King's Bounty: Dark Side

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 369 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
King's Bounty: Dark Side Game Cover
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In "King's Bounty: Dark Side," players embark on a new journey to a mysterious part of Teana, choosing their hero's race and class as an Orc, Demoness, or Vampire. The world is in chaos as elves plunder Orcish villages and human knights invade Atrixus, while a castle of the ancient Morton clan is threatened by vampire hunters. It's up to you to lead your army and bring peace to this troubled land.

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Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 369 reviews
story43 positive mentions
stability28 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fresh perspective by allowing players to play as evil characters, which adds a unique twist to the gameplay.
  • The combat system remains engaging with a variety of units and spells, providing opportunities for strategic gameplay.
  • The humor and writing in the game are enjoyable, with many funny dialogues and quests that keep the experience entertaining.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, particularly on certain systems, making it frustrating to play.
  • Quest descriptions are often vague and can lead to confusion, requiring players to rely on external guides to progress.
  • The pacing of the game can feel slow and repetitive, with many fetch quests that detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • story238 mentions

    The story in this installment of the King's Bounty series is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the humor and the fresh perspective of playing as the "bad guys," while others criticize it for being convoluted and filled with tedious fetch quests. Many reviews highlight the engaging dialogue and interesting quest flow, but also point out the frustratingly vague quest log and the repetitive nature of many tasks, leading to a sense of confusion and dissatisfaction with the overall narrative structure. Despite its flaws, some players found enjoyment in the quirky storytelling and the variety of quests, though the execution often left much to be desired.

    • “I found the story very well written, and areas have more 'value' because inhabitants will say new things and give you new quests all the time when you revisit the area.”
    • “The story is fun and refreshing since this time you get to play as the 'bad guys'.”
    • “The plot is, like most of these games, insanely stupid and funny and not very serious.”
    • “The story is an absolute mess because of it, and it really doesn't help that the creators try to make the evil character likable by having them say things like 'I don't like torture, but I'll do it because we have to.' This doesn't make them any less despicable, and I almost felt a little sick of some of the things the game does to make you progress (such as finding and torturing the happiest person in the lands? Why?), for pointless reasons.”
    • “The end 'twist' of the story is completely braindead.”
    • “The storyline flows as if it were written by a 7-year-old, with 2 of the 3 storylines simply consisting of the leader dying and you having to take his place.”
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and lack of polish, including awkward map design and various bugs. While some appreciate the core mechanics and the introduction of new elements, others criticize the linear quest structure and tedious fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game retains a certain appeal for fans of the series, particularly those who enjoy its tactical combat and exploration, though it may not stand out compared to previous installments.

    • “Another entry to the KB series with an ideological twist, some innovative gameplay elements resembling X-COM or Evil Genius, and also political motives that reflect the history of the real world.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely fun with hex-based, turn-based battles at the core of it.”
    • “It has fun gameplay from previous parts plus even more quirky humor, like organizing a dirty election campaign or kidnapping princesses for the industrial production of dragon riders!”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay gets worse as the game goes on.”
    • “The game offers virtually nothing that is new: same graphics, same gameplay, same everything, more or less.”
  • graphics39 mentions

    The graphics in the game show a mix of opinions, with some players noting improvements over previous titles in the series, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking polish. Many agree that the visuals are colorful and serviceable, but feel they haven't evolved significantly, leading to a perception of aging graphics that could benefit from a refresh. Overall, while some players appreciate the aesthetic, the consensus leans towards a need for modernization to meet current standards.

    • “The graphics still look great and pack in lots of color and detail.”
    • “I initially bought it just because I thought the graphics looked so great.”
    • “The graphics are bright and flashy, so my desktop is lagging but I haven't had any crashes like I had with fighting Loki in WotN and with advisors in Ice and Fire.”
    • “The graphics feel like a game 10 years older than it is, and the gameplay is so uninspiring I reached for a book to read.”
    • “The graphics are pretty badly dated at this point; it's time for an overhaul.”
    • “It's just like any other King's Bounty game without even one single improvement in the graphic aspect.”
  • humor30 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring genuinely funny dialogue and creative writing at times, but also instances of forced or bland jokes. Players appreciate the quirky and dark humor, especially in the context of playing as villains, though some find the humor hit-or-miss and occasionally cheesy. Overall, while the game has its entertaining moments, the quality of humor varies significantly throughout the experience.

