14 DAY TRIAL // I have always considered the Disciples series of turn based strategy games to be one of the best in the TBS genre and I must admit that the third title has been on my wish list for a long, long time. Akella kept delaying the game, pushing it back and made it look just like another Heroes of Might and Magic release, but I am still expecting it to be launched and hope for the best from it.
Judging by the screenshots recently released at E3, things are better than ever, since I have finally gotten something to look at and say, "Yes, this is what I wanted from Disciples III!". The game no longer seems to be a HoMM clone, it has its own personality, it has style, and it has the looks of a winner. And I'm sure everybody is really happy with that. All we have to hope for now is to get the game in 2009, as promised.
Subtitled Renaissance, the new title in the series will offer three playable races - The Empire, The Legions of the Damned, and the Noble Elves - but probably expansions are already planned to bring even more before a potential Disciples IV.
As a Lord of the realms, you'll have to fight and restore your deity's rule over the entire world - a full 3D, beautifully rendered, gloomy world. Also, your leaders will now have an extended RPG attribute building system, allowing you to invest (probably in a HoMM-like manner) and improve the stats or abilities of your leaders. Of course, the traditional weapons, items and potions found in the previous two iterations of the game will also be available in a more diversified manner.
All in all, Disciples III promises to revive the series and, judging by the screenshots released at E3, we're positive that Akella's title has the graphical ability to do it. We're just waiting for a gameplay demo, just to be sure. Here are the pics, until then:
