Legend of Grimrock 2

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,874 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Legend of Grimrock 2 Game Cover
The Legend of Grimrock 2 is an RPG that's as much Myst as D&D, and benefits from the strengths of both.
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"Legend of Grimrock 2" is a first-person party-based dungeon crawler game set in a fantasy world. The player must navigate through treacherous environments, solve puzzles, and engage in tactical combat with monsters to progress. With a focus on exploration and discovery, the game offers a rich and immersive experience for fans of the genre.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,874 reviews
gameplay89 positive mentions
grinding34 negative mentions
  • Legend of Grimrock 2 improves on its predecessor in almost every way, offering a larger world, more varied environments, and a greater variety of puzzles and enemies.
  • The game features a satisfying blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and real-time combat, making it engaging and rewarding for players.
  • The character customization and class system allow for diverse party builds, enhancing replayability and player choice.
  • Some puzzles can be overly cryptic or require items that players may have discarded earlier, leading to frustration and backtracking.
  • The combat system can feel clunky and repetitive, with a reliance on kiting and positioning that may not appeal to all players.
  • The story is minimal and primarily conveyed through notes, which may leave some players wanting more narrative depth.
  • gameplay292 mentions

    The gameplay of "Legend of Grimrock 2" is a refined evolution of its predecessor, featuring a blend of old-school mechanics and modern enhancements that create a rich, immersive experience. Players navigate a vast, interconnected world filled with challenging puzzles, diverse enemies, and intricate combat mechanics, all while managing a party in a grid-based system. The game encourages exploration and replayability through its engaging design, although some may find the complexity of puzzles and certain mechanics daunting.

    • “The game perfectly blends old-school mechanics with a modern touch, making every dungeon a thrilling challenge filled with puzzles and tough enemies.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and intuitive, the character progression is rewarding, and the world is engaging and mysterious, so you want to explore it and find all its secrets.”
    • “Grimrock II is the kind of sequel you always want to see - bigger scale, improved mechanics, deeper challenge - while still keeping all the things you loved about the first.”
    • “The gameplay is clunky, tortured, and obtuse along north-south-east-west lines with auto mouse centering.”
    • “My skills don't matter, my weapons barely matter, my armor doesn't matter, and I have to play the game in a way that feels unnatural and exploitative of the game's mechanics to be successful because of the control scheme the game provided me and how the damage scales up jarringly.”
    • “Legend of Grimrock 2 can take 50 hours or more to beat, and has some clunky mechanics that not everyone will be able to adjust to, so it's certainly not for everyone.”
  • story256 mentions

    The story in "Legend of Grimrock II" is generally considered minimal and often vague, with many players noting a lack of character interactions and a reliance on environmental storytelling through notes and lore scattered throughout the game. While some appreciate the atmospheric setting and the mystery it evokes, others find the narrative underwhelming and disconnected from the first game. Overall, the focus is more on exploration and puzzle-solving rather than a deep, engaging plot, making it a mixed experience for those seeking a rich story.

    • “The lore and story are rich and immersive, adding depth to your adventure.”
    • “The combat and puzzles were challenging, varied and interesting; the story well-developed; and the artwork a treat.”
    • “The story in Legend of Grimrock II is a lot more straightforward and you will quickly discover what your main objective is and where you need to go in order to complete the game; it’s a welcome addition to the series and all throughout the game it expands on the lore and universe that this world exists in.”
    • “There isn't much in terms of story here nor interactions with characters.”
    • “The story is barely there, but it does leave a lot of room for a little roleplaying which is nice.”
    • “The lack of an immersive and progressive story simply left me bored.”
  • graphics238 mentions

    The graphics in "Legend of Grimrock II" have received widespread praise for their beauty and detail, significantly improving upon its predecessor. Players appreciate the vibrant environments, atmospheric effects, and the game's ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware. While some critiques mention generic enemy designs and a lack of cutting-edge realism, the overall consensus is that the visuals effectively enhance the immersive experience of this old-school dungeon crawler.

