Being shipwrecked on an island isn’t exactly a dream come true for most I’m sure, but alas, that’s how Legend of Grimrock 2 begins. On top of that, the only escape route from this hostile locale requires traversing treacherous dungeons and ruins full of monsters. Also… something something evil mastermind.
Then again, without those dangerous dungeons full of creepy crawlers, there’d be no dungeon-crawling, and that is after all that the series is known for. The best kind too: tile-based, semi-real-time, puzzle/exploration heavy spelunking in the depths, where the outcome of every fight matters quite a bit.
That’s how 2012’s Legend of Grimrock played anyway, and from what I’ve seen, Almost Human Ltd. has come a long way since, with a sequel that’s an improvement in just about every area. For starters, it has more than double the class selection of the original, along with “numerous skills and traits”… and heck, that’s just the character creation process.
Explore the wilderness and the dungeons of Isle of Nex: walk in ancient forests riddled with mysterious magical statues, fight the denizens of poison fuming swamps, dive in the Forgotten River in search of treasure, uncover secrets hidden deep below…
Adding to the variety (and improved combat) is a whoopin’ thirty brand new blood-thirsty foes, roaming the island in search of fresh meat. So much for mostly dealing with spiders and skeletons, eh? With that many hostiles, it probably wouldn’t hurt to gear up ASAP and ensure everyone’s fit for fight. Go ahead and craft a couple of bombs while you’re at it – never know when you may need a bit of kaboom.
It isn’t all about muscle flexing either, as you’d do well to also keep your wits about. Who knows what might happen if you push on that tiny out-of-place stone in the wall, after all? Or maybe that cryptic writing is actually part of a map/guide, leading to a place of importance? No one, that’s who, but you’d probably do well to try to find out.
Create your own adventures and fill them with puzzles, traps, or even totally new items, monsters and environments with custom graphics and audio!
Then once you’ve finished the story, which should easily take around twenty hours (according to the developer), it’s time for some custom content! See, unlike the original, Legend of Grimrock 2 launched with a dungeon editor, meaning fans can get to crafting a new adventure immediately. Oh and since the game isn’t confined to but a single dungeon… imagine the creative potential! Gonna be fun to see what the community comes up with this time around. Just don’t forget about the four prisoners, as they won’t be able to leave the Isle of Nex without your help.
Legend of Grimrock 2 is available for Windows from GOG.com, Steam and via. Humble (DRM-free + Steam key), carrying a $23.99 price tag.
