Queen's Wish 2: The Tormentor
- August 22, 2022
- spidweb
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Queen's Wish 2: The Tormentor," players return as a member of the royal family, seeking to prove their worth by managing a challenging and dangerous territory. With a mix of strategic city-building and monster-filled dungeon exploration, players must balance the needs of their people and the demands of their queen. The game offers a rich, complex narrative with multiple endings based on player choices.
Reviews
- The game features excellent writing and a deep, immersive story that explores complex themes of family, politics, and imperialism.
- Combat is engaging and requires strategic thinking, with a variety of tactics available to players, allowing for diverse character builds.
- Improvements over the first game include refined mechanics, better exploration, and a more impactful reputation system that affects gameplay.
- The graphics are dated, which may deter some players looking for modern visuals.
- The combat can feel unbalanced at times, with some enemies being overly difficult and the healing mechanics being limited.
- The game can be bogged down by excessive dialogue and reading, which may not appeal to all players.
- story31 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its depth, immersive world, and engaging characters, with many players appreciating the nostalgic writing style reminiscent of classic RPGs. However, some reviewers note that the pacing can be slow and the gameplay mechanics may not effectively support the narrative progression, leading to a bloated quest log and occasional confusion. Overall, fans of the genre and the developer's previous works find the storytelling compelling, despite some structural challenges.
“While some of the younger gamers might not appreciate the graphics, I find the style to be nostalgic and the story itself to be immersive.”
“Jeff Vogel is a master storyteller, 10/10.”
“If you are looking for flash and PC-straining graphics, this isn't your game, but if you love a great story, outstanding writing, and just plain old-school fun, don't hesitate to get QW2 added to your library.”
“The neutral: the gameplay does not support the story.”
“My biggest problem with QW2 is how the exploration/storyline progression is working.”
“In the final plot twist they're also revealed to be (in my opinion) irredeemably stupid.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as dated and reminiscent of 90s visuals, which may deter some players seeking modern aesthetics. However, many reviewers appreciate the nostalgic charm and find that the immersive story, character development, and engaging gameplay more than compensate for the simplistic graphics. Overall, the visuals are considered a stylistic choice that aligns with the game's focus on storytelling and exploration rather than cutting-edge technology.
“While some of the younger gamers might not appreciate the graphics, I find the style to be nostalgic and the story itself to be immersive.”
“Love the nostalgic 90's graphics, great storyline, and unique world filled with weapons, magic, and quests.”
“If you played the first game, you know what to expect: lovely exploration and worldbuilding, great writing, a very immersive setting and game despite the 'primitive' style of graphics.”
“Dated visuals will be a clear delimitator for a lot of players checking this game out; getting past that hurdle will provide a rewarding and deep experience.”
“It's tile-based, so don't expect to max out your graphics card.”
“First thing first: if you're not familiar with Spiderweb games, understand that 'up-to-date graphics' isn't really what they are known for, so if that's a problem for you, these games aren't for you!”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a blend of tactical and strategic elements, maintaining a familiar rhythm while introducing fresh variations. While it builds on the mechanics of the first game, it may not appeal to those who prefer a different dungeon-clearing approach. Overall, it enhances the experience with improved mechanics and engaging writing, though some feel it doesn't fully support the narrative.
“Keeps the same rhythms and flow - alternating between tactical and strategic/plot gameplay - but knows when and where to shake it up.”
“Improves on the first in this series, writing is fun and gameplay is great.”
“The author doubled down on many of the mechanical choices from the first game, so if you do not like clearing dungeons in one go, this is not the game for you.”
“The neutral: the gameplay does not support the story.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively creates emotional tension by exploring the prince's internal conflict between his loyalty to the empire and his connections to the oppressed natives, highlighting themes of duty and compassion.
“The game's emotional tension is built around the prince's loyalty to the empire versus his ties to the oppressed natives.”
“The story evokes a deep sense of empathy, making players truly feel for the characters and their struggles.”
“Every choice I made felt heavy with consequence, pulling at my heartstrings and making me reflect on my own values.”
