Well, I expected something more and something better than it is. The combat system be changed, which is an interesting solution. Climate is still good. The graphics are nice and I really like it. Unfortunately, the game is not as good as its predecessor.

The artistic design of this game is just stunning. It is easily the most beautiful one among its genre. The units design is very creative and the environment is very atmospheric. However, it is about the only good part of the game. The gameplay falls short comparing to similar games like HoMM5 and even its predecessor. It's remake, Disciples Reincarnation, shall be the version you want instead.

Great graphics and there aren't many other games like it (maybe HOMM5). I love the turn based game as a change of pace, but at times the combat can get repetitive.

Big gripe is you can't change your difficulty in the middle of the game. Hard was a little too hard to start with, so I went with normal, and now wish I had a little more challenge.

Buit soldi game overall and fun to play. Constantly changing battlefields also keep the combat fresh and force you to have a balanced team to take advantage.

a really good fantasy strategy game! not quite as polished as heroes of might and magic, but a good alternative on a budget. alot of the gameplay elements are the same so if you have played heroes you will definitely feel right at home with this. its really JUST shy of heroes of might and magic 6 on pretty much every front... like the graphics are just a notch lower quality, same for the story and gameplay. it is probably wrong to compare it so heavily to a "AAA" title but they are so close to eachother it is impossible not to.

over all it does stand on its own as a decent fantasy strategy game.

Disciples III is a load of fun, but all that fun is a bit soured by some bizarre technical issues and strange design choices.

The UI is, to put it as simply as possible, horrible. Menu buttons are all over the screen and the Load Game screen doesn't even bother to timestamp your saves -- you have to guess which saves are which either by the title of the save or the screenshot. It can take multiple clicks just to access simple options like upgrades and inventory.

The artifical intelligence isn't too intelligent. It blatantly cheats -- it fixes percentage rolls during the more difficult combat encounters, and certain units have an automatic chance to hit their opponents despite what the screen tells you. Missile units in particular are prone to a 100% hit rate later in the game. The critical hits mechanic seems to suffer the same problem.

It's fortunate that Disciples III offers enough variety to make you want to keep playing. The maps are well done, the monster units are creative and varied, and the overall game mechanics are solid. Graphically, Disciples III is still one of the prettiest strategy games around. The devs obviously put a lot of effort into the artstyle, and this helps offset some of the weirder issues that plague the game. I should also note that DIII suffers from regular crashes unless the latest patch is installed.

I really can't suggest Disciples III to just anyone -- only hardcore Disciples fans or dedicated TBS gamers will likely get any long-term enjoyment out of it.

Having been a big fan of Disciples II and fantasy RTS/RPGs in general, I was quite looking forward to Disciples III.

Unfortunately, I have recently completed the excellent King's Bounty series, which features some excellent fantasy strategy presented in a genuinely humorous fashion. In comparison, Disciples III feels completely serious, but also fails to stand out in any department. It has a more linear campaign, and a lack of any outstanding features.

Having said that, it's still a good game. There is plenty here to entertain a fan of the genre.

With more polish, this game could easily have earned a solid 5 stars.

I was a fan of Disciples 2 (and its expansions) and this game is true to it in many ways. The most notable difference is combat; it has changed from the frontline/backline configuration to an open battlefield, very similar to Heroes of Might and Magic. Equipment and potions seem to play a less prominent role in this iteration as well.

My biggest beef is that it doesn't really feel finished! Even after patching, there are still noticeable bugs, and apart from the campaign (which is quite nice, so far) there are only a small handful of skirmish maps to play. Of the maps that are available, some of them don't seem like they've been tested. Certain aspects of the game (such as units) don't feel balanced. Also, the game only has 3 races so far (Empire, Legions, and Alliance) though the others will be added via expansion, I'm sure.

One good note: the graphics are quite lovely, in my opinion, and match the "mood" of the game nicely.

Buy this game on sale. Right now it's a gem in the rough.

This game is good. It's no ultimate thrilling like its predecessor(s) - but still good developed. Campaign is very long for someone who wants to discover everything, your units leveling with you, greater battlefields (giving extra maneuverability and tactics), interesting (but somewhat trite) plot and very good visuals (and audio). I do not think there is a risk involved, when buying this.

Buy it when its low since the Interface and everything is really bugged out.

The Tutorial is really buggy.

Do yourself a favor and buy it only when the price is low ;)

But! The Combat is quit satisfying.

The game is fun, but is more for a person who is looking for another turn-based RPG to add to their collection. I like the game, wish I could bring myself to try it's predecessors out, but I'm a little phobic towards older games, and can't stand the hideous pixelated graphics. Anyway, I liked the game for what is was, but it didn't really wow me. The interface and overall look of the game seemed a little awkward, as it felt like it was really "closed in", if you catch my drift. I like those games that are more open and give me space, and this game didn't really give me that, although that's more of a personal nitpicking that may be exclusive to me only. I recommend the game when it's cheap, but not a full-price-worthy game. Pick it up if you like turn-based RPGs, you won't regret it.

