Legend of the North: Konung (As usual, this game received a number of different titles in different countries. At home, it was called "Князь: Легенды лесной страны" - "Knyaz: Legends of country of forest" if make a direct translation. Knyaz is title of ruler from ancient Rus, what in the west sources was translated as "Prince". So like Kievan principaty was "Knazhestvo Kievskoe", or, "Kievan Knyazdom")
This is an isometric RPG game from 1C/Snowball Interactive. At least wikipedia claims that it was made on famous Infinity Engine (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment) but I'm not shure about that. The game plot is that you need to combine the amulet and can start as one of 3 characters: Slav, Viking, or Byzantine, which have a different appearances and starting points. During your adventure you are assembeling a party of characters and there is number of strategy elements with managing your town. The game has 2 sequels Konung 2: Blood of Titans and Konung III: Ties of the Dynasty. Second was made on same engine, third is in 3d.
King's Bounty series. The original 1990 King's Bounty was one of the games made by the New World Computing, creators of the Might and Magic CRPG series. This was a puzzle-adventure with army-tactical combat which leed later to the famous spin-off series of the Might and Magic franchise: Heroes of Might and Magic. Later, NWC died after falling of 3DO, the publisher that owned them since 1996, and their IPs were lost to Ubisoft or other companies. 1C got King's Bounty, this game, in general, was famous in former USSR countries and spawned an unofficial sequel from some Kharkiv programmer in the early 90s. Then, under 1c, Katauri Interactive (studio created in Vladivostok by former Elemental Games employes, the studio that made kind of famous Space Rangers series) worked on a game with a similar concept and borrowed an already known title for it. This sub-series consists of the main game and standalone addons/full games. King's Bounty The Legend ("the Legend about Knight" - original Russian subtitle) and King's Bounty Armored Princess (full version with additional expansion known as Crossworlds) was made by Katauri. Then, alongside another ambitious project, they made Warrior of the North (+Fire and Ice addon) and the studio closed after it. The final game in this sub-series, DarkSide, was made by other people.
These games are story-driven RPGs set in an open world, where you can play a character from one of 3 classes with a different appearances (3 different characters in Dark Side). Your main hero has stats, perks, magic, inventory, and also additional super-special abilities which he can upgrade (super special abilities in the first game is the "Box of Fury", in second your personal Dragon, etc.) Combat in this game is alike the original game or HoMM, where you are carrying an army with you and there are enemy armies and heroes lurking around the land. Unlike heroes, they are not static and patroling area, following you or run from you.
Currently in development King's Bounty 2 - but this is not a direct sequel to original or this sub-series. It is more like other 1С game, Ascension to the Throne. Here it is a third person RPG with tactical combat, made in more serious fantasy style rather than fairy tale of the previous sub-series.
Etherlords 1 and 2 (Демиурги 1-2 at home country) are a mix of the HoMM-like maps and movement with tactical based combat with cards. Made by Nival, one of the more known Russian developer studios, who actually, besides other stuff, made actual Heroes of Might and Magic V under Ubisoft. Instead of an army in Etherlords, you have the deck of cards and you use them in combat to summon stuff, cast spells, etc. To obtain new cards you need to explore maps and buy them for resources.
Screenshots:
1.King's Bounty sub-series, explaration and inventory
2.Etherlords 2
3.Konung 1, 2 and 3
4.King's Bounty sub-series, examples of combat
