King's Bounty: Dark Side

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 341 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
King's Bounty: Dark Side Game Cover
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"King's Bounty: Dark Side" is a single-player Fantasy Turn-Based Strategy game that offers excellent music and hilarious moments. However, players should be prepared for lots of grinding and numerous bugs as they explore the uncharted territories of the dark Teana. The game provides a fresh perspective by inviting players to join the dark side and discover a world that was previously unseen in the royal bounty hunters' journey.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 341 reviews
story42 positive mentions
stability27 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fun and engaging combat system reminiscent of Heroes of Might and Magic, with a variety of units and spells to experiment with.
  • Playing as the 'bad guys' provides a fresh perspective and adds humor to the storyline, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
  • The game features a large amount of content, with many quests and a lengthy playtime, providing good value for the price.
  • The quest log is poorly designed, often vague and confusing, leading to frustration as players struggle to figure out objectives.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, particularly on certain platforms, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • Many quests feel like tedious fetch quests, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of meaningful progression.
  • story229 mentions

    The game's story presents an interesting twist by allowing players to embody the "bad guys," featuring a mix of humor and quirky quests. However, the execution suffers from a chaotic quest log, vague instructions, and an overabundance of fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the humor and variety in quests, many find the lack of clarity and excessive backtracking frustrating, leading to a disjointed narrative flow.

    • “The story is fun and refreshing since this time you get to play as the 'bad guys'.”
    • “I just absolutely love the way the story is put together in this game.”
    • “The story, if quite interesting, but it's especially the humor used throughout it which makes for a great experience.”
    • “Terrible quest log, no guidance, no hints, not even a recap.”
    • “The quests themselves were, to put it mildly, "unoriginal" and seemed as if they were made to be as long as possible, so they contained pointless travel around the world.”
    • “The quest log has to be the poorest excuse of a 'log' that I've ever seen, yes, even worse than the games before this.”
  • gameplay49 mentions

    The gameplay in this title is characterized by a mix of familiar mechanics and some new features, such as the "teleport" and "servant" systems, but it often feels repetitive and tedious, with many fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. While the core turn-based combat remains engaging for fans of the series, the lack of significant innovation and the presence of bugs can hinder enjoyment. Overall, players appreciate the tactical elements and humor but express frustration with the linearity and pacing of quests.

    • “The gameplay is extremely fun with hex-based, turn-based battles at the core of it.”
    • “Great gameplay.”
    • “The main gameplay is still fun; it has this hypnotic loop of fighting enemies, exploring stuff, finding treasures, leveling up to go back and fight harder enemies.”
    • “Boring gameplay - it's just linear 'go there, kill that' with a combat system that tries to copy the HOMM series, but fails.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive.”
    • “The game offers virtually nothing that is new: same graphics, same gameplay, same everything, more or less.”
  • graphics38 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the vibrant colors and detail, noting that they have aged reasonably well, while others criticize them as outdated and in need of an overhaul. Many comments highlight a lack of significant improvement over previous titles in the series, with some experiencing graphical glitches and issues related to settings. Overall, while the visuals are considered decent by some, they are often described as not meeting modern standards.

    • “The graphics still look great and pack in lots of colour 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 felt too simple; the graphics were not fantastic and the animation was bad.”
  • humor29 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its quirky and dark comedic elements, such as playing as villains and engaging in absurd quests. While there are moments of genuine wit and entertaining dialogue, many reviews note that the humor can be hit or miss, often feeling forced or cheesy. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with a blend of amusing scenarios and references, though it may not consistently deliver on the comedic front.

    • “Fun game with a good sense of humor.”
    • “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.”
  • stability28 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 experience despite these issues, many describe it as unpolished and at times nearly unplayable, particularly on certain platforms like Mac. Overall, the consensus is that the game is far from stable, with a high frequency of frustrating technical problems.

    • “Not entirely bug-free, but 97% there.”
    • “The game runs smoothly with minimal crashes.”
    • “I appreciate the consistent performance across different devices.”
    • “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.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its captivating soundtracks, which enhance the atmosphere and complement the game's environments. While many players appreciate the stunning and diverse compositions, some note that the heavy reuse of tracks from previous titles can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point of the game, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

    • “Bright colors, great music!”
    • “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.”
    • “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 travel that feels unnecessary. 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, with a lack of engaging content to offset the grinding.

    • “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.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly from Mac users, who report poor performance that detracts from an otherwise enjoyable experience.

    • “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).”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviewers note that the character development in this installment of the series is well-established and mature, reflecting the game's evolution over previous entries. The level and character design are praised, indicating a strong visual and thematic coherence in character progression.

    • “Nice level and character design.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is marked by disappointment, as players feel it targets a younger audience while neglecting quality, leading to a sense of wasted potential in the enjoyable elements.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful environments and scenery, which, when paired with the breathtaking music, create an immersive and captivating 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 play.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, suggesting that while the game has a good concept and remains enjoyable, it may prioritize profit over player experience.

    • “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 a money grab rather than a fair monetization strategy.”
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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