King's Bounty: The Legend
- May 1, 2009
- Fulqrum Publishing
- 49h median play time
Get on Steam"King's Bounty: The Legend" is a fantasy-themed, turn-based strategy game with RPG elements. As a hero leading an army, you explore the world, complete quests, and engage in tactical battles. The game offers a variety of unit types, equipment, and magical spells to utilize in your journey. Your choices and outcomes are influenced by a morality system, adding depth to the narrative.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging turn-based combat that requires strategic thinking and planning.
- Rich and colorful graphics with a charming fantasy atmosphere.
- Humorous dialogue and quirky quests that add personality to the game.
- Repetitive gameplay with a lot of backtracking to replenish troops.
- Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially with limited troop availability.
- The story and writing can feel generic and lack depth.
- story370 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "King's Bounty: The Legend" is generally described as a mix of generic high fantasy tropes and engaging quests, with some players appreciating its humor and character interactions. While the main narrative is straightforward and often predictable, the game features a wealth of side quests that can be entertaining, albeit sometimes repetitive or lacking depth. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a backdrop to the gameplay, with many players finding enjoyment in the exploration and strategic elements rather than the plot itself.
“The story, the characters, the music--god, the soundtrack is beautiful.”
“The incredible scenery, storytelling, and depth make this game an absolute all-time classic.”
“The story is unique and entertaining, though it isn't anything that's going to blow your mind and stick with you for years.”
“The story is long-winded, slow to develop and thus far uninteresting.”
“The story is mostly forgettable, and the running around to restock troops becomes tedious.”
“The story and quest content is quite wordy and not particularly interesting, but the combat is interesting and tactical.”
- gameplay166 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "King's Bounty: The Legend" is a blend of turn-based strategy and RPG elements, offering a mix of tactical combat and exploration that appeals to fans of the genre. While many players appreciate its depth, unique mechanics, and nostalgic ties to the "Heroes of Might and Magic" series, some criticize its pacing, repetitive nature, and occasional unbalanced difficulty. Overall, the game provides a solid, engaging experience with significant replayability, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its slower combat and linear progression.
“The story is okay, even though a bit of a generic high fantasy, but this game is captivating with its nuanced strategic gameplay.”
“King's Bounty: The Legend is a captivating turn-based RPG with incredible attention to detail, enthralling gameplay, and a stunning art style and UI.”
“The gameplay is a mix of RPG and TBS, creating a refined system that is pleasant to play with.”
“The more I played, the more I asked myself, 'Is this it? Doesn't the gameplay get better than this?' and eventually I got to the point where I answered my own question with, 'I don't know and I don't care.'”
“Gameplay is decent, but the slow pace of combat makes it seem more like a chore.”
“However, the gameplay does eventually start getting stale later on in the game and I found myself starting to dread the battles which were fun at the start but just became tedious and dull in the later game as they just took so long to complete.”
- graphics155 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant colors and charming art style, which many reviewers note have aged well despite the game's age. While some players find the graphics simplistic or reminiscent of older titles like Warcraft III, others appreciate the attention to detail and the overall aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere and enjoyment.
“The graphics are beautiful—it is a board game with every piece animated and fighting at your command—and the music is very soothing.”
“The graphics hold up really well, the look and feel of the locations are well done, combat is great with tons of different strategies and the world rewards exploration.”
“The graphics are top notch, the music has a very nice ambient quality, and each different troop type, some being demons, dragons, humans, dwarves, elves, and orcs, amongst others, brings its own different playstyle to the battles.”
“The graphics weren't great, the game felt dated, but I had fun playing it.”
“The game's biggest strength in the category of graphics/audio is that it uses different combat environments depending on where the player engages in a fight.”
“Graphics are dated now (and haven't really improved in future sequels either) but, nevertheless, they are still pleasant-looking and very colorful.”
- music92 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting specific tracks that resonate well with the game's themes. While the soundtrack is often described as fantastic and memorable, some players noted that certain pieces can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.
“The story, the characters, the music--god, the soundtrack is beautiful.”
“The music is amazing, it has a lot of variety and adapts to the location you currently are.”
“The music is beautiful and creates the perfect atmosphere for each scenario.”
“This is simply not a good game, the combat is terrible and it is boring with a horrible soundtrack.”
“Music is like from a mobile game, quests are dull and the whole grinding process gets really depressing after 20 hours into the game.”
“Game was fun from the beginning, but after some hours music starts to be really annoying, and grind is very painful.”
- humor64 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong sense of humor, featuring witty dialogue, quirky characters, and amusing quests that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of light-heartedness and sarcasm, with many noting that the humor is a standout element that sets it apart from typical fantasy games. While some found the humor inconsistent or less effective in certain areas, the majority agree that it contributes significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“It's an entertaining isometric game with funny quips, well-constructed quests, and plenty of fun things to discover and play with.”
