Genre: Strategy/RPG
Publisher: Strategy First/Akella
Developer: Akella/.dat
Release Date: Q3 2008

European developer Akella is taking a stab at the popular Disciples franchise and is hoping to deliver a product that will be both familiar to series fans and approachable for newcomers. Strategy First was at the helm of the original Disciples: Sacred Lands, as well as the sequel Disciples II: Dark Prophecy and its three expansion packs. Akella are taking over the reins for the Disciples III: Renaissance, and the culmination is a strategy RPG title that hopes to take its place among upcoming top-tier offerings.

Disciples III presents three races (Empire, Legion of the Damned and Noble Elves), each of which has its own unique units and territories. One of the main focuses of the gameplay is terraforming, which allows players to place units that will convert territory and reap any resources or benefits in the surrounding area. However, you must stay on your toes, as enemies may come and attack the territory and try and claim it for their own. The struggle for resources is a common theme in strategy RPGs, and it plays a vital role once again in this title.

The foes you face will be rich and varied, as Akella is shooting for around 150 different creatures in the final build. In the demo they presented, the units were all different enough from one another that they could be easily identified by sight, and there didn't seem to be any repeated character models. While it will surely be difficult to maintain this level of differentiation in the final build, if the developers manage to pull it off, then this will be one of the more populous and diverse fantasy worlds ever seen.

Combat itself is turn-based and based on a hex system. Battles can be fully automated if you wish, or players can target all of their energy on knocking out one specific foe. However, don't think you'll be able to pick off that priest so easily, as stronger units can defend their weaker allies and counter your blows. The developers are still putting the final touches on balancing, but it's already obvious that it will take several battles and unit combinations before you can find a party that will be effective in nearly all situations.

Disciples III is graphically solid, and with a bit more time to polish the visuals and finalize the animations, the team will be able to implement something truly beautiful. As it stands now, the visuals are still easily on par with something you'd see in a title like Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth. Akella has drawn a lot of inspiration from the Heroes of Might and Magic series, and that influence is readily apparent in nearly all aspects of the game. Thankfully, you don't need a Crysis-capable PC to run the title, and it doesn't look like anyone with reasonable specs will have any trouble booting this one up.

A large variety of units, character customization and upgrades, and a strong series pedigree mean that all signs point to success for Disciples III: Renaissance in the near future. Akella had a daunting task before them in taking a beloved and popular series and adding their own flair to it, but things are definitely looking good so far. A year after the title had been announced, Disciples III won the "Best Game" award at the Russian Game Developers Conference in April 2007. It has only improved in the meantime, and with at least six more months to polish and fine-tune things, it's hard to imagine just how much better Disciples III can possibly get. Keep an eye out for it this fall.