Disciples II: Gallean's Return
- July 5, 2006
- Strategy First
- 133h median play time
Get on SteamDisciples II: Gallean's Return is a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world. It is an expansion pack for Disciples II, adding new campaigns, units, and gameplay features. Players lead one of four factions, commanding armies and making strategic decisions to conquer enemy territories and complete objectives. The game offers challenging gameplay and a rich, immersive storyline.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience with excellent art and animations, making it visually appealing.
- The unique gameplay mechanics, such as unit leveling and strategic combat, provide depth and engagement.
- The dark fantasy atmosphere and enjoyable soundtrack enhance the overall experience, making it addictive.
- The game has significant compatibility issues on modern systems, particularly Windows 7 and 10, making it difficult to run.
- The combat can feel limited and repetitive, with a frustrating leveling system that resets units at the start of each campaign.
- AI turns can be excessively long, leading to a frustrating experience as players wait for the computer to complete its moves.
- graphics84 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many praising its unique art style and atmospheric visuals that have aged well, while others note that the overall graphical quality feels outdated. Despite some criticisms regarding texture and resolution, the game's character designs and environments are often highlighted as beautiful and immersive, contributing to a nostalgic experience for long-time fans. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are appreciated for their artistic charm and the game's strong atmosphere.
“The art style is very unique and the game oozes atmosphere.”
“Amazing game, visuals and audio are in a league of their own and still hold up extremely well to this day.”
“Pure medieval/gothic atmosphere of the game is perfectly depicted in dark and gorgeous artwork and character design.”
“The graphics are just a mess of textures, patterns, and colors.”
“Graphically, the game isn't that good since it's pretty old; however, it does feature nice character models, artwork, and even environments.”
“It has atmosphere, yes, and a unique art style, yes, but the 2001 graphics options, lousy control scheme, and poor tutorial turned me off.”
- story83 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is rich and immersive, featuring interconnected sagas for four distinct races, each with unique narratives that enhance the overall lore. Players can engage in two main campaigns, "Dark Prophecy" and "Guardians of the Light," with additional custom quests that expand the narrative experience. While the storytelling is praised for its depth and atmosphere, some players note a degree of repetitiveness in gameplay and a lack of depth compared to other strategy games.
“The lore has anchor events which races' stories are built around, and you can experience the plot from every angle.”
“Music, art, and story create a dark fantasy atmosphere that no one has been able to surpass so far.”
“Love the game, love the storyline, love playing each race since they have unique features that lead to different play styles and unit types.”
“The story, while interesting, can be quite lacking in depth when compared to Heroes of Might and Magic.”
“The development of the hero and the story are very linear and obvious, so set up your basic strategy on day one and play the map leveling up those units to clear the map.”
“It's only been from sheer stubbornness that I've persisted to the second mission (halfway through and looking bleak, overpowered beasts everywhere), but frankly, aside from the so-so graphics and music, this game offers precious little in the way of enjoyment.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its unique mechanics, captivating atmosphere, and deep storytelling, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Heroes of Might and Magic and Baldur's Gate. Players appreciate the balance of simplicity and depth, allowing for hours of engaging turn-based and real-time strategy experiences, though some note that the interface can be confusing and the graphics may not meet modern standards. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic yet innovative experience that appeals to both veteran players and newcomers alike.
“One of the best TBS games ever made... amazing atmosphere, great soundtrack, top-notch art style, and fantastic gameplay!”
“Amazingly beautiful game, great depth in each race with the unit leveling, almost endless replayability with all the skill and items customization... the depth of this game doesn't come from adding more and more races and units, just one new gameplay mechanic gets introduced, and the entire balance of everything shifts, because everything is interconnected.”
“Disciples II offers classic turn-based strategy gameplay and a compelling narrative that has an immersive dark atmosphere.”
“Disciples 2 is pretty weak on strategy and gameplay-wise, but it is definitely a classic considering its art, style, and story.”
“The interface is confusing, graphics are lacking overall good design, and gameplay is not that great compared to the Heroes franchise.”
“On the other hand, the actual gameplay is pretty terrible.”
- music44 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its dark, immersive quality that complements the game's gothic art style and storytelling. The soundtrack is described as captivating and memorable, contributing significantly to the overall experience and making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the combination of music, art, and gameplay creates a compelling and addictive environment that resonates with players long after they finish playing.
“Music lives rent free in your head.”
“The atmosphere and music really give this game its identity.”
“Disciples II is still a fantastic turn-based tactical game, the amazing gothic art, music and mood just draws you in, with long and brutal campaigns you have a lot of content to run through.”
“The soundtrack is another matter, it fits in with everything about the game’s atmosphere and is a big part of why the world feels as hopeless as it is.”
“The music is gloomy, it's dark and it's very foreboding.”
