Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing that works here is sheer choice. Rather than asking you to commit to a single game, this box puts Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul alongside Rage of Mages and Rage of Mages II: Necromancer. That makes opening it feel less like buying one evening’s entertainment and more like acquiring a small shelf of fantasy games.

The manuals matter more than they might in a modern bundle. They give each included game the proper boxed-game treatment, and they make this feel like a collection assembled for someone who wants to spend time with it rather than simply own the discs. If you enjoy settling into older PC games with their original documentation nearby, that extra care is a genuine part of the draw.

There is also a nice sense of progression in having Rage of Mages and Rage of Mages II: Necromancer together. You are not being handed a random assortment with no connective tissue; the second title belongs beside the first. Evil Islands broadens the selection, making the package feel curated around a shared taste in fantasy rather than padded with unrelated material.

Graphics

The collector elements give the box a physical presence: an Evil Islands calendar, poster, and T-shirt turn its artwork into something you can keep outside the jewel cases. The special Strana igr issue reinforces that period-PC-gaming feel, making the edition more pleasing to browse than a standard software-only release.

Story

This edition does not present one continuous story across all three games. Its narrative value comes from letting you spend time with three separately named fantasy adventures collected in one place, with Evil Islands receiving the most attention through the accompanying merchandise and magazine.

Rage of Mages II: Necromancer has the advantage of sitting directly beside Rage of Mages, so the pairing gives that part of the set a natural order. If you like approaching a numbered follow-up with the earlier game already on hand, the collection removes the usual hunt for a matching copy.

Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul stands as the box’s showcase title in another way: it is the game tied to the calendar, poster, T-shirt, and special magazine issue. That focus gives the package a center of gravity, even while the overall box remains a compilation rather than a single unified saga.

Overall Experience

Proklyatie zemli: Kollekzionnoe izdanie succeeds because it understands that a collector’s edition should add texture, not merely change the packaging. Three full games and three manuals would already make for a substantial bundle; the Evil Islands items and magazine give it the sort of material you actually want to leaf through and keep.

The trade-off is straightforward: this is a targeted collection. Its strengths are strongest when Evil Islands, Rage of Mages, and Rage of Mages II: Necromancer already sound appealing to you. In that case, the box feels thoughtfully assembled. If you only want one of the games, the extras may be pleasant but less persuasive.

For a gamer who enjoys complete physical editions, this is the sort of release that rewards ownership beyond installation. The included manuals, linked Rage of Mages pair, and Evil Islands memorabilia make it a notably generous package from 2000. It is worth seeking out as a collector’s box with substance, not just a branded container.

Retro Replay Score

7.2/10