Disciples III: Renaissance

Disciples III: Renaissance is a turn-based strategy game released in 2009, developed by Russian studio .dat and published by Akella and Kalypso Media. Work on the project began in the summer of 2005. Players take on the role of a lord in the world of Nevendaar, choosing from three playable factions: the Empire, the Legions of the Damned, and the Elven Alliance. Additional factions were planned for later expansions. The combat system marks a major shift from earlier Disciples titles, as units can now move across the battlefield and use terrain for defensive positions. The player’s hero is highly customizable, with changeable abilities, armor, and weapons, and all equipment changes are reflected on the character model. The game runs on .dat’s proprietary Virtual Dream engine.

The story follows a figure known as the Highfather, who is preoccupied with the fate of Nevendaar. When a star falls near the Empire’s border, it is interpreted as a sign. Prophets and scholars try to unravel its mystery, while representatives of humans, elves, and demons dispatch their own heroes to investigate. One such hero, Bethrezen, seeks to capture the heavenly messenger and use its power for himself. This messenger, named Inoel, becomes a symbol of hope for many in Nevendaar. As she travels with envoys from three ancient races, she begins to experience unfamiliar emotions. The narrative tracks both her physical journey to find the star and her emotional exploration of the world and her own humanity.

The Russian-language expansion, Disciples III: Resurrection, introduced the Undead Hordes faction and was released in standard, gift pack, and deluxe editions. The English version arrived in Europe on October 7, 2011, and in North America on February 7, 2012. A later updated version, Disciples III: Reincarnation, bundled the main game and expansion with a new engine and added content. Its Russian release was on April 11, 2012, and the English version appeared on Steam on February 14, 2014.

According to Metacritic, Renaissance received more mixed reviews than the first two Disciples games. Game Revolution initially gave it an F, but after reports of crashes proved false, the grade was raised to a D. The Resurrection expansion also received mixed reviews, though slightly more positive than the base game. Reincarnation received average reviews according to Metacritic.