Legend of Grimrock 2 Review

Remember Legend of Grimrock, the RPG that revived the old-school genre two years ago? This modest dungeon crawler from humble Finnish enthusiasts managed to please both hardcore RPG fans and newcomers who only knew Might and Magic from pictures. It’s no wonder that the unexpected success led to a quick sequel. Interestingly enough, it turned out to be quite good.

Almost Human Games didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, so those who played the original will feel right at home in the second part. We still control a party of four heroes, moving them as a single unit on the same tiles, fighting off creatures and solving intricate puzzles along the way. The changes mainly concern the content, and the surrounding screenshots already reveal the main innovation of the sequel.

Fresh air! The game finally had the courage to venture out of the stuffy dungeon interiors and onto the surface, which turned out to be a great decision. We now have a whole island at our fingertips, where narrow stone corridors are just a part of a larger attraction, alongside forests, rivers, graveyards, mines, and who knows what else. But every attraction has its own rules.

Visually, the game of stars is lacking from the sky, but it definitely pleases the eye.

First and foremost, it is necessary to understand that you are free to choose where to go and what to do. Deprived of a structured level system, Legend of Grimrock 2 does not hesitate to let go of your hand and give you the freedom to explore. Of course, there is no need to expect a sandbox. Instead, the path to victory is filled with numerous branches, where you can find useful items, come across unique recipes, or even fall into cunning traps. It is better to forget the habit of rushing headlong through the nearest gate if you don’t want difficulties in the future.

However, you won’t be able to rush into the game anyway – the local puzzles quickly put a stop to the hasty ones. Their number has increased in the sequel, and sometimes you spend as much time solving another puzzle as you would in a game like Myst. Finnish inventiveness seems to have also gotten rid of its previous limits, which makes each new puzzle equally challenging and interesting. Somewhere you will have to think, and somewhere it is important to act quickly. Piles of pressure plates with new algorithms, levers, pits, stakes – the simplest elements are combined in the most incredible combinations, which even an experienced quest player will reach for a guide.

In such conditions, much less attention is paid to the role-playing system and battles for some reason. Meanwhile, when creating a party, a full-fledged race of humanoid rats is now available, and the list of classes has been supplemented with several very interesting positions. Character generation has also been spiced up with new portraits – just for fun.

Combat, on the other hand, is practically no different from its predecessor and still requires the player to frantically click on weapons and spells while running around the enemy. The only difference is that there are more conveniences: heroes can now quickly switch between two assigned sets, which eliminates the need to constantly delve into the inventory during battle. However, this doesn’t make boss fights any easier, so don’t count on it.

Fans of old-school games will be pleased that the developers have added even more options to increase the difficulty. In addition to disabling the automatic map, you can torture yourself by limiting saves. Enabling the eloquent Ironman Mode means that progress can only be recorded at special crystals. Too easy? One click – and the crystals become disposable.

Wars and mages are certainly great, but a farmer gains experience solely from food. Does level-up come during meals?

The meager plot sharply contrasts with all its merits. The local setup is straight out of a fantasy version of “Saw”: stereotypical prisoners who end up on an island soon discover a letter from its mysterious owner, who has created a crazy obstacle course out of his whims – it’s such fun these days. Of course, he has no illusions about the survival of the heroes and encourages them in subsequent notes. That’s about it. Figure it out now.

In most aspects, Legend of Grimrock 2 has become an exemplary sequel. It is better, bigger, and more interesting than the original, but it does not change its essence. If you spent the best years in Eye of the Beholder and cherish warm memories of Wizardry, then I have good news for you. Your favorite genre is back in style.