I am just so happy that someone is updating my most favorite pass-time game of all time. This is a "prologue" which is a new word for me in gaming, but I guess it means it is early days. As a true fan of the original game I both love and hate the 3D graphics equally, and cannot make up my mind. The fact that it seems the developers are trying to stay as true to the original game mechanics as possible will probably sell me on the 3D in the end. That being said, here is what I could not live with in this prologue: The world map is an insult to the rest of the game. Just list all available cities in the iPanel and let me switch them on/off. I really don't care much to see where they are on the map. I have 3 monitors and a TV connected. When the game loads my other monitors start to flash white for a moment instead of nicely fading in the next desktop background. This used to happen long ago with older 3D games. What makes it weird is that the Desperados III Demo also uses the Unreal engine, but I have no such issues in that demo. You can rotate buildings, but there is no map rotation in this prologue. I certainly hope the final game will have map rotation. Even holding my mouse in the center of a grid block does not stop the building I am trying to place from jumping around between nearby blocks constantly. This makes placing buildings an absolute nightmare. The game hogs resources and it feels like you are dragging buildings to where you want to place them. Instead of staying with my cursor building outlines hang back and then rush to the cursor only to find it is not even there anymore. Several bugs like not being able to delete some buildings once placed, and granaries that stop giving out wares when you set them to only collect one resource to the maximum. Updating this game (even under a new name) is a noble act that is worthy of my respect. The negatives listed here are merely an attempt to make the end result amazing as my score reflects.
My first experience with this kind of game was Commandos. This game is in almost all respects exactly like that, and I was initially elated at the prospect of playing something that is a lot like my old favorite, but with a new theme and updated for current times. I downloaded this 7GB demo and played until it finally ended with a polite message telling me to buy the game for more. What did I learn? Unfortunately the graphics really is not up to scratch for modern times. I cannot in my right mind pay so much for this game, no matter how nostalgic it makes me. I know there are lots of specials on here so I will keep an eye out and maybe get it later.
I am giving this game 2 stars because it seems like Shiny did initially start making a sequel (first part of the game is inline with version one), but then handed the game to Bioware for whatever reason (probably money). Now, I cannot be sure, but I think Bioware handed it to their janitor and hence was born the disappointment now known as MDKII (a move that the game never recovered from). There was a version released not too long ago that updates the graphics and makes it work on Win10. I think you had to download Bioware's shop software to get it, but it disappeared before I could buy it and their support staff were unable to assist me. This version being punted by GOG however, is not that updated version. It is the original version, so you will wait fort the text to scroll onto the screen at 1 character every 30 seconds between levels on Win10 plus many other little irritations will make the game unplayable. If the GOG team ever get their hands on the updated version I will probably waste some monies on that too, cause it is just so much fun going through the initial levels as Kurt in God Mode. I would never disrespect the original game like that though, but good luck playing either on Win10.
