WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness (Demo Version)

Annoyed unit responses

Starting with their first Warcraft game, Blizzard included hidden funny messages that become audible if the player clicks a unit enough times. In the demo version, Footman, Orc Peon and Orc Grunt units have specific messages that urge the player to buy the retail version of the game. This is similar to the earlier leaked alpha of the game, where the annoyed quotes suggested that the reviewers give the game a good score in their publications.

Cheat codes

The demo version allows the player to reveal the entire map, receive extra resources, instantly build anything, and jump to any desired level via cheat codes. These codes, however, are different from the retail version cheat codes with similar functions. Presumably, this was done to avoid spoiling the retail cheat codes via the demo version, as the demo cheat codes are documented in the accompanying readme file.

In-game hints & tips

The built-in Hints & Tips that are displayed in the beginning of each mission (unless turned off) include information about the features of the full game, and also ask the player to buy the retail version of Warcraft II, along with the regular tips regarding game play and interface commands, which are similar to the full version.

Title screen

The demo uses what is apparently an early version of the title screen, which has fiery orange background colour instead of the dark blue in the final release. Traces of orange colour can be still recognized on the title screen of the retail version, around the edges of the wooden plate upon which the title is imposed.

Unique levels

Blizzard seems to have developed the idea of including unique levels for demonstration purposes with the magazine preview alpha version of Warcraft II that had been accidentally leaked to the public. The alpha came with four unique missions (two for each side), complete with mission briefing voice-overs. By contrast, the demo version of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans uses the first and the third missions from the full version's campaign, with only a short unique scenario that is designed to be unwinnable as a conclusion of the demo campaign.