I was not too impressed with this game. It is more or less a prettied up version of Disciples 2 (from the hour or 2 that I played it at least). It has the same units and buildings. There are few differences besides the upgraded graphics.

One difference is the tactical battle sequences as opposed to the static units in the older game. before they just stood there and attacked but now you can move them around and position them on focus tiles that increase their damage. However the game still uses a frustrating crit/miss calculation in which your enemies crit you and you miss all at the least opportune times. This would frustrate me in the old game as well because I would be just about to beat a strong opponent which I had spent quite a bit of time trying to kill and I would miss then he would crit. Very frustrating in my opinion.

Another huge difference is the hero progression, which was an excellent addition. Your heroes gain stats and skills as they level up instead of being just a powerful unit within your squad. This allows for more personalized play styles and they can also be recruited in other maps as you continue the campaign. Which leads me to the amount of content. There are 3 campaigns (one for each faction) and 5 multiplayer maps. I do not know if there is any user created content but this is a severe lack of content if you ask me.

A minor thing that irks me is the removal of the rod system from the game. Instead you have to capture guardian nodes and wait for your influence to spread to gain the benefits. Maybe it's just me but I am not a fan.

TL;DR

Overall I would recommend picking up Disciples 2 Gold instead for about $3 right now on sale ($10 once the sale is over). It has more content and (I feel) is an overall better game. If you're looking for a newer game with the same feel try King's Bounty or Heroes of Might and Magic.

The game seems a departure from the things we know and love about Disciples and Disciples 2.

For one thing the combat mechanic took an unnecessary turn to the Heroes style. It was one of the main things that was more attractive about this game. Sometimes you can forget that you are actually playing a Disciples game as this game seems to betray it's roots.

Another thing that is the sudden disappearance of the undead. It was one of the main factions within the previous game and certainly had prospect for very interesting unit and building design.

Again we can look at another thing that is sorely missed: the ability to play with your friends. Sure you can play hot-seat, but what if your friend is too far off to come to your place? The hot-seat is nice but there is a need for the multilayer in my opinion.

The game has nice aesthetics but can seem like the developers wanted to take it further then they were able. The actual city view gives you a grand castle but due to relative size of your new constructions their magnificence seems waned. Same goes for the combat. The units might appear to be nicely done, however the game took a grander scale on the battle scene and dimmed the first impression awe of the design due to lower relative scale.

All in all the game isn't a tragedy but it could have been a whole lot more then it is. Hopefully with some expansions and patches they will change what's wrong about otherwise a good game

Disciples is much better than HOMM but not better than King's Bounty. The units do feel dark but they don't inspire the same awesomeness feeling that the units in the first disciples did. I probably wont be pickip up 4 if it comes out. I'll take one of these over a first person style mindless shooter though.

Disciples III could be a great game, unfortunately, it remain in the "could be" because right now, all that is left is the taste of its potential.

The AI is terrible, enemy will just rush to you it much stronger troops than you, ignoring everything in the path, even that their troops are almost dead...

Balance is bad, as example: enemies in the map, the neutral ones, have ridiculous amount of HP, good luck trying to kill troll in the first empire map, because you be forced to use several lightning bolt spell to soften them... by the way hope you are playing as archmage, because otherwise that mean twice the time...

Other example, in the first empire map you can only upgrade your troops to the first tier, but somehow the game throw against you waves of enemies with second and third tier troops, in fact the last battle, a fixed one, so no using magic to soften them, is against a enemy with all third to four (second to third) tier troops.

The guardian nodes are a good idea on theory, but they lack balance, once they gain a few level its almost impossible to beat them, also note that the Ai will try to kill your guardian node even if they can't...

It's a shame, because all of this could be fixed, but outside the first patch, there is no sign of other ones. On the good side, the game does offer some good graphics and animations, cycles of day and night and have very strong Disciples flavour on it But it don't really balance the game problems.

Disciples is a two-layer turn-based strategy game. While the hexagonal battlefield with movement is a step away from its predecessors, and a step towards the more mainstream Heroes of Might and Magic, it still retains a lot of the series qualities: Instead of buying hundreds of your weakest units and gradually stronger ones as you upgrade your castle, you can only recruit a base troop and have to level it by experience - higher tier buildings merely unlock a next evolution of a unit, which may make it skip a few levels, and give it new abilities. Likewise, the selecting which of the different, mutual exclusive upgrade paths a unit shall take is still a major factor in gameplay. Combine that with the relatively down-to-earth, somewhat dark and rather religious motivated graphical and story approach, and you have a fine game that still stands out. There is a demo available - if you like turn based strategy in the vein of Disciples or Heroes of Might and Magic, this game might be for you.

Definitely a game to buy...when discounted.

On the plus side, it's one of those fantasy, strategy games which you'll enjoy if you liked HOMM, other disciples and King's Bounty type games.

On the minus side, you'll have to wait for an expansion pack (there's an undead faction add on in Russia at the mo...wait and see for an international release) to play beyond the first three races, and the game is mind-numbingly repetitive (in the best Disciples fashion).

