King's Bounty II

King's Bounty II
Game information
Developer	1C Entertainment
Publisher	Prime Matter
Series	King's Bounty
Release	August 24, 2021
Genre	Fantasy, Tactical role-playing
Universe	Antara Universe
Technical data
Format	Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Previous game(release)	King's Bounty: The Legend

King's Bounty II is another reboot from by 1C Entertainment. Set in the world of Antara, specifically the continent of Nostria, this entry abandoned the whimsical tone of King's Bounty: The Legend for a darker, politically charged narrative.

Gameplay

King’s Bounty II combines third-person exploration with tactical turn-based combat. Players select one of three playable characters-Aivar, Katharine, or Elisa-each with their own backstory, personality, and abilities. During exploration, players navigate the world of Nostria from a third-person perspective, interacting with NPCs and completing quests.

Combat takes place on a tactical grid from an isometric perspective, where the player assumes the role of a commander directing various units in battle. The game features a finite number of battles and resources throughout the world, preventing players from endlessly grinding for experience and gold.

A key gameplay mechanic is the Ideal system, which consists of four opposing alignments: Power, Order, Finesse, and Anarchy. Choices made during quests award points in specific Ideals, which unlock talents and affect how units perform together. Units aligned with different Ideals suffer morale penalties when used together, requiring strategic army composition.

The game features approximately 50 hours of gameplay, with completionists requiring over 53 hours to finish all content. Fast travel is facilitated through 36 Guiding Steles scattered throughout the game world.

Plot

Set in the fantasy world of Nostria, King’s Bounty II begins with the protagonist being released from prison by Prince Adrian to help solve urgent problems plaguing the realm. The old King Claudius has been poisoned and can no longer rule, leaving Prince Adrian to unite the struggling lands while his power and faith fall under attack.

The kingdom is suffering from conspiracies, sabotage, and necromancy. Counties demand independence, bandits prowl the roads, and rumors of the overwhelming power of Blight emerge. The player character becomes the kingdom’s potential savior, tasked with fighting back against these forces and restoring peace and order to Nostria.

Players can choose from three main characters:

• Aivar: A warrior formerly from a diminished noble house who was exiled after refusing to participate in a coup. He receives a letter from Prince Adrian offering him a pardon and position as a Royal Guard.
• Katharine: A sorceress with aristocratic bearing and magical abilities.
• Elisa: A peasant girl from Lorian who gained magical powers during a civil war. She helped defend her homeland and now seeks recognition from the king as a legate to gain access to military resources.

Development

King’s Bounty II was in development for four years, with a team of 150 developers working on the project. The game was initially announced in 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch version announced later during a Nintendo Direct Mini presentation in 2020.

The game was originally scheduled for release in March 2021 but was delayed until August 24, 2021. According to lead producer Denis Maltzev, the team placed “huge emphasis on creating a very story-heavy and immersive experience that is shaped and driven by its rich characters and a unique setting”.

King’s Bounty II features over 200 unique characters, a dynamic soundtrack, and a detailed narrative with more than 200,000 words. Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM was included at launch but was removed on February 17, 2022.

Reception

King’s Bounty II received “mixed or average” reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic, with scores of 63/100 for PC, 57/100 for PlayStation 4, 73/100 for Xbox One, and 63/100 for Nintendo Switch.

Critics praised the game’s “naturalistic” world design, visuals, tactical combat, and music. However, reviewers criticized the slow movement speed, janky controls, and mediocre storytelling. IGN gave the game a 6/10 score, describing it as “a tired sigh of a Euro-style tactical RPG” with enjoyable tactical combat but technical issues and an uninspiring narrative.

The game’s talent system, which ties higher-level abilities to ethical decisions made during quests, received mixed responses. While innovative in concept, some reviewers found that certain alignments (such as Finesse) were almost always the better choice in most situations, reducing the complexity of moral decisions.

System Requirements

King’s Bounty II runs on Unreal Engine 4 and supports Direct3D 11. The game features separate volume controls, subtitle support, and is available in multiple languages including English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.

Multiple editions were released, including the Duke’s Edition which included a digital artbook, soundtrack, and various weapons.