King's Bounty II

King's Bounty 2 is a fairly strong tactical RPG that is dragged down by a mediocre plot and a lot of unnecessary jogging.

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

King's Bounty 2's hexed-based battles, customisation and army management are all a good time. The RPG they're packaged with, while sometimes gorgeous, is baggy and bland.

If you're willing to invest your time learning the battle system and strategies to succeed in King’s Bounty II then there'll be some enjoyment to be found here. However, the game is very unforgiving with your time, forcing you to spend hours completing dull side missions and looting various places to level up your units, only for them to be slain in the next main mission battle you fight. Also constantly having to reload saves just to progress through the story feels very outdated.

King's Bounty II fails in the exposition of its story and the introduction of an open world that is too conventional, both aesthetically and mechanically. On the other hand, its most fundamental premise, its stupendous turn-based combat, works perfectly.

King's Bounty II is far from perfect, but this new game from 1C Entertainment can still engross you for many hours. And yet, if you were waiting for a true sequel of original King's Bounty by Katauri Interactive, you'll probably be quite disappointed.

Tough game to rate overall, as there was some care and time that went into this; it just went to all the wrong places. Players looking for a strategy/tactical experience are going to be absolutely repulsed by the mix of "walking sim"/WRPG that leaves much of the core experience behind absolutely. The battles are simplistic, and the few redeeming features are buried beneath too many complaints and issues. There is simply very little strategy in this game that occurs, or is interesting to think about.

A mix of RPG, adventure, and strategy. Challenging, imperfect, often brilliant, often frustrating but always compelling.

King's Bounty II is fun, but some frustrating details like the character's slow movement when exploring the world and poorly finished graphics give the impression of lack of polish and spoil the overall experience. Fortunately, the tactical combat is very good, offering nuances to explore. Studying the skills of each unit type, planning the perfect army, and thinking up strategies to make the best use of the terrain make combat like a fun and challenging board game. But unfortunately, in general, the game leaves a little to be desired.

King's Bounty II is a good adventure game with better turn-based combat. There are plenty of elements to keep the player interested, but the story does not have the depth you might expect, and therefore doesn't warrant the $59.99 price tag.