Buy Disciples II: Rise of the Elves

Got this game just to see if I could run it after reading the reviews. Running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit, find the .exe, right click it->Properties->Compatibility enable compatibility mode, I used Windows 7 and all the XPs, the only thing that matters is check "Disable desktop composition" and I had Run as admin dont even know if I have to. But yeah it runs fine.

*** Note, you cannot exit the fullscreen and tab back to Windows or it black screens the game this setting ^^^

-One of the better games of this genre, even better than Heroes in my opinion.

-the rest of the game is as beastly as its art. I've lost weeks back in 2006 because of it

-I have to mention the visuals again. 10/10 in that department, the soundtrack fits it and the atmosphere in general is great

-slow paced to ensure that you have a taste of each unit and game phase.

-the epitome of "Just 1 more turn and I'm taking a break"

HAIL BETHREZEN!

WARNING: You'll always want to do 1 more turn.

I think this actually was the first PC game that I have ever played (well apart from those pre-installed games on Windows XP like Solitaire). I enjoyed it back in the days. I still do.

Disciples II is a turn-based strategy game with beautiful graphics (even for today) and rich storyline. Unlike other turn-based strategy titles like Heroes, the battle system offers a control over individual units instead of stacked units, which I find very convenient. Also the different strategies you can use to complete a map and the rich storyline guarantees that the gameplay does not get repetitive as it is with Heroes of Might and Magic.

In Disciples II, you get to choose from five different races (Elves, Humans, Dwarfes, Demons and Undeads) with their own unique agendas and characteristics. Also you can choose one of three classes for yourself as a strategist: Mage (cast spells twice a day), Warlord (restore Health more quickly) or Guildmaster (more resources and actions for the Thief). So when you've completed game with one race/leader class you can try another.

This game offers three elements of gaming experience that I value the most: great style, rich storyline and character development/customization. Also, this game rewards exploring and there are plenty of quest maps to try after the campaign mode is complete.

What I didn't like about this game however was that you can export only one leader and only five items to the next campaign, so lot of valuable equipment is lost in the process. Also I didn't like that only a particular development branch could be chosen for a unit class instead of them all. Also, the Multiplayer via Directplay does not work anymore. I guess, you need to try external services like GameRanger for that.

Nevertheless, Disciples II is a great classic turn-based strategy game. My overall rating is 10/10.

p.s. Don't believe other reviews. This game works on Windows 8.1 like a charm. I had some issues with fullscreen on my laptop (I had to choose a lower resolution, otherwise the game won't fit the screen), but with external monitor there are no problems at all.

If you are a fan of Hard... REALLY HARD games, that are a turned based-strat games. Along the lines of Lords of Magic... Give this a shot... I Iove it, but I am a gluten for punishment. Also its a not bad.

Hi! I am Muzday!
Listen: if you haven't played this game so far, you had lost a lot of fun! Okay, not fun but a lot of gothic. It impregnates every part of this game: from the design of cities till the soundtrack. I can say with certainty that this game has a strange magical atmosphere, it absorbs all your attention and makes you spend several hours in front of your screen per day, ending turns, fighting the battles with their unique style and develop your squads as you want. After you begin playing, you will notice that you are ready to stroke your soldiers like favourite pets if it will make them to beat enemies more precisely!
In general, the only thing I can tell about this game is:
If you are looking for a classic and unusual strategy game with a wonderful design, gloomy soundtrack, unrepeatable gothic atmosphere and five different playable races, this game is for you and it is worth your attention!
P.S.
My first review =)

This game as well as the game previous it are both very good. It is a turn based strategy that has many fun features. The story and lore is actually really good and makes logical sense, so that is also nice. I don't have to much to say about this game, so lets go ahead with the pros and cons list.

Pros-

Good Story/Lore, I enjoyed playing the campaigns through, and they are all very nice.

Difficulty, it isn't to hard playing it on normal, but playing it on hard can be a bit rough.

Combat, much like Disciples 1, this game has a unique combat style, somewhat like a turn based. The combat is fun and I don't get the repetative boredom effect after playing this game a lot.

Music/Audio, the music is very good, very rememberable.

Tutorial, the tutorial is actually pretty good, unlike other games like these. The tutorial doesn't feel intrusive but also provides you the information you need to properly play the game, which is nice.

Cons-

Graphics, although the game itself is dated, which I understand, some of the graphics themselves don't look very good. I can't say to many bad things about them, they have really good points as well.

Repetativeness, the game can be seen as repetative after a while, especially if you are having a hard time getting past a certain stage.

Time, the stages actually take quite a bit of time, but I guess that is why they have the save function. One problem I have is I would prefer to start and finish something in one sitting, so this may or may not be a problem for you.

Conclusion-
Overall, I really enjoy this game. It is similar to the Might&Magic series, but personally I think that Disciples has a much better story. I believe that the lore in video games is almost as important as the game itself, I guess that is the Game Master in me. Anyway, Disciples II: Rise of the Elves is definitely a fun game that I highly recommend.

May your adventures be many and always end in reward!
-Donoknight, Founder of Tabletop RPG Gamers League

Okay so, I'd like to address a big issue I've seen in a lot of the comments, which is that if you have a Windows 7 that this game will not work for you, that's not true. However: the game may not boot up properly all the time, leaving it just a dark screen and you needing to CTL+ALT+Delete and close the game and try and reopen it again.
Alright. The game it's self is a lot of fun, the design and themes make up a lot of the appeal. The gameplay it's self is still very fun if you enjoy turn-based fighting, though it's not terribly unique in the combat area. It's a lot of fun to level up your units and build your structures to choose the path your units level up into. There are 5 races to play, and if you've come across Disciples II: Gallean's Return on here I don't recommend buying that because this game is the same game but with more content and it's the same price. I made the mistake of buying both this game and that game (though thankfully they're cheap games). Edit: The game also comes with an EXTREMELY versatile level editor. You can make your own quests or campaigns and involve advanced AI and events with extremely intricate triggers and it is REALLY easy to do so.

One of those really good strategy games. Similar to Heroes of might and magic series, but with a really great story, and more tactics and strategy.

Pros:
- good story
- interesting gameplay

Cons:
- Pretty old
- some wooden stuff