Developer: Hudson Soft Publisher: TTI Released: 1993 Genre: Action RPG
If you were a RPG fan and owned a Turbo Grafx-16 the pickings were slim. While its PC Engine counterpart had a healthy role playing library unless you had the Turbo CD than you had to make do with few choices. Dungeon Explorer was an early bright spot in the genre. Although it has more in common with Gauntlet than Zelda it had enough of the RPG tropes to suffice. Dungeon Explorer II follows along the same tract with a longer quest and slightly higher production values. For fans of the first game it is everything they liked about the original. For those unconvinced there is nothing here that will change their mind.
Set a hundred years after the first game, the land of Oddesia has enjoyed a century of peace. The Ora stone that was the cause of the conflict has ensured this peace until the evil Phades, a follower of Natas, steals it to resurrect his master again. Eight warriors assemble to try to prevent the rise of Natas. The story is far more prevalent this time around. The first game basically gave you an overall quest and barely elaborated on its events. With more towns, NPCs, and most importantly spoken dialogue and cutscenes its plays a bigger role in keeping you engaged. These are just some of the improvements that make this a better game.
One can easily mistake Dungeon Explorer II for its predecessor. The graphics look extremely similar to the point it reuses some of its tile sets. There are eight character classes, the same as the original as well. This time around the game does a little to make them distinct characters with names and optional side quests for each character. You can upgrade each character class in the game although the difference is not really noticeable outside of appearance. There are an additional eight “hidden” characters as well; some that are really out there like a robot and a werewolf. I say “hidden” because more than likely you will encounter almost all of them through normal play.
Mechanically nothing has changed in Dungeon Explorer II. Characters have four stats: agility, attack, intelligence, and power. Each class leans toward two stats and has a specialty like resistance to poison or the ability to steal items. They also have a black and white magic spell. The differences between characters affect how you play the game and are one of Dungeon Explorer’s best aspects. Trying to use the princess who is average but can self-heal or the bard is a challenge. I do wish there were something like weapons and armor to make them more distinct but the system is solid for what it is. The good thing is you are not locked into your choice and can switch at any time.
Dungeon Explorer II is a larger game than the first. For the most part it is linear although every now and then it makes some allowance for brief side quests. If you are imagining something involved like a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest check your expectations at the door. These side activities usually amount to a single stat upgrade or a new weapon. As cool as that may sound you will be hard pressed to notice. While the game is longer dungeon design has taken a step back in my opinion. The game is full of brief almost filler dungeons that are straightforward in design. It isn’t until the last quarter that they become complex like the original. At least the boss battles are more involved this time around.
The difficulty varies wildly per character. Because there are only a finite number of stat upgrades you have to choose wisely where your points go. There are items that will boost your stats and will persist until death. These can help but if you rely on them too much and die you are potentially screwed. Alex has a much easier go of it than say Riot the Bard. Some classes seem intended for multiplayer like the cleric. Despite everything I have outlined the difficulty does not spike until close to the end. The game provides a means of earning extra lives by playing Blackjack against Death. But you can just as easily lose them that way as well! With a decent stock of lives you can brute force your way through the game although I do not think that is necessary.
In Closing
Dungeon Explorer II is a good game all around and a solid sequel. The fact that it is so similar to its predecessor is a valid complaint. But you can never have too much of a good thing. The Turbo CD library was pretty small in the US but this remains one of its better titles.
