Dungeon Master 2

Title		Dungeon Master 2
Game Type	RPG
Compatibility	AGA only
Players		1
HD Installable  Yes (HD only)
Submission	angus@angusm.demon.co.uk

Review
Dungeon Master II The Legend of Skullkeep, is one of those games like
Frontier, and Battle Command that has the chips stacked against it because
of the success of it`s predecessor and the resulting level of expectation
in it`s potential players. The original Dungeon Master was quite simply a
Classic game, and was almost universally recognised as such. A tough act to
follow.
Your quest, this time, is to prevent Dragoth`s minions from creating the
Zo gate, enabling him to enter Skullkeep, and there`s an awful lot of
heads to be cracked before you can achieve that aim. The game does look
pretty similar to DM1, with the main window showing what is in front of
your four heroes, and smaller areas allowing access to the individual
character`s attribute screens, their weapons, and their use of magic.
There are some innovations, like the ability to have your warriors facing
in different directions and the movement of objects like tables, but
generally things appear pretty similar. One point that will initially
throw you is that they`ve added a frame of animation to the movement. So
you`ll start off thinking that you`ve clicked the forward arrow twice,
assuming you`re used to the first game.
I should say, that I haven`t completed DM2, infact I haven`t got very far
into the game, so you`ll have to take a pinch of salt with my criticisms.
What I liked though, about DM1, was the difficulty curve, that seemed
beautifully tailored to the player`s capabilities. In DM2, it`s not that
it`s particuarly difficult, it`s just that there seems to be an awful lot
of hacking and slashing for relatively little progress. I stayed with it
doggedly, but after successfully killing off a particuarly resilient bunch
of critters, and expecting some payback from the game, I just turned a
corner to find a whole bunch more different creatures that needed to be
dealt with in a similar manner. I needed a break from the game, and intend
to go back to it, but I haven`t yet. Generally the game seems pretty
playable, and if you could do a lot worse than buying it if you like RPG
games. Bear in mind, also that I have not seen all that the game has to
offer by any means. Nevertheless, I think it`s fair to say that this is
not a game that people will remember with huge affection in years to come,
and given a choice between the two, I`d recommend the original every time.

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