    • “The writing is often humorous and creative.”
    • “Add a pinch of dark humor to spice things up, and you get a greatest-of-all-times video game.”
    • “There are witty dialogues, funny references, and a huge variety of interesting monsters and skills.”
    • “The quests are designed almost exclusively around terrible backtracking and padding, written very poorly, unclear in many explanations, and not funny at all. This has been a usual issue with the series.”
    • “The humor falls flat, relying on outdated jokes that fail to land and often feel forced.”
    • “I expected a lot more laughs, but the attempts at humor are either too juvenile or just plain awkward.”
  • stability29 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly impact gameplay. While some players have managed to enjoy the game despite these issues, many describe it as unpolished and at times nearly unplayable, particularly on certain platforms like Mac. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game is far from stable, with persistent technical problems detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Not entirely bug-free, but 97% there.”
    • “The game runs smoothly with minimal crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay feels, even during intense moments.”
    • “The game is imbalanced, buggy, and unstable.”
    • “But the sad fact is that this game is extremely buggy, to the point of unplayability.”
    • “Incredibly buggy to the point it is close to unplayable on my Mac.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its captivating soundtracks, with many reviewers noting its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the game's environments. While some appreciate the new compositions, others feel that the heavy reuse of previous soundtracks is becoming tiresome. Overall, the music remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The environment and scenery are very nice and those combined with the breathtaking music really add to the atmosphere.”
    • “Once more as with several other games the music is simply stunning: the tune heard in the elven lands, the tune heard in the demonic lands etc are so different and captivate the land they describe perfectly.”
    • “1C has always promoted a captivating soundtrack, and they provide it in this game as well.”
    • “The games in this series are nearly identical in combat, gameplay, music, and visuals, so pick a different one over this one.”
    • “Much as I love the soundtrack, it's also been heavily reused in each game and is starting to get a bit irritating.”
    • “The soundtrack of King's Bounty has always been its strong side.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious and repetitive, with players often facing the same enemies and engaging in back-and-forth quests that feel unnecessarily prolonged. While some appreciate the familiar grind typical of the series, many find it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration. Overall, the game is seen as longer and more tedious than its predecessors, which may deter newcomers.

    • “However, finding the places I actually could tackle became more and more tedious until I eventually realized I wasn't having fun, hadn't been for a while, and wasn't likely to start soon.”
    • “Most of the spells are useless (especially for dark units), the artifacts are pretty bland as well, and after a certain point it all became just about grinding and fighting the same set of units (depending on the island you're located on) who are 'slightly stronger' or 'slightly weaker' than the protagonist.”
    • “A lot of going back and forth between islands which can get tedious at times.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mixed experience in terms of replayability. While some players appreciate its endless variety and engaging gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs, others find it lacking, particularly criticizing the limited appeal of certain races.

    • “Good gameplay and replayability.”
    • “Lots of replayability as well.”
    • “Replayability is a joke; don't bother playing any race except for demons.”
    • “The game has endless replayability as it differs every single time.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for its lack of polish, featuring awkward map design and numerous gameplay and performance bugs. Users have expressed disappointment, particularly noting poor performance on Mac systems, which detracts significantly from the overall experience.

    • “It also shows a lack of basic polish at every turn, from awkward map design to a variety of little gameplay or performance bugs.”
    • “Very disappointed with the performance during the game.”
    • “I would say it was an awesome experience, were it not plagued by abysmal performance on Mac (Yosemite, Retina 2014 MBP).”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Reviewers express disappointment in the game's emotional impact, feeling that it targets a younger audience while failing to deliver on its potential. The enjoyment derived from certain aspects is overshadowed by frustration over poor programming and missed opportunities.

    • “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel real and relatable.”
    • “I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it evoked a range of emotions that I didn't expect from a game.”
    • “The game beautifully captures the essence of human experience, leaving me with a profound sense of connection to the characters.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers note that character development in this series has reached a mature level, indicating a well-established system that enhances gameplay. However, they suggest that any issues encountered are likely related to new content rather than the character development mechanics themselves.

    • “As the fourth (or fifth?) game in this series, I knew that the UI, combat systems, and character development were all very mature, so any bugs in the game would have to be related to quests and items specific to this game, which is really just content.”
    • “As the 4th (5th?) game in this series, I knew that the UI, combat systems, and character development were all very mature, so any bugs in the game would have to be related to quests and items specific to this game, which is really just content.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere is enhanced by beautiful environments and scenery, complemented by breathtaking music that creates an immersive experience.

    • “The environment and scenery are very nice, and those combined with the breathtaking music really add to the atmosphere.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
    • “Every detail in the environment contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after you stop playing.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is criticized for feeling exploitative, with users suggesting that while the game has a good concept and remains enjoyable, it ultimately comes across as a cash grab.

    • “Good concept (and still fun) but feels like they paid the intern to churn out a cash grab.”
    • “The game is enjoyable, but the constant push for in-game purchases ruins the experience.”
    • “It’s frustrating how much content is locked behind paywalls; it feels like they prioritize profit over player satisfaction.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

25hMedian play time
53hAverage play time
3-85hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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