King’s Bounty is one of the grandfathers of all turn-based tactics games, predating even the genre giant XCOM. While XCOM may have influenced science fiction games, King’s Bounty inspired a whole swath of fantasy games, including the Heroes of Might and Magic series developed by the same studio. Now, developers at 1C Entertainment say that the upcoming King’s Bounty II is set to bring the classic King’s Bounty series into the new generation.
While the original King’s Bounty has had a number of sequels in recent years, including King’s Bounty: The Legend, King’s Bounty: Armored Princess, and King’s Bounty: Dark Side. Unlike these sequels, which more-or-less follow the spirit of the original game directly, King’s Bounty II is meant to be a complete revamp of the series. This is the reason behind the “II” title rather than a subtitle; it represents the new modernized King’s Bounty.
King’s Bounty II will also have a more significant story than previous King’s Bounty games, which is to say, it has a significant story. The original King’s Bounty had a basic fantasy storyline, in which the hero had to recover a magic scepter to save the king. Certain elements are randomized for replayability, but the story is a framing narrative rather than an engaging part of gameplay. King’s Bounty II will have gameplay choices and RPG elements that change how players solve problems.
The game’s world will be similarly advanced. King’s Bounty II features an open world for players to explore, rather than the procedurally generated overworld of the original. The combat terrain will feature obstacles and terrain that make for more strategic fights, and bring the King’s Bounty series into the world of modern turn-based tactics games. For instance, flying units will be able to move over low terrain that ground units can’t cross, and archers can set up on high terrain to gain a positional advantage over the rest of the battlefield.
However, while King’s Bounty II is supposed to be a King’s Bounty game for a new generation, it is not currently set to release on the next generation. The current plans are for the game to release on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. However, a release on next gen consoles has not been definitively ruled out.