Might and Magic 2:
Gates to Another World
| Developer: N/A | Graphics: |
 | |
| Publisher: New World Computing | Sound: |
| |
| Year: 1990 | Difficulty: |
 | |
| Genre: Role-playing game | Lastability: |
 | |
| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
7/10 | |
This is the second title in the well-known saga, following Might and Magic: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, initially released on Apple II (1986) before being adapted to other platforms (but not Amiga).
Personally, I’m much more familiar with the franchise’s strategic branch: Heroes of Might and Magic (PC, 1995) and its sequels. In fact, it’s rather King’s Bounty that’s at its origin, released on Amiga in 1990.
In short, here we’re talking about an old-school role-playing game: all keyboard-based, without explanation, without any effort at presentation or even an elaborate storyline. You’re greeted by tables of numbers and a graphical interface at bare minimum. Prepare a manual, a pencil and plenty of paper for drawing maps.
The game rules are directly inspired by traditional role-playing games (such as Dungeons & Dragons). You’ll recognise the system of classes and moral alignments as well as the usual statistics (and dice rolls during character creation). You play with a group of six companions to start with, this number can be increased to eight by employing mercenaries. Battles take place in turn-based fashion and are triggered randomly.
Technically, it was already outdated at the time of its release, but it compensates with immense content. The world is vast, freedom is total (hence some confusion at the beginning) and a wide range of spells and equipment awaits you.
If you like old role-playing games without frills, mainly focused on combat and exploration, and if keyboard manipulation doesn’t put you off, look no further.
|