    • “The graphics are absolutely beautiful to look at and I really like the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The visuals and art direction of this game mold an extremely impressive aesthetic appeal, taking advantage of current generation technology and bringing new life into the classic tile-based RPG genre.”
    • “The graphics are very visually appealing and well polished, dynamic day/night system makes areas look different and appealing in both dark and light, at night the game makes me fearful for what could be lurking around.”
    • “The graphics are slightly upgraded from log1 as well, but a lot of enemy assets have been reused (mushroom people, twigroot enemies, spiders, cudgels, etc).”
    • “If your key driver in an RPG game such as Skyrim is its graphics, then you will be sorely let down by the presentation of log2.”
    • “Shitty animations, bad graphics, no information, not even free movement; you have to follow a train track.”
  • atmosphere81 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the sense of mystery and tension created by the environment, which is filled with intricate puzzles and dangerous creatures, making exploration both thrilling and unsettling. Overall, the game successfully evokes a strong sense of adventure and dread, drawing players into its richly designed world.

    • “Visually, the game is top notch for the genre, and the haunting soundtrack adds to the atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the sound effects and music are extremely atmospheric, the enemies as well as level design and hidden scrolls that tell the story really sell the whole idea that you are trapped on a mysterious island filled with mysterious and magical creatures that will not hesitate to attack you.”
    • “Best atmosphere you could ask for in gaming, beautifully made settings and models, with an outstanding soundtrack that drags you in and keeps you held throughout your journey.”
    • “Legend of Grimrock 2 could have been my favorite game of all time if it was like that, but unfortunately, I really don't like the atmosphere in this one.”
    • “The atmosphere of this game is just off.”
    • “But even if the outsides look good, they break the oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere of being lost in a big dungeon.”
  • music76 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with haunting soundtracks that complement the visuals and gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the immersive nature of the soundtrack, which is described as both epic and fitting for the game's themes, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the sound design, including ambient sounds and music, significantly contributes to the game's engaging atmosphere.

    • “The graphics, the music, the building story, all a work of art.”
    • “Best atmosphere you could ask for in gaming, beautifully made settings and models, with an outstanding OST that drags you in and keeps you held throughout your journey.”
    • “The music is astounding and boss fights are intense.”
    • “The music is decent, but it gets repetitive and there are way too few sound effects.”
    • “One last flaw is the music; it only appears during boss fights but it is so generic.”
    • “But even though every level has its own soundtrack, it becomes repetitive.”
  • replayability51 mentions

    Grimrock 2 offers high replayability due to its extensive user-generated content, including custom dungeons and mods, which significantly enhance the gameplay experience. While some players note a lack of randomization and limited new game modes compared to its predecessor, the variety in character customization, party setups, and exploration keeps the game engaging for multiple playthroughs. Overall, the combination of a solid base campaign and robust mod support ensures that players can enjoy countless hours of replayability.

    • “Endlessly replayable with a huge library of high-quality custom maps and mods.”
    • “The freedom to take on any dungeon of your choice in the huge overworld and mind-boggling puzzles will surely keep you invested for hours; add to that a huge replay value with its in-depth party creation screen and custom dungeon editor for all new dungeon masters.”
    • “An amazing title with an immersive world, loads of great fan-made campaigns on the Steam Workshop, and hours of replayability.”
    • “No new game++/toorum mode like on Grimrock 1, so there's no replay value.”
    • “I have almost 100% the game; it seems like the replayability would be quite low, and even if that was true it would still be worth the cost by far, but that isn't true.”
    • “Also, in my opinion, the main story itself provides limited 'replayability' since it's just not nearly as satisfying anymore if you already know where all the secrets are.”
  • grinding34 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many citing issues like cumbersome inventory management, repetitive puzzles, and the need for extensive note-taking. While some appreciate the improvements over the previous installment, the increased reliance on backtracking and hidden elements detracts from the enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration. Despite its engaging content and visuals, the game often feels bogged down by unnecessary tasks that hinder the overall experience.

