Grotesque Tactics 2: Dungeons and Donuts
- November 21, 2011
- Silent Dreams
Get on Steam"Grotesque Tactics 2 – Dungeons and Donuts" is a tactical RPG that sends up fantasy clichés with its humor and presentation. Players lead a party of eccentric heroes on a quest to save the kingdom from an evil necromancer. The game features strategic turn-based combat, character customization, and a variety of locations to explore. However, some may find the game's humor and art style to be in poor taste.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features humorous dialogues and fun character interactions, making it entertaining for fans of RPG parodies.
- Graphics have improved compared to the first game, and the addition of voice acting adds personality to the characters.
- The combat system offers some interesting tactics, and the game can be enjoyable if players are willing to overlook its flaws.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it frustrating and sometimes unplayable.
- Quest navigation is confusing due to the lack of a map and poorly organized quest log, leading to tedious backtracking.
- The camera controls are problematic, often causing disorientation and hindering gameplay.
- story132 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story is a quirky continuation from the first game, featuring protagonist Drake as he navigates through amnesia and attempts to form a guild while escaping underground ruins. While the narrative is filled with charming characters and humorous moments, the quest structure is criticized for being confusing and poorly organized, often requiring players to backtrack and interact with numerous NPCs without clear guidance. Overall, the story has its appeal for those who enjoy lighthearted RPGs, but is marred by gameplay issues and bugs that detract from the experience.
“The story picks up from the end of the first game with the protagonist Drake suffering from hero's amnesia, and he embarks on a quest to form a guild and escape the underground ruins he has found himself in.”
“Oh the good side, the game's story and characters are very charming and silly.”
“This game is for people who like an interesting story, adorable characters, and a nice kind of humor about the whole RPG genre.”
“Unlike the concise linear storyline in the first game, this game tries to have more open quest progression with multiple faction questlines, but all this does is make the game more confusing and tedious.”
“The in-game quest log is terrible, vague, and doesn't properly update quests with multiple steps. There is no objective marker, which is a huge problem as the game doesn't keep track of quest giver NPC locations, so you'll have to remember them manually or run around talking to everyone until you find the correct one.”
“As if that wasn't enough, there are a great many game-breaking bugs that seemingly strike at random, such as quests not completing for one person while working for another. The result is that only a very few will be able to complete the game, as the majority will hit a brick wall somewhere along the line that is impossible to get past.”
- humor94 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its clever references and absurd moments, while others find it immature or overly dark. Some reviews highlight the engaging dialogue and character interactions, which often parody RPG tropes, but note that the humor may not resonate with everyone. Overall, while the game offers plenty of laughs and entertaining moments, it also faces criticism for its inconsistency and reliance on low-brow jokes.
“The dialogue is full of humor and video game references, and RPG veterans will have fun recognizing all the tropes and character parodies from other games.”
“It's a funny spin on games like Baldur's Gate, but as soon as I got lost once, I got bored lol.”
“A very humorous game poking fun at all the traditional RPG clichés.”
“The second game is as good as the first one, but I think the English dub of the game is less fun than the German one. The angel rages in the German version sometimes, while in the English version it sounds more like 'OMG, I don’t want to say the same thing twice, let’s sound bored.' The game is originally German, and in the English dub, most fun parts are not funny. I think it is the same in the first one.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have seen significant improvements compared to its predecessor, with enhanced detail and better character designs, including fully voiced dialogue. However, some players note that the overall visual experience may not meet the expectations set by more current titles, and there are still issues with gameplay mechanics and bugs that detract from the experience. While the graphics are a highlight, they are not enough to compensate for the game's other shortcomings.
“The graphics are much better, and the maidens really are something to look at now.”
“If you enjoyed the first, I think you will really like this one as well; it carries with it pretty much everything you may have liked and in fact improves upon the graphics, adds fully voiced dialogue (which I thought was surprisingly well done), familiar as well as new characters, new and more abilities and accessories, and lots of new places to explore and monsters to battle.”
“It does have better graphics and has gotten rid of the lag.”
“Beware - this is not a game for people who only want to play with high-end graphics.”
“Just don't expect graphics like the ones in the logo; check out the store page for screenshots to get a better idea of what to expect.”
“While the game features the same brand of satire parodying the RPG genre and the graphics have been dramatically improved, unfortunately the gameplay has deteriorated compared to the first game due to a number of terribly implemented mechanics and bugs.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a decline in quality compared to the previous installment, citing issues such as poorly implemented mechanics, bugs, and a frustrating interface. While some appreciate the fun elements and improved graphics, others find the gameplay clumsy and lacking depth, making it difficult to recommend without reservations. Overall, the game may appeal to fans of RPGs with humorous storylines, but potential buyers should be aware of its gameplay shortcomings.
“Pros: fun gameplay, cute characters, cute nerdy jokes.”
“The gameplay is really good.”
“Improved gameplay, plus the stereotypical humor drips sardonic from your system's speakers thanks to the unexpected, yet oh so welcome, voice acting.”
“While the game features the same brand of satire parodying the RPG genre and the graphics have been dramatically improved, unfortunately the gameplay has deteriorated compared to the first game due to a number of terribly implemented mechanics and bugs.”
“The interface is really hopeless; it breaks the gameplay.”
“Only downside in this particular title is the suffering gameplay, which makes this game kind of nerve-wracking with that revolting camera.”
- stability18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during combat and quest navigation. While some players find that quicksaving can mitigate these problems, many express frustration with the overall instability, leading to a generally unenjoyable experience. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings make it difficult to recommend, especially for those averse to dealing with bugs.
“There are a lot of marked improvements from the first one, but it's comically buggy and unstable.”
“The game was stuck... 2 minutes in... uninstalled and have no desire to ever deal with this company's buggy crap ever again.”
“Unfortunately, a really buggy combat system makes this game unplayable.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and confusing, particularly due to the open quest progression and multiple faction questlines that detract from the experience. Many reviewers noted that the repetitive and unexciting mini-missions, combined with frustrating gameplay mechanics, led to a sense of boredom and ultimately caused them to quit.
“Unlike the concise linear storyline in the first game, this game tries to have more open quest progression with multiple faction questlines, but all this does is make the game more confusing and tedious.”
“I got tedious at about the point that I quit.”
“That's pretty much all that I can think of at the moment, but the combination of drivel, tedious and unexciting mini-missions, restricted camera views, and suicidal NPCs in battles are what broke it for me.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that it is "not too bad" and showing signs of improvement compared to previous versions. Overall, while the music may not be a standout feature, it contributes positively to the overall experience.
“The music isn't too bad either.”
“The artwork is improved, and the music is somewhat improved.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting extremely poor performance even on high-end hardware like an i9 processor and GeForce 1070 graphics card, which can handle other demanding titles without issues.
“Extremely bad performance - it's 2019 and with my i9 and GeForce 1070, I'd expect decent performance. After all, Witcher 3, PUBG, and similar games are no issue in full HD.”
“Extremely bad performance - it's 2019 and with my i9 and GeForce 1070, I'd expect decent performance. After all, Witcher 3, PUBG, and similar games are no issue in full HD.”
