Disciples II: Gallean's Return

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Disciples 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.

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Disciples II: Gallean's Return screenshot

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 611 reviews

graphics38 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork, music, and sound that enhance the dark fantasy atmosphere.
Gameplay is engaging with a unique unit leveling system that allows for strategic depth and customization.
The nostalgia factor is strong, making it a beloved classic for fans of turn-based strategy games.

The game is plagued by technical issues, including bugs and compatibility problems on modern systems, making it difficult to play.
AI can be frustratingly slow, leading to long wait times during turns, which can detract from the overall experience.
Some players find the gameplay repetitive and unbalanced, particularly regarding unit progression and combat mechanics.

graphics
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and atmospheric visuals that have aged well, particularly in the sequel. However, some players note that the graphics appear outdated by modern standards, with clunky interfaces and low-resolution textures. Overall, while the artwork and character designs are often highlighted as impressive, the technical aspects of the graphics may not appeal to everyone, especially those accustomed to contemporary visuals.
- “The art direction is, in fact, comprised of passionately crafted landscapes, original set pieces, and aesthetically pleasing characters, all of which make good use of bona fide pixel art and low poly.”
- “Pure medieval/gothic atmosphere of the game is perfectly depicted in dark and gorgeous artwork and character design.”
- “Dark, atmospheric, amazing soundtrack, very addictive gameplay, beautiful visuals even for today's standards looks like it hasn't aged much - the perfect recipe for an amazing evening with video games.”
- “The graphics are just a mess of textures, patterns, and colors.”
- “Graphics look ancient (even for 2006), and the gameplay and interface are clunky by today's standards.”
- “The interface is confusing, graphics are lacking overall good design, and gameplay is not that great compared to the Heroes franchise.”
story
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The story in Disciples II is rich and immersive, featuring interconnected sagas for each of the four races, with campaigns that enhance the overall narrative experience. Players appreciate the depth of storytelling, atmospheric music, and unique character arcs, which contribute to a captivating dark fantasy setting. While some find the gameplay repetitive, the engaging plot and lore, along with community-created content, provide significant replayability and enjoyment.
- “Each saga has its own storyline, but all of them are interconnected.”
- “The lore has global anchor events around which the races' stories are built, allowing you to 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.”
- “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.”
- “The story was not only slightly weird, which is a drawback for the game.”
gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of solid mechanics and unique features, often drawing comparisons to classic JRPGs and turn-based strategy games. While it offers an engaging atmosphere and innovative systems, some players note issues with RNG reliance and clunky interfaces that may detract from the experience. Overall, it remains a nostalgic and addictive title, appealing to both long-time fans and newcomers who appreciate its storytelling and depth.
- “The gameplay is absolutely unique.”
- “It's not merely a turn-based strategy game with resource management and army coordination, but a genre-defining staple that incorporates innovative mechanics that continue to impress to this day.”
- “Dark, atmospheric, amazing soundtrack, very addictive gameplay, beautiful visuals even for today's standards - the perfect recipe for an amazing evening with video games.”
- “Yet, just like them, it is plagued by RNG-heavy gameplay, its only (fatal?) flaw.”
- “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.”
music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
44%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the dark fantasy setting. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as memorable and captivating, often describing it as haunting and fitting perfectly with the game's themes. Overall, the combination of music, art, and sound design contributes significantly to the game's identity and player experience.
- “One of the best TBS games ever made... amazing atmosphere, great soundtrack, top-notch art style, and fantastic gameplay!”
- “The dark ambient music is most likely something that will get stuck in your eardrums for days to come, in a good way.”
- “The atmosphere and music really give this game its identity.”
- “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.”
- “I tried all the fixes, only one worked, turning sounds/music off.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its unique, dark, and melancholic western fantasy aesthetic, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and stunning art style. Reviewers highlight the immersive quality of the environment, which evokes a sense of hopelessness and depth, making it a standout in the turn-based strategy genre. Overall, the combination of music, story, and visual design creates a timeless and compelling atmosphere that resonates deeply with players.
- “The gameplay is closer to a JRPG than a strategy game, but with a distinctive melancholic dark western fantasy atmosphere.”
- “Music, art, and story create a dark fantasy atmosphere that no one has been able to surpass so far.”
- “What caused me to respond so much about this game is its atmosphere: its high fantasy, decadent design, the beautiful isometric landscapes, the sombre, solemn music, and the epic quality of the story.”
- “Played it since 2006, it's more atmosphere than a game.”
- “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.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
36%
36%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant stuttering and lag even on high-end systems, and a lack of support for modern resolutions and widescreen displays. While some players have found workarounds, such as enabling Direct3D in the config editor, the overall performance remains poor, making it difficult to play smoothly on newer operating systems.
- “Nostalgic, the narrative is good, and there are plenty of guides available on how to optimize performance on newer operating systems.”
- “The only downsides are that the game is not very optimized to run on newer systems, and the AI can be nearly flawless or cheaty on higher difficulties.”
- “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.”
- “Unfortunately, it was laggy, stuttering, and I couldn't tab out, escape, or even use ctrl+alt+del to exit the game.”
- “The performance on my well-spec'd MSI gaming laptop is so bad I couldn't even play this.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
90%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users initially experiencing significant bugs and crashes that hindered gameplay. While some players report that recent updates have improved stability, others still face persistent issues that require extensive troubleshooting. Overall, the game's performance seems to vary widely depending on individual setups and updates.
- “I downloaded it again from another 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.”
- “It's a buggy mess that's impossible to actually begin playing.”
- “Crashes, glitches, etc. kept me from getting past the title menu.”
- “Freezes up and won't run nonstop.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it allows for strategic leveling and resource management, it can also feel tedious and repetitive. The need to babysit lower-level units during new campaigns and the slow pace of combat, especially towards the end of maps, detracts from the enjoyment. Overall, grinding is essential for progression but can lead to frustration due to its time-consuming nature and the necessity of hoarding resources for upgrades.
- “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.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, featuring numerous campaigns, one-shot missions, and a level editor for user-generated content, ensuring players can enjoy fanmade expansions for years. The depth of gameplay, driven by unit leveling and interconnected mechanics, further enhances replay value, allowing for diverse strategies and experiences with different heroes and spells. Overall, players find the replayability to be outstanding, especially with the complete pack.
- “Replayability is through the roof: a dozen campaigns, a generous amount of one-shot missions, and last but not least, a level editor which permits you to create new stories; hence, you can play fan-made expansions for years to come.”
- “The replayability is 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 races and units, but from introducing new gameplay mechanics that shift the entire balance, as everything is interconnected.”
- “Amazingly beautiful game, great depth in each race with the 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, replayability if you want to try different heroes and different lords, good spell options, decent story.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it exploits nostalgia rather than offering genuine value, suggesting it capitalizes on abandoned titles for profit.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it ruins the overall enjoyment.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game's RNG mechanics, particularly finding it amusing when they repeatedly miss attacks despite high accuracy rates, which adds an unexpected and entertaining 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 development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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.”