“It's only been from sheer stubbornness that I've persisted to the second mission (halfway through and looking bleak, overpowered beasts everywhere), but frankly, aside from the so-so graphics and music, this game offers precious little in the way of enjoyment.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique art style, captivating soundtrack, and immersive dark fantasy elements, creating a compelling and often grim experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of music, story, and character design as key components that enhance the overall mood, making it one of the most atmospheric turn-based strategy games available. The gothic visuals and haunting soundscapes contribute significantly to the game's identity, evoking a sense of hopelessness and depth that resonates with players.
“One of the best TBS games ever made... amazing atmosphere, great soundtrack, top-notch art style, and fantastic gameplay!”
“Music, art, and story create a dark fantasy atmosphere that no one has been able to surpass so far.”
“Pure medieval/gothic atmosphere of the game is perfectly depicted in dark and gorgeous artwork and character design.”
“The atmosphere is really disturbing: they absolutely nailed the dark setting.”
“The soundtrack is another matter, it fits in with everything about the game’s atmosphere and is a big part of why the world feels as hopeless as it is.”
“It has a darker atmosphere, a sense of hopelessness and not as colorful as Heroes 3.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly on newer systems like Windows 11, leading to stuttering and lag even on high-end hardware. While there are various guides available to help improve performance, many users report that the game remains poorly optimized overall, impacting playability.
“Nostalgic, the narrative is good, and there are plenty of guides available on how to optimize performance on newer operating systems.”
“This is how I fixed choppy performance in SimCity 4.”
“The game itself is great but is so badly optimized; I was able to install and open it, but it works like I have a really slow computer, not a brand new high-end one.”
“The performance on my well-spec'd MSI gaming laptop is so bad I couldn't even play this.”
“The only downsides are that the game is not very optimized to run on newer systems, and the AI can and will be nearly flawless/cheaty on higher difficulties.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The game's stability at launch was problematic, with numerous bugs and crashes preventing players from progressing. While some users managed to resolve issues through troubleshooting and updates, others continued to experience significant performance problems, indicating a mixed experience regarding stability. Overall, improvements have been noted, but challenges remain for certain players.
“I downloaded it again from the other source, and it runs great.”
“The game has been incredibly stable since the last update.”
“I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
“Crashes, glitches, etc. kept me from getting past the title menu.”
“Freezes up and won't run nonstop.”
“I certainly have read all available help forums, have fulfilled the system requirements, and followed every step and troubleshooting available, but to no avail.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with frustrations stemming from the need to level up units from scratch in each new campaign, making early encounters tedious. While some enjoy the grind for resources and leveling, leading to powerful units, others feel that the endgame becomes monotonous as battles drag on due to move point limitations. Overall, grinding is essential for progression but can lead to repetitive gameplay.
“The leveling system of units is frustrating, as all units start back at each new campaign. This makes each new map a bit tedious as your hero has to babysit them during the first encounters.”
“The end of a map is tedious too: at some point your party becomes unbeatable, and you just have to kill everything, quite slowly since attacking anything consumes half of your move points.”
“Mostly, though, it comes down to grinding, hoarding, and (save) scumming.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game offers excellent replayability, particularly enhanced by the complete pack, with deep customization options for units and skills that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the interconnected gameplay mechanics and the variety of heroes and lords to experiment with, making each session feel fresh and rewarding. The interesting tech tree and challenging battles further contribute to its lasting appeal.
“The replayability is therefore amazing, especially if you bought the complete pack.”
“Amazingly beautiful game, great depth in each race with unit leveling, almost endless replayability with all the skill and item customization. The depth of this game doesn't come from adding more and more races and units like Heroes III does; just one new gameplay mechanic gets introduced, and the entire balance of everything shifts because everything is interconnected.”
“Interesting tech tree, challenging battles, rewarding items, and replayability if you want to try different heroes and different lords, along with good spell options and a decent story.”
“The game has a lot of depth, but after a few playthroughs, it feels like there's not much left to explore. The replayability is limited despite the initial variety.”
“While the game offers different heroes and lords to choose from, the core gameplay remains the same, making it hard to stay engaged for multiple runs.”
“The tech tree and battles are interesting, but once you've experienced the main content, the replayability drops significantly.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game's RNG mechanics, particularly how it can lead to amusing situations, such as repeatedly missing attacks despite high accuracy. This unpredictability adds a lighthearted element to combat encounters.
“Frankly, I like the RNG implementation in this game; it adds some needed variety to combat encounters, and it's always funny when you miss several attacks in a row with 80% accuracy.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's character development is enhanced by its striking medieval and gothic atmosphere, which is effectively conveyed through dark and beautiful artwork and character design.
“The pure medieval and gothic atmosphere of the game is perfectly depicted in the dark and gorgeous artwork and character design.”
“The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with each character's unique backstory.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their growth and relationships.”