“A great game for casual enjoyment has quirky characters and a funny story.”
“The game's writing takes advantage of the cheesy fantasy setting by coupling it with cheesy fantasy humor that always gets a laugh.”
“I stopped playing the 'Violetta's Soul' mission, which is one of the endgame missions, because I was just tired of the same battles, uninteresting quests, and unfunny jokes.”
“The humor in this game falls flat; I found myself cringing more than laughing.”
“I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes were stale and didn't land at all.”
- grinding42 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, often leading to a repetitive experience that detracts from enjoyment. Many reviews highlight that the need for constant backtracking and leveling up can make gameplay feel like a chore, with little reward for the effort invested. While some appreciate the challenge, the consensus leans towards the grinding being a significant drawback that can lead to burnout.
“The game is okay, but it has too many issues, starting from the interfaces and ending with the game length, grinding, and a bunch of unnecessary spells that are hard to figure out on the first playthrough to understand which ones are needed.”
“This game does not respect your time; it is needlessly grindy and repetitive.”
“A major problem is the constant need to backtrack because you need to replenish your troops after a few battles, which can get really tedious throughout the game.”
- replayability27 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its random generation of items and enemies, multiple classes, and various difficulty levels, allowing for diverse strategies and experiences in each playthrough. Players appreciate the charm and depth of the gameplay, which encourages exploration and experimentation, making it enjoyable for hundreds of hours. While some users noted limited replayability when focusing on a single class, the majority agree that the game's design fosters significant replay value.
“Highly replayable, very big and very good random generation—along with 3 unique classes and different difficulty levels—makes this playable for hundreds or thousands of hours.”
“A lot of replayability as starting a new game will yield different item drops and different items for sale at castles throughout the world which will influence your playing strategy (e.g. snake ring that gives bonuses to snake units).”
“It's an extremely deep - and very challenging - turn-based strategy game with a smattering of RPG elements and nearly limitless replayability thanks to the almost complete randomization of the units and items that you can find at the beginning of each new game.”
“There is no replayability mostly but the game is long enough; hard difficulty is well balanced.”
“I've only played one class, but replayability seems low.”
“Some replay value in that the units available/used in opponent's groups are randomized on each playthrough, so what worked one time through won't the next.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its enchanting fantasy elements, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack and charming visuals. Reviewers highlight the immersive fairy-tale quality that evokes a sense of nostalgia and adventure, making it a delightful escape from reality. Overall, the combination of artistic design, engaging music, and a captivating narrative contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“A wonderful RPG with a charming fantasy atmosphere and quality tactical combat.”
“But most importantly for me, it has a wonderful fairy-tale atmosphere, the world you imagined when you read all those fantasy stories, the world you want to escape to from everyday madness.”
“The excellent work of artists and composers conveys the atmosphere of a fairy tale.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by frequent glitches, particularly on Windows 11, which can lead to players becoming stuck and unable to progress in the main quest. While some minor issues and clunky dialogue exist, there are no significant translation problems that hinder gameplay, a notable improvement over previous titles.
“Then, 50+ hours in, the game glitches and gets me stuck in Mehgard with no way to progress the main quest.”
“I wish the glitches would be fixed so I could go back to my zen of enjoying this game.”
“A lot of glitches occur more on Windows 11 than on Windows 10.”
- character development5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers a rich and engaging character development experience, featuring a vast array of quests and a compelling narrative that enhances the RPG elements. Players appreciate the personal and integral nature of character growth, which is complemented by impressive dialogue and stunning visuals, making it a standout title in its genre.
“A huge selection of possibilities, interesting character development, hundreds of quests, an interesting plot... this game will give you an unforgettable adventure.”
“But in exchange, you get richer character development, as well as stories and quests; more of an RPG experience.”
“The game is more story and quest driven than the Heroes series, making the character development more personal and integral to gameplay.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed, with some users experiencing performance issues and crashes on Windows 7 despite meeting recommended specifications. While character stats and gear significantly influence army performance and tactical options, players are advised to be cautious with field of view settings, as they can negatively impact performance. Overall, there is potential for unit optimization, but technical stability may vary.
“Your character's stats mostly determine the size of the army he can field and contribute to his units' performance.”
“Your hero's gear and level affect your army's performance, while fights are always on a hex grid and are turn-based.”
“Performance issues and crashes to desktop on Windows 7 even though my rig surpasses recommended requirements.”
“Also, try not to go too crazy with the FOV setting because it will affect performance.”
“Not much storyline, plenty of room for tactics and unit optimization.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by a lackluster storytelling experience, which, combined with excessive time-wasting elements, makes it challenging for players to engage with the narrative on a deeper level.
“In addition to the boring storytelling, the game is made even more difficult to sit through because of its sheer amount of time-wasting.”
