Back in 1990, a turn-based strategy combat game called King’s Bounty was unleashed onto the world. Now, almost thirty years later, we’re finally seeing the sequel.
That isn’t entirely true, actually. King’s Bounty received a “spiritual” sequel back in 2008 with King’s Bounty: The Legend. This spiritual successor spawned three more sequels, titled Armored Princess, Warriors of the North, and Dark Side. Other than these side additions, King’s Bounty has gone without a sequel – until now.
Or more accurately, until 2020, barring delays. The game is just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of its predecessor, which is quite an anniversary to make.
Given that it wasn’t revealed until so recently, not much is known about the game. The trailer shows a massive variety of monsters and enemies, escalating with every introduced baddy. The conflict goes from humans to skeletons, to something vaguely paranormal, and ending with a giant dragon swooping in with a plume of flame.
To be honest, the trailer makes it all seem very… busy. It seems like a lot to squeeze into a game, but it certainly isn’t the first fantasy title to be released. It’s a safe assumption the baddies will be integrated into the game better than in the trailer.
The trailer also shows off the first signs of a hex-based combat system. Groups of units move as a single unit into engaging an enemy before the scene cuts away. How this combat is carried out remained hidden as well, but it’s a safe assumption it will remain similar to the previous installments’ systems.
It’s too early to tell, and 1C likely won’t be announcing anything that concrete until we’re closer to the 2020 release. Given that they didn’t give a date, month, or even a season to the 2020 release date, it feels like a safe assumption to expect it sometime around the end of the year.
That won’t stop 1C Entertainment from showing it off, though. The first comment on the trailer is 1C’s official YouTube account letting everyone know that the game will be playable at Gamescom for those lucky enough to make it there. Presumably, it’s closer to being done than not if they’ve already finished a playable demo, so it may be sooner in 2020 than cynicism suggests.
Regardless of a concrete release date, plenty of strategy veterans and hobbyists alike are excited to see a release to a time-honored classic. King’s Bounty 2 has a sizeable reputation to live up to, and if it manages to do so, we’ll have an excellent game on our hands.