    • “However, while this game does make some good improvements, it is unfortunately significantly more tedious than the first game, and I just didn't have fun playing through it.”
    • “Too much of a grind - walk around a corner, find a puzzle - explore - meet baddies, die, F9, die, F9, live, solve puzzle (maybe) and repeat... no feeling of story or adventure - just grinding it out.”
    • “Sadly, the game is bogged down by unnecessary tedious tasks and clunky combat/skills.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while many players report smooth performance and good graphics, some experience significant issues, particularly in specific areas and with certain mods. Users noted that while lowering rendering settings can help, it doesn't completely resolve the performance problems, especially related to CPU usage and frame drops during saving. Additionally, the need for optimized builds to avoid being out-scaled by enemies adds a layer of complexity to gameplay.

    • “A semi-action RPG in the vein of the old Dungeon Master games, Legend of Grimrock 2 improves quite a bit on the original's already strong performance.”
    • “Very smooth optimization and the game only requires 1 gigabyte.”
    • “Excellent first person dungeon crawler with the caveat that you'd better be prepared to math out an optimized build or eventually get out-scaled by the enemies and render the game basically unwinnable.”
    • “Sadly, this game doesn't get modded very often, and some of the more extravagant mods tend to kill performance even on over-specced systems, which is unfortunate.”
    • “I'm saying this because there are some technical optimization problems with the current state of the game (like it has low frames in some areas) but I think this issue will be fixed with updates at a later date.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of subtle and overt, with players enjoying the comedic potential of character choices and clever references. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, particularly with the developers breaking character for real-world jokes, others appreciate the amusing interactions and scenarios that arise from unique character builds and challenging puzzles. Overall, the game offers a blend of funny moments and clever design that enhances the experience.

    • “I usually make a party of historical figures and philosophers and it makes the game hilarious.”
    • “The developers broke character one too many times, with cheeky real-world humor and real-world clues.”
    • “Legend of Grimrock 2 just has much more content than the predecessor in almost all areas while it still provides the same experience and more, including some subtle humor.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, feeling a mix of heartbreak upon completion and anticipation for potential sequels. The introduction of a limb injury system adds frustration, detracting from the overall experience, while the challenging puzzles evoke a sense of achievement. Overall, the game successfully balances emotional highs and lows, enhancing player engagement.

    • “I would say the utterly heartbreaking feeling I felt upon completing every inch of the game and realizing I would have to wait for the possibility of more sequels in the future...”
    • “A good puzzle game for sure, and for a while I wondered what it was that made me feel this way, and it was a facepalm moment when it struck me.”
    • “Wholesome!”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as basic and goal-oriented, focusing primarily on stat increases rather than deep storytelling or rich character arcs. While some players appreciate the refined skill point system that adds versatility, others find the overall character progression lacking in depth, especially for those seeking a more elaborate narrative experience. The lush environments and engaging gameplay somewhat compensate for the simplicity of character development.

    • “Character development is simple and goal-oriented without the unnecessary nerd stuff. The open air and lush environment intertwined with lengthy dungeon crawling is certainly welcome, especially for claustrophobic types. The game does not end quickly if you care about all the secrets and details.”
    • “They have reworked the character development, which now makes it much more versatile.”
    • “Much refined character development and skill point system.”
    • “No real character development apart from increasing stats/traits.”
    • “On the other hand, character development is pretty basic; you'll be around level 15 by game's end and you merely assign 1 skill point each level.”
    • “Character development is simple and goal-oriented without the unnecessary nerd stuff.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with most players reporting smooth performance and minimal crashes. However, some users have encountered significant issues with the dungeon creator, citing it as buggy and difficult to use. While many appreciate the game's solid execution, there are calls for fixes to glitches that disrupt gameplay.

    • “It's a pretty cool game, very well done, bug-free, and it lasts for about 30 hours, which is awesome.”
    • “The dungeon creator (a big reason I wanted this) is a pain to use unless you're good at coding and is buggy as hell.”
    • “Oh please fix these glitches soon, I want to play this game for hours without getting kicked out to my desktop by error reports and the game freezing.”
    • “In an industry riddled with companies releasing buggy unfinished games, milking their customers with shallow DLC, and indie developers making nostalgia pandering shlock, Legend of Grimrock 2 stands as a shining example of the game done right.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviews suggest that the monetization strategy may be misleading, as users feel that the game's promotional materials do not accurately reflect the in-game experience or value.

    • “I should have known better than to judge the book by its ads, cover.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

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Play time

29hMedian play time
49hAverage play time
20-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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