUAD AND EQUIPMENT
Each army squad has its own set of skills and visual appearance. Build armies of different creatures who will fight with you throughout the majority of your adventure.

TACTICAL DEPTH ON THE BATTLEFIELD
The environment and landscape matter in King’s Bounty II. Players will encounter diverse terrain types, directly impacting battlefield tactics. Every battle is unique in its own way.

Then, you might be interested in some reviews for this project. Here’s a few:

PC Gamer 59/100:

King’s Bounty 2 is a unique game, but it’s uniquely mediocre.

Eurogamer Scoreless:

I think it’s still growing into its new clothes. I’m glad King’s Bounty is back, though, because many of the old pleasures are still there. It’s not quite as zippy and assured as it was in, say, King’s Bounty: The Legend in 2008, but give it time to adjust and I’m sure – at least, I hope – it will be.

PCGamesN 6/10:

It’s disappointing that King’s Bounty II’s open world gambit doesn’t pay off. The combat strikes a satisfying balance between fun and challenging, but everything around it feels humdrum when compared to today’s best open-world games. The beautiful world is jarringly lifeless, and some stodgy writing and performances prove that the best RPG games leave very big shoes to fill.

Rock Paper Shotgun Scoreless:

Right. It’s the final paragraph, and I’m switching metaphors. You know how a King size Bounty bar is actually just three fun size Bounties? Oh no! There’s been a cock-up at the factory, and only one of them has coconut in it. Bin the two extras, charge me a third of the price, and you’ve got yourself a customer. Again, though: Really good coconut, if you don’t mind shelling out a premium for all that plain chocolate.

COGconnected 71/100:

I can’t help but wonder what King’s Bounty II could have been had it stayed isometric and relied more on written words over spoken dialog. Maybe it could have offered something wholly unique. But this is the choice the developers made and for some of you, if you’re able to get past the jank, you’ll find a pretty okay turn-based combat game in King’s Bounty II. For others who are also looking to get lost in a deep world along with the combat, you’ll be better served elsewhere.