Review: Legend of Grimrock 2

Sadly, my wounded thumb is still preventing me from playing any console or handheld games, but I have discovered that PC games are quite manageable. So this week I bring you a review last October's Legend of Grimrock 2, the sequel to Almost Human's surprise hit of 2012. 

Fill in the Blanks

The Legend of Grimrock 2 begins with the transportation of 4 nameless and faceless prisoners and it'll be up to you to fill in those blanks. Understandably, it can be a daunting task to create a competent party and the developers Almost Human know this. You may opt to start the game with a predetermined party, but if you're more adventurous, there is an option to create your own party members.

The options for creating a party have been greatly expanded on this time around. With a choice of Race, Class, character traits and starting skills it is possible to create a wide variety of characters for a party.

Humans, Minotaurs, Insectoids and Lizardmen have returned as selectable races along with the newcomer the Ratling. Each race has their pros and cons such as Humans leveling up faster, but having no stat bonuses or Minotaurs having the highest strength, but suffering lower dexterity and getting hungry faster. Having two Minotaurs might seem like a good idea if you want two heavy-hitters, but it's also a good way to have all of the food eaten leaving the party starving (which prevents heath and energy from regenerating).

Character creation

The classes this time around have also been expanded on. The original three of Fighter, Rogue and Wizard return but this time they are accompanied by the Alchemist, Barbarian, Battlemage, Knight and the very random class of Farmer. All classes bring a particular bonus with them, Barbarians have the most health, Alchemists are capable of growing alchemy ingredients. The exception to this is the Farmer. The Farmer is there if you wish to make things harder. Farmers start with no skill points and don't gain any experience from fighting, instead they get it from eating food (once again risking party starvation).

This time around classes have access to all of the skills. Though some classes are predisposed to a particular skill set (Alchemists definitely benefit from learning alchemy) it doesn't mean they shouldn't learn skills that don't quite fit their role. As skill points are spent in a particular skill, new abilities become unlocked. for example; levelling accuracy to level 2 will allow characters to attack from the back row with regular melee weapons and the higher the level of the armour skill, the heavy the armour worn can be without inflicting penalties. It'll be up to you to guide your party's progression as the game will not do it for you or offer any pointers.

Welcome to the Isle of Nex

After the party is created the opening cinematic will play kicking off the story. It's a simple cutscene, devoid of any voice over, it simply sets the scene for what is to come and is the only interruption to gameplay until the party's escape from the island.

It's a nice change, that, in the world of triple-A gaming a story can be told without being rammed down our throats with lengthy exposition or a ton of cutscenes. From the moment your ragged band of would-be heroes break free from their prison, to the moment of their escape--the story presented is only what can be gleaned from the various locations, notes and signs found throughout the island.

Evil lives here

What becomes immediately apparent is that the heroes are not alone on the island. Someone has left messages for them to find. Some of these messages are helpful, but most are in place to mock the any progress the heroes have made. Survival on the island is nothing but a joke the the Island Master. And though usually out of sight, the Master can be occasionally spotted checking up on the heroes as they explore.

Swords and Sorcery

The Legend of Grimrock games are RPGs created the style of the old-school first person dungeon crawlers. But don't let the camera angle fool you, these are hardly the stodgy turn-based affairs of old. These games are fast-paced and frantic. Enemies attack and move in real-time so survival isn't just about having higher levels or better gear, but it also relies on your reflexes. Keeping calm and being able to adapt on the fly are essential for survival. However, there will be times a level head will not keep the party alive. Some encounters can be near impossible without any prior knowledge. Thankfully, the game offers the option to save anywhere.

Not only are there the monsters to worry about, but the Isle of Nex is covered with puzzles and traps to be dealt with as well. Puzzles start simple enough, teaching you the basics of pressure plates and teaching you that you can place objects on the other side of metal bars, but it isn't long before you're redirecting magical energy and such to help clear a path. Traps start off being easy to spot and sometimes there's even a sign on the wall with a warning of impending doom, but just like the puzzles these become harder to predict or avoid sometimes blocking of your means of escape while letting multiple enemies into the room.

Not only will you be flexing your brain attempting to solve the myriad of puzzles on the island, you'll also get the chance to feel like a bonafide pirate. It's not long into the adventure before you're brandishing a shovel and attempting to solve various riddles and uncover buried treasure. And its thanks to the breadth of the island that that it feels like a legitimate treasure hunt.

Farmer Stoph likes to pretend he's a pirate

An Island Paradise

Unlike the dungeon from the original Grimrock, the Isle of Nex is a wonderfully varied place. The island consists of a great deal of real estate, some of it accessible the moment it is found, other places are locked off until the required riddle can be solved, or key can be found. Being able to explore the island without being herded down a straight path is a wonderful change from the original, but it does come with the added danger of being able to go places where the party might not survive.

Instead of one giant dungeon that only changes its look every couple of floors, like the previous game, Legend of Grimrock 2 has beaches, jungles, swamps, mines and many more locations. I imagine most PC gamers will have no problems running Legend of Grimrock 2 at its maximum settings. I however, could not. My cobbled together PC is something that would make Victor Frankenstein proud and was only capable of limping along at 15FPS when everything was set to high. The game's locals still work quite well with the settings turned down, which is a testament to the artists.

Where it all begins

Though my PC was unable to do the graphics justice, the audio was fantastic. From the up-beat opening theme to the eerie ambient music, everything has been excellently produced. Thanks to the distant noises from groaning zombies or the clanking of unseen armour, the locations come to life as you explore. Sadly, just like the original, there is no voice work. Characters will grunt when attacked, or scream when they fall, but there are no spoken words to be heard throughout the game.

The Extras

Along with the game there is also the Dungeon Creator. This is a pretty in-depth tool for creating new dungeons and quests. The modding community has been pretty steady with mods still appearing 6 months after release in the Steam Workshop. The best part of the Dungeon Creator is that it's being supported by Almost Human with tutorials available and an official support page in their forum, it looks like they really want to see what the community can create.

Behold! The Dungeon Creator!

Final Thoughts

Legend of Grimrock 2 serves as a wonderful example of how old-school and new-school can be blended together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. What's even better about this latest entry to the Grimrock series is that it attempts to out do it's predecessor and succeeds in every way. If you have any interest in this game you owe it to yourself to pick it up as soon as you can.

Verdict: I highly recommend this game. It's an excellent adventure that both newcomers and veterans will appreciate!