Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep

Dungeon Master II is the long-awaited sequel to one of the most influential RPGs ever made. Your party sets out to stop an ancient evil linked to the mysterious castle of Skullkeep, this time travelling both through dark corridors and out under the open sky. It was released in Japan first and only reached the West later, by which point its design already felt dated next to newer games.

Gameplay

The core is the same as in the first game: real-time, first-person dungeon crawling with a party of four champions controlled directly with the mouse. Skills still improve by use, and magic is still cast by combining runes. The sequel adds several new features:

• Outdoor areas: For the first time, you explore outdoor environments, with forests, villages and paths between dungeons.
• Weather and day/night cycle: Rain, storms and darkness affect the atmosphere and visibility.
• Shops and money: You can buy and sell equipment in shops, adding an economy that the first game lacked.
• Minions: Spellcasters can summon magical helpers that guard, scout or carry items.
• New monsters and puzzles: More varied enemies and new types of traps and puzzles.

Survival elements such as food, water and light remain, and combat is still fast and unforgiving, especially when monsters come at you from several directions outdoors.

Verdict

Dungeon Master II is a solid sequel that broadens the original’s formula with outdoor areas, shops and minions. It lacks the tight, claustrophobic design of the first game, and it arrived too late in the West to impress as its predecessor did, but fans of real-time dungeon crawlers will still find a lot to enjoy.