Disciples III: Gold Edition
- July 13, 2010
- Akella
- 124h median play time
Disciples III: Gold Edition is a 3D turn-based strategy RPG set in the fantasy world of Nevendar, where the Empire, Legions of the Damned, and Elven Alliance race to control territories and resources. Players can create custom heroes, lead parties into battle, and equip them with an array of weapons, spells, and artifacts. The game offers three playable races, each with unique skills and styles, enhancing the depth and replayability of the game.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a dark fantasy atmosphere that appeals to fans of the genre.
- The turn-based combat system offers strategic depth, allowing for tactical decision-making during battles.
- The nostalgic elements and familiar gameplay mechanics from previous Disciples titles provide a sense of familiarity for returning players.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
- Many players feel that the game was rushed and lacks the polish and depth of its predecessors, leading to a disappointing experience.
- The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and gameplay cumbersome.
- story77 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it clichéd, shallow, and lacking the depth of previous installments. While some appreciate the visuals and the potential for an interesting narrative, numerous bugs and gameplay issues detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to engage with the plot. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a significant step down from earlier titles, with many players expressing disappointment in its execution.
“The angel gives the whole thing an almost philosophical touch that lets you experience the same story from a different perspective.”
“Beautiful game, beautiful graphics and several interesting story modes.”
“Sublime graphics, dense atmosphere and a very good story, combined with interesting tactics and animation.”
“I was a huge fan of D2, but here they have ruined all the good qualities from D2 with a slight increase in graphics and a massive decline in combat, map movement, RPG elements, plot, and so many other various elements that worked so well in D2.”
“The story is boring and the combat is like that of the Heroes series with added RPG elements that feel unnecessary.”
“The storyline is a cluster-fuck of confusion that left me giving zero cares about any of the characters or plot.”
- graphics68 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful gothic art style and detailed visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere. However, several players report significant graphical glitches and crashes that detract from the experience, indicating that while the art direction is commendable, technical issues undermine its execution. Overall, the graphics are considered above average, but not without notable flaws that impact gameplay.
“Great turn-based game with great graphics.”
“The graphics, audio, style of gameplay, and the amount of races within the game are all above average.”
“Beautiful game, beautiful graphics, and several interesting story modes.”
“I was a huge fan of D2, but here they have ruined all the good qualities from D2 with a slight increase in graphics and a massive decline in combat, map movement, RPG elements, plot, and so many other various elements that worked so well in D2.”
“The graphics are better (obviously) but that really doesn't make up for the multiple shortcomings found within this title.”
“The screen often goes black and graphics are not properly rendered.”
- gameplay43 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun mechanics and long playtime, while others criticize it for being bland, repetitive, and plagued by bugs. Many noted that the new mechanics, such as the hex grid movement, fail to add meaningful depth, and the overall experience can feel stale compared to previous installments. Despite the beautiful graphics, the gameplay often lacks excitement and strategic variety, making it a hit or miss for players seeking a more engaging experience.
“For the time I could play, it was great - gorgeous graphics, fun gameplay, really enjoyable to me.”
“Turn-based, somewhat interesting combat, and all kinds of fun mechanics to learn and optimize.”
“But if you are looking for an entertaining, easy-going distraction with simple (not too complicated) gameplay, it is worth taking a look at.”
“Awesome visuals are outweighed by stale story, poor mechanics, and lots of bugs.”
“The third installment introduces vast changes to the game mechanics that completely ruin the game, not to mention the game-breaking bugs.”
“Not only was the whole gameplay painfully boring (silly AI, bugs, uninteresting battle mode), but to top it all, the final fight in the game is bugged!”
- music26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric and catchy qualities, while others find it repetitive and boring over extended play sessions. Technical issues, such as music stopping and causing crashes, detract from the experience, although many appreciate the overall sound design and its contribution to the game's ambiance. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered decent, it may not hold up for long periods of gameplay.
“The music still holds up, too, and adds to the experience.”
“- amazing soundtrack”
“+ very atmospheric and catchy background music.”
“If you delete the music folder, you don't have any bugs anymore and become a decent game.”
“If the battle music stops playing, you have to save and restart the game; otherwise, graphical glitches will begin leading to a complete and repeated crash of the game, requiring a level restart in some cases.”
“The positives were the fancy graphics and the music, which actually still pales in comparison to the previous games in my opinion.”
- stability22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and graphical glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players describe it as "unplayable" and "a buggy mess," indicating that despite some patches, the issues persist and detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, leading to frustration among players.
“Disciples 3 is buggy, unpolished, and entirely lacking in the charm the previous installments were known for.”
“The game is quite buggy unfortunately and it does seem as though the company rushed it.”
“Excessively buggy, crashing more than I would consider to be a playable game; if the game crashing was fixed, I would rate it very highly.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its gorgeous art style, gloomy scenarios, and immersive background music, creating a dense and captivating experience. While some players note that certain elements can obscure visibility, the overall combination of sublime graphics and engaging storytelling contributes to a strong atmospheric presence.
“But I play it on low settings, still gorgeous art and atmosphere.”
“Very atmospheric and catchy background music.”
“Sublime graphics, dense atmosphere, and a very good story, combined with interesting tactics and animation.”
“The others add atmosphere, but make the various items and enemies on the map harder to see.”
“Lags that 'special feeling' atmosphere that was so intense in Disciples II.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players criticize the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and unengaging, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. The lack of polish and strategic depth, combined with a poorly designed campaign and linear maps, contributes to a sense of frustration and boredom during the grinding process. Overall, the grinding is seen as a major flaw that detracts from the game's potential.
“Not only is the game bugged beyond belief, with issues in almost every aspect of the gameplay; after countless hours of tedious grinding through a semi-engrossing and ill-conceived plot, you find yourself at the end of the line, braced and ready for the final confrontation in a pitched battle only to find it missing.”
“It does not have polish, sophistication, or an appropriate sense of strategy other than grinding levels, good voice acting, good music, or anything else that might make this a diamond in the rough.”
“The game feels more tedious than fast-paced and could possibly bore a gamer.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users finding the story unengaging and the narration dull, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the narrative.
“The story is incredibly dull, and the narrator is the most unengaging I've ever encountered.”
“If you're looking for an emotional experience, you might as well just read the summary instead.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that character development is significantly influenced by both the music and character design, suggesting that these elements enhance the overall depth and engagement of the characters within the game.
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent crashes to desktop and a variety of other bugs that hinder the overall experience.
“Constant crashes to desktop, poor optimization, and various other bugs.”
“The game runs poorly on high-end hardware, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
“Frequent frame drops and stuttering make the gameplay experience frustrating due to subpar optimization.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by amusing and often mismatched sound effects that add a comedic touch to the overall experience.
“The humor in this game is spot-on, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the characters have such quirky personalities that add a hilarious twist to the storyline.”
“The unexpected jokes and funny sound effects really enhance the overall experience and make it memorable.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users note that while the game has some bugs, it lacks sufficient replayability to keep them engaged long-term.
“There are a few bugs, but it needs more replayability.”