Still, enjoyable and one I'd recommend to fans of the genre. (Can't beat the music of the original though)

This is a great addition to the Disciples legacy. Having played all previous Disciples titles, including all the expansions, I have to say that this is my favorite. It is familiar, having many of the same unit types, but very different as battle has become much more tactical and leader management is more diversified. My one critique is that I didn't find the tutorial all that helpful. You really need to spend some time getting comfortable with the new interface. There are a lot of things that make your life a lot easier, like the continue to where you were going button. If you are using a dual screen set up, just use windows key + P and go down to one monitor and you won't have any issues with scrolling the world map. If you don't want to do that, just right click and hold and rotate the map, and then you can avoid ever map scrolling to the right. The detail put into everything is just beautiful, I hope you have a graphics card that can handle the highest settings because it is worth it in my opinion. The storyline is good too. It is perplexing and intriguing how you go from one campaign to the next, switching races in the process. I won't spoil any of the plot, but let's just say some things are written in stone and it doesn't matter how awesome your character/party is. Overall, I probably put about 100 hours in, just doing the 3 campaigns, so while I don't usually spend this much money for a game, I think it was worth it. I'll be waiting for hopefully an expansion or two and an eventual Disciples IV.

Unfortunately, this game is just not finished. The Disciples series is one I have always enjoyed, and still play Disciples 2 every once in a while. Discilpes 3, however, is almost a clone of the 2nd one, with terrible AI to go along with it. Te switch to 3d is very good, and adds a lot to the strategy. Or it would if there was any computer AI in battles. Instead, the computer units will follow the exact same pattern every time, and merely attack the neareest unit no matter what. That also holds true for the campaign map, where computer units will attack you no matter what the odds. They also got rid of computer controlled cities,which removes pretty much all of the challenge. Once you finish the 1st mission or so, your hero and units are nearly unstoppable and you almost cannot lose the game. Like I said earlier, the switch to 3D battles is well executed and animated, and the game plays exactly like the 2nd one(which isnt a bad thing), but the AI and mission setup is so broken it makes the game unplayable and unenjoyable. I guess this could be addressed in future patches, but I doubt it since they released a broken game in the first place.

I completly disagree with the previous review from jonny13bravo27.I just think he dont know how to play this kind of game that's all ;)

Having played all titles from the series the game is not harder than previously. Actually i find it easier.

You just have to play smartly, like it was for all those Heroes of might and magic titles (before homm4, the 5 is too easy no challenge) to which disciples III is similar in gameplay.

For the guardian nodes you need to take them as soon as possible or they will level too and become stronger. Dont play carebear and then assaulting the map, you will always loose doing so. Like in all homm like game you need to quickly rush the map, and make sure you play it smart same time (king's bounty armored princess is way harder than disciples III if you want a "hard game" example)

Very minor bugs only (when swapping troops, you can even get your city guardian in party), not a single crash to desktop yet, so to my opinion this game is pretty decent for a first release.

The graphics deliver, as the gameplay, the story is ok (no award winning for writing i guess^^). What is unique about this game is the troop system (hired basic troop that level within a troop tree from your town building, unlike all those homm clones)

There is one problem with savegames thou : when installing game some folder and files are write protected, you must set all of disciples III game folder to write permission, otherwise you wont be able to save your game, if you still have trouble, make a "save" folder in Disciples III directory (i-e : ...\Kalypso\Disciples III\save"

Ok well I have seen one bug so far, when you try and access the tourtial info screen it will show up pink sometimes, like the whole screen, besides that little detail I LOVE this game, mostly because of the art/look of the game, as said this is a mature game and it shows with the depth they put into the look and feel of it, ive always been a fan of Disciples, and this game really sets the standard.

This game is terrible. Computer AI is able to walk through npc's on the map that you have to battle. The AI levels really fast which makes it really difficult. Your hero will be level 2 and then you get attacked by the enemy hero who is at least level 5 and his troops are sometimes up to level 11. Also trying to defeat the gaurdian nodes to expand your territory is also really unbalanced. Just the guardian took out my whole squad even after hitting it with magic before the battle. I really discourage anyone from buying this game unless being frustrated and yelling at your computer is what you consider a good time.

The graphics and all that are great. WIth the game being just released it is still buggy. Also the tutorial doesn't really help.

All in all this game is one of the worst i have played in a while. I recommend that you save your money and spend it on anything other than this game.

Buy this game. Now. If you line turn-based strategy, this is one of the few good series left. Heroes of Might and Magic, Civilization, and King's Bounty I love them all, and I could not decide which one is the best. Look, I played over 20 hours just with the demo released a few days ago. Now I have installed it in my computer and looking forward to spend many weeks on it. Disciples has a the very mature graphic, an interesting story, and now they have even made the combat more tactical than in previous versions, so now combat feels more like Heroes or King's Bounty (which is a definite plus for me). Some people like more open maps, but I like very much the challenges provided by this game, in which you have to identify key strategic points and defend them. I haven't find any bugs so far, others reported in online forums, but don't get scared, in those forums you will always find vocal and frustrated players, the enthusiastic ones (like me) are busy playing and enjoying the game. Bottom line: get the game, this is the best Disciples yet, and this is one of the best series available for fantasy turn-based strategy.