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Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
user avatarAdded by @Lithandrill

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (1995)

by Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms:
DOS, Mac, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Genres:Strategy
Themes:Fantasy
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is a Strategy video game published by Blizzard Entertainment released on 1995 for MS-DOS. Warcraft 2 is a successor of the popular Warcraft real-time strategy game. The game contains many improvements over the previous version in graphics, sounds and playability. The Multiplayer was also greatly improved allowing up to 8 players in the marvelous multiplayer skirmish.
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I was extremely lucky to buy WC1/2 when it was on sale. And it was an incredible time, the possibilities of having more games on their platform from Blizzard. I was hoping we'd get a DRM free version of their classic games. But it wasn't meant to be. Blizzard one day might've had a look at their BattleNet numbers and realised they could be getting more people playing and they can earn more money. So they had the bright idea with Microsoft's Assistance of course, to break off the partnership they had with GOG and we had to either buy their classic games on BattleNet or Xbox Game Pass and install BattleNet to play. Now you'd think them being Blizzard it'd all work and be perfect, after all, it is their game. But no! They, somehow unsurprisingly made their games worse! I have more faith GOG understands their game better than Blizzard does. WC2 is a superior game over WC1. The gameplay mechanics was refined and felt a lot better to play. The story was greatly improved upon and better realised, the characters had more depth and the cutscenes while dated was proof Blizzard at the time could make 3D animation look good. This games once again deserves the GOG Preservation program. Blizzard is desperately trying to regain control of their games in hopes we'll flock to their awful services once more. This game is the TRUE birth of the WarCraft Universe. While WarCraft 3 ascended into greatness, WC2 was the reason it ascended. You may wish to read 'Tides of Darkness' which is a novel adaptation of of this game that gives a better perspective of the WC Universe. One of my favourite WC novels.Shonen XIV
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Stories about this game (32)
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user avatar@Shonen XIVuser avatar@Shonen XIV
July 01, 2025
I was extremely lucky to buy WC1/2 when it was on sale. And it was an incredible time, the possibilities of having more games on their platform from Blizzard. I was hoping we'd get a DRM free version of their classic games. But it wasn't meant to be. Blizzard one day might've had a look at their BattleNet numbers and realised they could be getting more people playing and they can earn more money. So they had the bright idea with Microsoft's Assistance of course, to break off the partnership they had with GOG and we had to either buy their classic games on BattleNet or Xbox Game Pass and install BattleNet to play. Now you'd think them being Blizzard it'd all work and be perfect, after all, it is their game. But no! They, somehow unsurprisingly made their games worse! I have more faith GOG understands their game better than Blizzard does. WC2 is a superior game over WC1. The gameplay mechanics was refined and felt a lot better to play. The story was greatly improved upon and better realised, the characters had more depth and the cutscenes while dated was proof Blizzard at the time could make 3D animation look good. This games once again deserves the GOG Preservation program. Blizzard is desperately trying to regain control of their games in hopes we'll flock to their awful services once more. This game is the TRUE birth of the WarCraft Universe. While WarCraft 3 ascended into greatness, WC2 was the reason it ascended. You may wish to read 'Tides of Darkness' which is a novel adaptation of of this game that gives a better perspective of the WC Universe. One of my favourite WC novels.
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user avatar@DailyLocket8880user avatar@DailyLocket8880
December 22, 2025
on island maps or any map that required a water crossing it made zerging impossible. This meant if you were good with your resources and you still had a peon/present you were still in the game. My first time playing this game online I knew all the players but had never played with them before. They thought they would initiate me by ganging up and taking me out early. And for the most part they did... but I spent all my resources early on building lots of peons (I always played horde) and stockpiling resources. Then once they started fighting each other I mined out my island and snuck onto one of their islands. I took most of the resources from that island as well. One guy wasted all his gold on gryphons so a team of axe throwers kept me safe. One guy just built tons of destroyers 2 ogres took almost all of those out with my eye of krog (that was funny) and the gryphon guy could not get to the destroyer guy until I did that. Then it was just a matter of dropping a death knight on each island and death and decay.. then back on the transport when they came at him. I cleaned the map in an epic 4 on one battle my first time out. To be fair I did play tides of darkness and beyond the dark portal to completion with both sides so I was very familiar with all troops and tech trees. That is how I knew that horde ogres eye of krog are is more useful then paladins far sight.
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user avatar@veggiemasteruser avatar@veggiemaster
January 09, 2026
"Zug Zug." And "You're the master!" After ordering your peons to go build something are seared into my brain. I'm over 40 now, but just a wee las when this came out. It's wild that the second I hear "Warcraft" in any way, I just hear those two bits of dialog run through my brain. One of the progenitors of RTS that dozens or move games went to school on and were inspired by.
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user avatar@FormofCreationuser avatar@FormofCreation
February 03, 2025
I was still on an Amiga 500. Then a friend showed me this game, and I bought it and a 486 that same week. Cross cabled our nics to play together in the same room if memory serves, I was new to it all back then. Spent a few hundred hours with this game I'm sure.
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user avatar@matejrehakuser avatar@matejrehak
March 02, 2025
I really loved playing Warcraft II back in the '90s -- beautiful graphics, relaxing nature... And just last month I have discovered that now you can play it using a web browser on playminigames.net (via Emscripten-DOSBox) -- that is so cool!
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user avatar@FELEEKSuser avatar@FELEEKS
June 21, 2025
maps creator, nice sounds and music, funny, i really enjoy with friends...first strategy game i have tried...love everything about this game...with starcraft and warcraft III, it is a masterpiece...love love love
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user avatar@Rory_Mcgrathuser avatar@Rory_Mcgrath
July 09, 2025
Cradle of Filth goes well with this game but i think Amon Amarth is even more suited as all their songs are about battle. Electronics boutique had Warcraft II CD's at the counter for like $5.99 back in maybe 2000 and thats when I grabbed it! Got the big box and strategy guide later. Really enjoying the remaster.
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user avatar@HermesTzaangoruser avatar@HermesTzaangor
July 09, 2025
Ah Warcraft II Tides of Darkness. I always went to a friends house to play it. I did not have a PC yet. Hours upon hours playing Orcs, building structures and just loving the moment. I bought Warcraft 2 and the Add on long before i had a PC. Still today when playing it tickles my childhood memories in a way i canĀ“t describe.
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user avatar@Kryten42user avatar@Kryten42
July 10, 2025
I had all three of the original Warcraft series on disks or CD. In Australia, we are allowed by law, to make a backup copy of any product we bought and own on any recorded medium. I still have a copy of them, and have an old Pentium III PC with DOS/Windows 98/ME (a hybrid I made because both had annoying bugs), that I played them and other old original games on. Will be wonderful to see this series back on GOG!
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user avatar@brunoouteirouser avatar@brunoouteiro
January 17, 2026
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness, leave them and put them back, don't remove them from the list, and forget about money because I'm a man of nostalgia and system engineering, and we need Warcraft: Orcs & Humans / Wolfenstein 3D, which I won't download because it will be pirated, and we want clean versions without pirated, dirty games, and we need Warcraft 2: Beyond the Portal, W!Zone 1996, classic Warcraft Battle Chest with Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft 2: Beyond the Portal, and Warhazard: Return of Darkness, and we'll have a vote for the classic Starcraft 1 on GOG, Enemy Infestation will be available on GOG, and we need Raptor: Call of the Shadows, we need the game on gog it's shadow flare
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