This review is a technical one so I will break it down into two parts, A & B: A - The game itself: This is a wonderful game with a steep learning curve that is both challenging but also highly rewarding and it's easily the best mobster simulator I have ever played; the vibe or atmosphere is astounding, the choices you make have immediate impact in the game and to really excel in the game you have to think like a mobster which includes being ruthlessly cunning and charismatic. A healthy balance of challenging yet fair is accomplished here and the game has a strong focus on your minions who you will get to know over time. Playing this game is like reading a crime novel and it's nigh on impossible to not get invested in your empire to the point where rival slighting your gang starts to feel personal and that level of immersion is something than many modern AAA+ titles fail to capture. The game is simply brilliant. B - Technical issues: If you just read my foot notes (A) and are keen to play this I have some bad news for you, I don't know if it's possible anymore. I played this game years ago (boxed version from a shop in New South Wales I think it was) and more recently I picked up the gog.com version which simply will not work for me. I have spent the longest time fishing around the internet at sites such as reddit.com and the gog.com forums as well as general google.com searches and I have tested many reported fixes but it seems the game will not run on any O.S more recent than windows 95. I have tried Windows 95 compatibility mode (including various color and resolution settings and launching it with administrative rights) on both Windows 8.1 & Windows 10 neither one of which many any difference nor have any of the fix guides online that I was able to source, thus... As much as it saddens me to do so I must suggest you do not purchase this product because it simply doesn't work or it can work and I have been unable to find the actual solution to the issue. SUMMARY: This is an amazing game hence the four star rating alas the gog.com version does not appear to function on modern operating systems regardless of tinkering with the settings and utilizing compatibility mode; if you are actually able to locate an original copy of the game then I highly suggest picking it up.
Dungeon Keeper II is an excellent game with solid gameplay that's well paced, it's suitable for all ages as there's no foul language or shocking visuals. It has elements that appeal to a variety of gamers, aspects ranging from designing your own dungeon to managing your horde of minions in combat situations. The controls are simple to master and sufficient for the gameplay, DKII does not require an ultra powerful computer as it's quite old nor do you need crackerjack reflexes and there's enough content in there to keep you entertained for a long time. It supports multi-player in addition to a marvelous single player campaign which packed to the rafters with a unique brand of humor as well as a skirmish mode. The game itself was marvelously innovative for its time and the pace at which you unlock new content in the game is slow enough that there's always something to look forward to but consistent enough to ensure you always feel rewarded for each of your actions - I cannot recommend this game highly enough.
