King's Bounty: Dark Side

Lore & Background

King's Bounty: Dark Side maintains many gameplay conventions from previous installments, combining strategy with RPG elements. Players control one of three protagonists: the orc warrior Bagyr, the vampire mage Daert, or the demoness paladin Neoline. The game features an overworld map where players move, discover buried treasures, find huts or villages to trade, and receive quests from NPCs. Enemy creatures chase the player's character on the map, and contact initiates turn-based battles where the player deploys units rather than directly participating. Units have strengths, weaknesses, special abilities, and movement ranges; when a unit runs out of troops it is destroyed, and losing all units ends the game. Magic spells and scrolls can be used in combat, and each character has an exclusive companion that uses rage built up in battle. Experience points from battles level up core abilities like rage and mana, and might, mind, and magic runes are used to purchase talents on skill trees. The story unfolds across multiple islands that players explore and conquer for their faction.

The three protagonists have different backstories. After orcs lost the battle at Tristerm, elves plundered their villages and killed their people, forcing Bagyr to flee with elite orc warriors. Human armies invaded Atrixus, killing Neoline's father and leaving her as ruler of demons; she fled with demon survivors through a catacomb into Draganador, the land of the dwarves. While vampire hunters besieged the Morton vampire clan's castle, Daert left to seek allies among other dark races. The three meet at an inn in Draganador, but when they perform a blood oath of friendship, the innkeeper mistakes it for dark wizardry, causing dwarves to attack and violate years-long neutrality. The protagonists flee through the Black Gate into the Shelter, free the Spirit of Darkness, and begin their quest to defeat the Spirit of Light.

1C Company announced the game in April 2014. It was released as an Early Access version on Steam on May 16, 2014, with full release three months later on August 14. A Premium Edition includes more quests, locations, and a bonus amulet that increases leveling speed; Early Access purchasers automatically received the premium edition. The retail box of the premium edition was published by Excalibur Publishing in the United Kingdom, Scandinavian countries, Australasia, and South Africa.

Reader's Guide

King's Bounty: Dark Side holds a score of 73/100 on Metacritic based on 13 reviews and an aggregate of 71% on GameRankings based on 5 reviews. Brett Todd of GameSpot gave it 8/10, praising its gameplay and soundtrack. Eike Cramer of 4players gave it 77/100, praising the ability to play as typically antagonistic races from the series. Rüdiger Steidle of GameStar gave it 68/100, criticizing it for offering nothing fresh compared to previous games. Claudio Chianese gave it 7.1/10, stating the game was made for both old fans and new players. The game's significance lies in its role as a standalone entry that shifts perspective to the dark races, a notable departure for the series. Its legacy is tied to its mixed reception: some reviewers appreciated the novel protagonist choices and solid gameplay, while others found it derivative of earlier King's Bounty titles. The Premium Edition and Early Access release model reflect the evolving distribution strategies of the mid-2010s.