I’m freed from my jail cell and led into the courtyard of a snowy, cold keep, where I soon learn that I’m a highly-sought-after individual tasked with meeting up with the person who freed me – Prince Adrian. As a high-ranking noble with a razor-sharp tongue and lack of patience for anyone who shows any sign of disrespect, I set off into the Albian Highlands as I make my way towards my meeting – outfitted with new armor, a group of guards (and attack dogs) to aid me in any combat, and a horse to make traveling across with mountainous terrain a bit less daunting. I’m set. Ready to take on anything that the dangerous Valley of New has to throw at me.
And then? Well, in only my second combat encounter, I lose my entire pack of attack dogs. Despite it being the first post-tutorial battle, I learn the hard way that King’s Bounty II is not going to hold my hand. I’d better be far wiser in my tactical combat decisions if I’m going to survive the bandits, monsters, soldiers, and other enemies that await me on my journey.
King’s Bounty II is the long-awaited sequel to the original game that was released in the early 90s. The game expands upon the original with an entirely new story, factions, enemies, and new features, giving veteran and new players alike a brand new tactical RPG adventure. I’ve been making my way through the world of Antara for a few hours in an early build of the game. As someone who generally tends to shy away from tactical strategy games, I can’t help but enjoy what King’s Bounty II has to offer.
In my preview build, King’s Bounty II offers up three different types of characters to play as: a warrior, a mage, and a paladin. It was recommended that I play as the warrior first, but because I enjoy making my life more difficult than it needs to be, I went with the mage – the appeal of primarily using magic over a sword was greater than it usually is, perhaps mostly having to do with the game’s tactical, turn-based combat.
Related: Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Preview: I’m Goin’ Back To AkihabaraKing’s Bounty II’s combat system doesn’t necessarily feel as robust as other tactical strategy games that I’ve played, but there is still plenty that goes into each fight. The fighter (or group of fighters) with the highest initiative goes first. However, if two units share the same level of initiative (as well as the tie-breaking stats of speed, level, and health), the enemy gets to go first. I like this a lot because in those instances, it’s fun to imagine your units arguing about who should go first, resulting in the enemy taking advantage of the situation and making the first move. It’s a simple, yet effective way to raise the level of immersion in these moments of combat. The rest of the battle plays out as you might expect – take turns attacking, counter-attacking, defending, and strategically moving around the hexagonal battlefield. You’re able to zoom in and out, as well as move the camera around to get the best viewing angle as units battle it out, whether they’re using weapons or magic – the latter of which I found myself most privy to, especially for long-ranged attacks. As simple as it may sound, though, take it from me (and my utter failure during the second combat encounter) – you need to stay on your toes and take care to make the most out of your strategy for each battle.
When you’re not in battle, you’re free to roam around the world of Antara in third-person. King’s Bounty II features a non-linear storyline that allows you to take it all in, whether you’re exploring mountainous or forest terrain, or even the dark corridors of a murky dungeon. You have the opportunity to take on plenty of side quests as well – most of which (that I’ve encountered, at least) offer up decisions that will impact your Ideals meter. Over time, your belief system will be shaped by the decisions you make. Will you be orderly, or more anarchist in your ideals? More powerful, or finesse? The longer you play, the stronger your belief system will become, which eventually results in your character refusing certain actions that go against their ideals. This is a dynamic that plays into the larger world and how it takes shape around you. There are plenty of NPCs to interact with, conversations to listen in on, things to read, and lore to uncover. The game’s developer, 1C Entertainment, wanted to create “a place where anything can happen, at any time, from any direction.” If my time in Antara is any indication, I’m confident that the team will succeed on this goal with the game’s full release.
I’m not going to begrudge, or even touch on the technical issues that I encountered – none of which were game-breaking, mostly just in need of the kinks being ironed out. It’s an early build of a massive game, and I have confidence in 1C Entertainment delivering a solid Day One experience when the game launches later this summer. There’s already a lot to like about King’s Bounty II in its current state, and I’m excited to continue on my journey (with less reckless abandon than my first playthrough).
A PC copy of King’s Bounty II was provided to TheGamer for this preview. King’s Bounty II will launch on August 24, 2021, for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
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