Dark Legions

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Dark Legions

Developer(s) Silicon Knights
Publisher(s) Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI)
Distributor(s) SSI
Designer(s) Denis Dyack, Rick Goertz, Andrew Summerfield
Engine Custom
Platform(s) DOS
Release date April 1994
Genre(s) Action/Strategy/RPG
Mode(s) Single player & Multiplayer
Rating(s) USK: 12+
OFLC: G8+
Media CD-ROM

Dark Legions is a 1994 action computer role-playing game for DOS. It was developed by Silicon Knights and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI).[1]

[edit] Key features

Some key features of this game include:

  • Multi-player head to head (unusual for a DOS game in 1994)
  • 16 unit types with unique characteristics and abilities
  • A combination of strategic movement with real-time combat
  • Purchasing of units at game start allows each player to customize their forces
  • Multiple game maps

Many reviewers and players note it as an updated version of the classic computer game Archon.[1]

[edit] Description

Dark Legions is an action based strategy game. The player may play against the computer or another human on a strategic game board. When one player moves a piece into the same square as an opponent, the action is instantly transferred to another board map that represents the terrain upon which the two pieces occupy. Each player starts with their single piece on this "melee map" and must fight using their figures.

Each figure type has unique abilities and at least two attack types. Examples include:

  • Wizards with ranged attack to freeze enemy units on the strategic map
  • Wraiths that can teleport across the strategic map and have multiple (weak) life leeching attacks in melee
  • Specters that are invisible to one's opponent in melee yet move and attack slowly
  • Vampires that can paralyze opponents in melee, fly and leech hit points, can raise zombies, yet they are easy to damage and grow weaker each turn
  • Trolls that move very slowly yet have a strong attack, strong defense and a special ability that allows them to turn into a "rock" on the strategic map
  • Seers that "scramble" the controls of their opponent in melee

In the beginning of the game, the player buys their forces with a predefined number of credits, and may purchase any of the 16 characters along with various kinds of traps and even rings of power to upgrade their creatures.

Dark Legions was released at almost the same time as the original Warcraft and was in direct competition with this game from the much weaker publisher, SSI.[citation needed] While Dark Legions won acclaim and awards, it was the more frantic and continuous real time combat with the ability of gamers to build mass armies as the game progressed coupled with Warcraft's stronger retail presence that that won the sales in the mid '90s and no sequel was ever released.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Dark Legions at MobyGames