Two Worlds II

If You Ever got to play Two Worlds, you'll probably never forget the experience. If you mention it to someone, their eyes light up and they go "Oh yeah, Two Worlds, that was awesome..." or something along those lines. They mean it in an affectionate way not because it was brilliant, but because it was laughable in many ways.

The game had that curious mainland Europe feel to it, which we English speakers just can't seem to get our heads round. The sort of thinking that gives you the opportunity to jump into a full bath with your armour on for no reason whatsoever (Risen) or spend hours sawing at wooden logs, again for no reason (Gothic).

Two Worlds II is aiming to be more accessible and less weird than its genre buddies, ditching the Olde Englishe script and comic acting. Will this mean it's a better game that people won't actually remember as much? Time will tell...

The Bigger Picture

Born In The Usa

The first Two Worlds was very much a product of mainland Europe, a quirky, flawed yet strangely lovable RPG with comically bad voice acting. This time around a script full of 'forsooths' won't be an issue, as development duties have switched over to the New World: the USA to be exact. In a nod to the old days, however, there will be one area of the game where people still speak in the 'olde tongue'.

Main Man

You, the hero, are the same guy you were in the first game, except you've been brutally tortured for seven years in a dungeon. As you'd expect, this means you've lost all your skills, abilities and talents, forcing you to relearn everything as you get back up to speed. Killing zombies is as good a place to start as any if you're trying to bone up on fighting skills.

Green Giant

This is an ore, who isn't actually the generic bad guy you'd expect him to be. He's actually wise and will help you out right at the start of the game. You've just hobbled out of your own personal torture chamber and the last thing you want to do is fight a guy in big pointy armour. This ore helps you not die, which makes him OK in our book.

Boot To The Head

Despite what it looks like here, you won't be able to get stuck in with the kicks and punches. How cool would it have been to start going Bruce Lee on a zombie all of a sudden? There are five minigames here, including a Guitar Hero-style affair, curiously, but we'd have wanted a martial arts one instead.

Wolf Mother

While the move to an American studio will mean Two Worlds II won't be as quaint and quirky as it was, that doesn't mean they've stripped out the fantasy cliche gubbins we all know and love. The Wolfiend is a wolf crossed with a diabolical fiend. Your melee arsenal includes Mortal Kombat-esque finishing moves, so this Wolfiend will probably end up frozen in ice then shattered with an uppercut.

Gloomy Sunday

Two Worlds II will have a more sinister take on the general fantasy world you'd expect. It's not a unique slant, but Two Worlds II will be the first to include online multiplayer set in this world, with even a seven-level co-op campaign following on from events in the first game. There'll also be something called Village mode, which features a splash of Sim City-style gameplay. Bizarrely.