Download/HomepageAlthough most hard-core computer role-playing
gamers can’t agree on what makes a great RPG, they will
agree that with the advent of the CD-ROM and with the release of
Doom, the commercial RPG genre has gone down hill. Sure, the new
RPGs have great graphics, but what happened to the detailed plot,
interactiveness, and not to mention being able to create your own
character (or a party of characters for that matter!).
Today’s role-playing games are becoming more like action
games with most being released with arcade-like real-time combat,
instead of the more strategic, turn-based system.
Will there ever be a new RPG like Ultima IV, or Might and Magic
that immerses the player into an alternate fantasy world? The
answer is yes! Yendorian Tales Book 1 Chapter 2 (AKA Yendor 2),
resurrects the glory days of role-playing games. There are plenty
of Shareware RPGs, but this game is one of the best to date.
Yendor 2 allows you to create four characters who can be one of
nine professions: Fighter, Merchant, Rogue, Monk, Alchemist,
Paladin, Mage, Druid, and Marksman. The user-interface is great
(once you’ve figured it out), it makes it an ease to trade
objects between characters, talk to NPCs, or anything else. The
combat is well executed in first-person with a turn-based style.
You won’t find exceeding long combat sequences like you do
with Exile 1 and 2, instead Yendor 2 offers a combat system that
is short and simple, giving you more time to concentrate on
exploring.
If you compare Yendor 2 with Epic Megagame’s Ancients, the
first decent first-person shareware RPG, Yendor 2 wins
hands-down. Ancients has the most frustrating (especially during
combat) user-interfaces among the top Shareware RPGs. Yendor 2
has auto-mapping, Ancients does not. Ancients offers a rather
boring world to explore, Yendor 2 offers a much more dynamic
world. Ancients has o.k graphics, Yendor 2 has much better
graphics (just look at the sunsets). The fact is, everything done
in Ancients has been outdone by Yendor 2. Ancients was the
reigning King of first-person Shareware RPGs, but now
there’s Yendor 2, which is light years ahead of ANY
first-person RPG to date.
Upside: Good graphics, quick combat, great user-interface. The
bottom line: Yendor 2 is great. If you like first-person RPG and
quick, turn-based combat, you can’t go wrong with this game.
