King's Bounty II

King's Bounty II is a fantasy role-playing game with turn-based tactical battles. The story leads through the threatened kingdom of Nostria. Between fights you explore the world from a third-person perspective, seek allies and strengthen your own army.

King's Bounty II came out in August 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. On PC and Switch the launch was on August 24, while some console stores list August 23. A technically revised version followed for PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023, and for Xbox Series X|S on September 7.

Native versions are available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The later PS5 and Xbox Series versions offer, among other things, a performance mode with up to 60 frames per second and faster loading times. Switch 2 compatibility is not a standalone Switch 2 release.

Outside of battles, the character moves freely through villages, landscapes and cities. A fight switches to its own battlefield, where the units act in turns. Formation, terrain height and unit abilities determine which tactics work.

The Lord's Edition Upgrade adds extra weapons, equipment and further bonus content to the base game. The Lord's Edition includes the main game with the upgrade, while the Duke's Edition adds an artbook and soundtrack, among other things. On PC, the artbook and soundtrack can also be bought separately.

King's Bounty II requires Windows 10 64-bit, 8 GB RAM and around 20 GB of free storage. Minimum specs include an Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD FX-9370 and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 480. Recommended are, among others, a Core i5-7400 or Ryzen 7 1700X and a GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 580.

Conspiracies, unrest and necromancy threaten the kingdom. While regions fight for independence and bandits make the roads unsafe, one of three main characters is meant to influence the conflict. Quests and decisions lead through different parts of Antara.

The choices are Paladin Elisa, fighter Aivar and mage Katharine. They start with different backgrounds and focuses. Their decisions shape the course of the journey and their relationships with other characters.

Armies consist of different units with their own abilities and combat roles. Their composition affects range, durability and tactical options. New troop types can be recruited during the journey and deliberately combined.

Battlefields have obstacles and height differences that affect movement and attacks. Players who position their units wisely can secure chokepoints or protect vulnerable troops. Battles are turn-based and require decisions rather than reflexes.

King's Bounty II is a single-player adventure. The console versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S offer technical improvements over the older generations. Existing players of the PS4 and Xbox One versions received an upgrade according to the publisher, with save games carried over.

The PC version includes German menus and subtitles. English and Russian also have full voice acting. Nintendo also lists German as an available language for the Switch version.

King's Bounty II was developed at 1C Entertainment, which later appeared under the name Fulqrum Games. The console versions were published by Prime Matter and PLAION respectively. The PC version is offered via Fulqrum Publishing.