Dark Legions

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(s) April 1994
Genre(s) Action, strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

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

Key features

Some key features of this game include:

Many reviewers and players note it as an updated version of the classic computer game Archon: The Light and the Dark,[1] calling it 'Archon with an attitude.'

Description

Dark Legions is an action based strategy game. The player may play against the computer or another human on a strategic game board. 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. One is chosen to be the "Orb Keeper". The Orb Keeper is like the King in chess: the game is over if he dies. Then players set up on a chosen map and start to move turn wise. 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. The fight is simultaneously controlled in real time.

Each figure type has unique abilities and at least two attack types. They can be roughly translated into categories however. This categories facing off against each other is the main focus of strategy. Simply put: Casters are hunted by Undead which are hunted by Fighters that fear the Casters spells. These categories are made up as a description and not an inherent part of the game. Hence some odd figures don't fit in any category.

Fodders- weak fighters meant to be expendable

Fighters- nothing else can compare in combat

Casters- comparatively weak in combat, but capable of powerful strategic effects that draw upon their own life force

Undead- specialists between fighting and casting with superior movement abilities

Specialists- those that do not fit into any other category

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. 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 won the sales in the mid 1990s and no sequel was ever released.

References

  1. 1 2 Dark Legions at MobyGames
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