Legend of Grimrock 2 (2014)

The second entry of the Legend of Grimrock franchise is a masterful revival of classic dungeon crawlers like Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder, blending old-school mechanics with modern design. Set on the mysterious Isle of Nex, the game expands beyond the confined corridors of its predecessor to include lush outdoor environments, from dense forests and swamps to ancient ruins and temples. This variety gives exploration a refreshing sense of scale and discovery, making every new area feel unique and dangerous.

The sense of adventure this title introduced is amazing when compared to the first entry, although I also really enjoyed the experience of the first game, I think this second entry is a much better game overall. The core gameplay revolves around grid-based movement, real-time combat, and intricate puzzles that demand both logic and observation. Many puzzles are deviously designed, rewarding careful attention and experimentation while occasionally leading into frustration due to their difficulty.

Combat retains the tense, positional dance of the first game, where timing and maneuvering around enemies are key, though it can sometimes feel clunky due to the grid system. But if you enjoyed the firs title there is little to no surprises in the combat formula, besides new additions regarding skills, perks and spells. Character creation and progression are deeper this time around, offering more classes, races, and skills that allow for distinct party builds.

The game’s atmosphere is one of its greatest strengths, haunting soundscapes, clever lighting, and the constant threat of danger create a palpable sense of immersion. However, the non-linear structure can lead to moments of confusion, especially for newcomers, as the game offers little guidance on where to go or what to do next. As much as this is a complain of a lot of people, this is actually the opposite for me I enjoyed the semi-open-world elements of this game more than the linear-dungeon-based formula of the first entry.

Overall, this game is a challenging, atmospheric, and deeply rewarding experience for people who appreciate exploration and problem-solving over hand-holding. It demands patience and persistence but pays off with a sense of accomplishment few modern RPGs can match. This is a must-play if you enjoyed the first title or if you like this kind of grid-based party-RPG style game to any extent, it is one of the best of it's kind.

Legend of Grimrock 2 - сиквел с большой буквы весьма хорошего dungeon-crawler'a, в который я наиграл больше 12 часов. Он был увлекателен, и пусть ты уставал от однообразия локаций и боя с противниками, чаще всего заключавшегося в беготне по кругу в локации 2x2, но играть в LoG было интересно, а возвращаться - хотелось.

LoG 2 сделал лучше каждый элемент геймплея, который мог смутить в первой части: враги стали изобретательнее, и ко многим нужен свой подход, они изрядно вешают дебаффы на героев, а получать урон из-за системы увечий стало ещё рискованнее; здесь появилась куча оружия со стихийным уроном и дополнительным видом атаки, который помогает на пути в подземелья; сами подземелья больше не являются лишь подземельями, ибо появились лес, болота, подводные локации, пирамиды, кладбище, отдельного внимания заслуживает первый переход в пустыню.

Краеугольным камнем игры остались загадки и бесчисленное количество секретов. Если в первой части решить некоторые задачки представлялось непростым испытанием, то теперь их больше в разы, они сложнее в разы, и порой без подглядки в прохождение даже и не поймёшь, что от тебя хочет игра. Благо, даже эти ситуативные подглядки никак не окрашивают в негативном свете прохождение, ибо совсем сложных загадок тут процентов 20 от силы. Правда, признаюсь, на моменте, когда числа нужно было преобразовать в бинарный код, чтобы правильно нажать на рычаги, я был поставлен в тупик.

Legend of Grimrock 2 - это тот же Legend of Grimrock, но больше в локациях, противниках, разнообразии, нелинейности, - словом, во всём, и если первая часть вам приглянулась (хоть она и необязательна к прохождению, чтобы втянуться во вторую), то вторая точно придётся по душе.

PROS

• Deliciously crisp graphics, textures, and art style
• Diversity of environments is a significant improvement over the first Grimrock
• Contains a cornucopia of secrets, traps, and puzzles to solve
• Satisfying exploration has you joyously investigating every nook and cranny
• Robust character build options are another enhancement compared to the original
• Enemy behavioral surprises keep the suspense high whenever a new type is encountered
• OCDelightful inventory management

CONS

• The obscure nature of many of the puzzles goes a bit too far sometimes (this is one of those games that almost everyone will need to use a guide for at least once), and a few of the more geographically separated ones are bound to cause a fair amount of aimless wandering
• The increased scale of some of the combat encounters exposes the limitations of the grid-based movement and simplistic combat interface
• Boring story

My first RTA based dungeon crawling game. I'm used to turn based games, but I'm having a surprising amount of fun playing this game.

Only thing I don't like is exploration depends a lot on you inspecting every single dang wall. Not really a particularly engaging way to discover things. And the hunger mechanic means it can especially drag when you miss a hidden button somewhere; you end up spending a lot of time walking back and forth trying to figure out what you missed. Meanwhile, you have to feed your characters and even leave the dungeon if you start running low on food.

Better than the first Grim Rock. There's a lot more enviroments than just stone dungeons: swamps, forests, beaches, crystal mines. The game is also more non-linear challenging you to collect 20 out of the 25 crystals scattered on the island to open the door to the last dungeon, once you get past the early part there's always a choice between at least two locations on where to adventure.

Puzzles are tougher and so is combat. You also have more classes, skills, and items to play with but unfortunatly one particular class is tremendously overpowered.

LoG2 is the quintessential sequel: bigger, prettier, longer with more of everything. However, It still left me missing what I care for most in RPGs - Story. The mechanics are also quite shallow, even though there's a wide selection of skills, and I dound that I had little patience for all the secret-hunting and puzzle-solving that required any sort of trekking around. The combat also lacks variety, in my opinion.

Come to think of it, LoG2, like its forebear, is more a first-person rogue-likes than a proper RPG. In addition to lacking a proper story, it's also lacking in characters or meaningful happenings.

In short, while LoG2 does what it sets out to do very well, it doesn't do what I'd like it to do...your mileage may vary.