Alright. [i]Avernum 2: Crystal Souls[/i] is done and dusted. This is a direct sequel to [i]Escape from the Pit[/i], set a decade after the events of the first game. I enjoyed the approach Spiderweb took for this sequel.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3608106241
You aren't playing as the party of adventurers from the last game. Instead, you are a group of Avernites who, after basic soldier training, were stationed at a remote fort and tasked with mining. However, as fate would have it, events unfold which force you from the doldrum of your daily routine and place you firmly into the role of needing to directly deal with and hopefully, eventually end the invasion of Avernum by the Empire. The Empire of course didn't take kindly to how the first game ended and began a full-fledged invasion into Avernum to bring the Avernites back under their heel. Somewhat hampered by the limited amount of people they can teleport to Avernum at any given moment due to the constraints of portal travel and limited access points otherwise.
However, that is not all. In addition to the war with the Empire that is raging in the underworld, the enigmatic Vahnatai, an ancient race of humanoid people who have been living in Avernum since long before the surface people ever discovered it, have begun to wake from their centuries long slumber only to find their world populated with people who have no regard for the things or places they hold sacred. And so, there is also a war brewing with them that your erstwhile group of adventurers must deal with.
And as if that all isn't enough, there are still other factions that need dealing with, quests that need questing, and so on. With all that as the backdrop, your group of adventurers sure does have its hands full!
Gameplay is going to be familiar if you've played the first game, and you really shouldn't be playing this one until you have in fact played through Escape from the Pit. It's similar to other Spiderweb games, but with a full open world rather than nodes. If anything, this game, much like its predecessor, and in conjunction with it, takes on the persona of a long-form tabletop RPG campaign. Which I personally truly appreciate.
So, overland travel and general exploration, whether on foot or via boats, is real-time, but combat itself is turn-based. It's a classic and effective system. The skill trees are sensible. Character classes give you some variance in party composition, although the classic four-person warrior rogue priest wizard team is still the tried-and-true combo of course. Spell variety is nice, and the upgrades definitely carry weight to them. Weapons and armor variety is also cool and as with many games, you will continue to find more and more powerful versions as you adventure. Rods, gems, potions and scrolls are fairly well essentials throughout the adventure. The same can't be said for wands, which are more useful early game and less useful as you progress. And I would argue that ranged weapons are less useful than simply focusing on melee weapons, in general.
Movement is fine, but it does have some of that jank that defines early era RPGs. Characters will get stopped by every NPC that stumbles across their path, and pathing in general, be it during exploration or combat can take you in new and often inexplicable and undesirable directions, lol. Boat movement is still as bad as it was in the first game. It'll get you there, but you will get stuck plenty of times along the way, lol.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3603627936
Although this game obviously looks dated, it's really easy to become immersed in the world, and both the assets used and design in general carry a sense of familiarity and comfort that just feels good. Sound design is the same. Comfortable and dependable. The writing itself is excellent and often pretty hilarious. Quite engaging.
One thing that is very interesting and cool above and beyond what I've mentioned is that Avernum, a decade later, has both changed a lot and yet stayed the same. Almost all the same places from the first game still exist. A few have been destroyed by the Empire, but they are technically still there. And the places that haven't yet been destroyed are the places you are already familiar with. And a lot of the same NPCs have managed to survive over the years. So, when you are adventuring in Avernum, you will be treated to a feeling of nostalgia for sure.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3611959333
Anyway, this is still a top-tier game even now, and I'd argue it is fairly well a timeless classic that is always ready to be enjoyed no matter how far gaming has advanced since its release. These types of games will always be there for you no matter what gaming era we're in, and IMO, should be enjoyed by as many RPG fans as possible. Avernum 2 is accessible, cheap, and a ton of fun. Give it a look.
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