When I first heard about the amateur adventure developers of AGD Interactive, and that they were remaking one of my favorite King's Quest games, I was pretty excited. I couldn't wait to see how they vamped the very old King's Quest II up since so long ago, and see AGD's overall talents as game designers. And they did not dissapoint.

Our story still follows Sir Graham, who now assumes the role of King of Daventry, bored and alone. He is happy that he is now ruler of his homeland, but there is something missing. He needs a wife to be by his side. What good's a king if ya don't got a queen?
He sits on his throne, longing for a companion, when suddenly, the magic mirror in the room beggins to flash. He gazes into it to see a beutiful woman in an trapped in an ivory tower. Graham now knows he must travel to the land of Kolyma to rescue his destined bride.

What I really liked about this update was that AGD added so much more depth to the story. They have added a main villian, the Father, and quite a bit of backstory to KQ2. There's a sequence where you visit Graham's past, present, and future that is very well done. And the Count's castle draws you in much more than the original could.

This game is very well written and makes you want to come back for more every time you quit. There are some great in-jokes and other funny stuff. A hard thing to do in an update to such an old game is to make the player care about the characters. And thanks to the dramatic storytelling and writting, AGD does just that. You'll want to play this game just so that Graham can get what he's been searching for, and to see the witch get her's.
One part of the game defonatly worth mentioning is the horror segments of the warewolves and the count. One thing you just can't do in an EGA game is scare people. I won't give anything away, but thanks to VGA graphics and AGD's writting, these parts are what you'll be playing the game for once you get to them.

Of cource you can't remake a game without improved graphics, and there's plenty to be savored here. Romancing the Stones uses the King's Quest V engine with VGA graphics. All of the game is pretty good looking but the 3D magic mirror cutscene is a wonder to behold. This is incredible from an amateur developer and it's obvious these guys have been around the block. Also worth mentioning in the visual department is the underwater part of the game.
Another thing I should mention is the great artwork on the character drawings.



The music does a nice job on reflecting the mood of the game and is done by the very talented Quest Studios.
The best thing in the audio region is the voice acting. The same person who did the voice of Graham does it in this remake, too. That's sure to delight KQ diehard fans.

As said before, KQ2:RTS uses the KQ5 engine, including it's point and click interface. No text parser.
Gameplay hasn't changed much from the original game. There are still some items just lying around screen to screen and multiple ways to solve puzzles. But this time there are more puzzles, all of which are very well thought out and creative, and less tricky action stuff (though there still are some). You can skip that underwater chase. And even if you don't skip it, they make it much easier by telling you where the rocks are going to pop up.


Once again AGD Interactive has shown us they're great talents and provide us with another superb update to a classic adventure. And I can't wait for the upcoming Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire remake. KQ2 remake is avaiable for download here at AGD's website.
9.5/10

that was a good review, did'nt know their was a second remake in the KQ series.

just a sugestion: maybe you should post a link to the download section of the KQ2 remake at the end of your review.

Good idea.

[eriq]

I love your reviews SamnMax. They're so cute. And they are written in a very passionate "adventure-gamer" type prose.

I really enjoyed King's Quest 2 as well. I can't wait to see what AGDI is going to come up with next! I wonder... hmmm....

[AGA]

Interesting review, even if it is inaccurate in places (although of course I prefer my review ). Absolutely nothing from this game is ripped from any Sierra game, it's all completely redrawn. Neither is any of the music from the other King's Quest games, Tom and Diane Lewandowski from Quest Studios made it all from scratch. You also mention skipping the underwater chase "this time". There was no underwater chase in the original game, unless my memories are very mistaken. Also, out of interest, what puzzles had multiple ways to solve, I didn't notice any...

[Sorry if I come across as an asshole in the previous paragraph, but accuracy is important in this reviewing lark ]

Eriq: If you read the Underground section, you'd know ¬_¬

Quest for Glory II remake is forthcoming (as SamNMax already said), and AGDI's spin-off studio, Himalaya Studios, are working on an all-new commercial game too.

[eriq]

Originally Posted by AGA

Eriq: If you read the Underground section, you'd know ¬_¬

Quest for Glory II remake is forthcoming (as SamNMax already said), and AGDI's spin-off studio, Himalaya Studios, are working on an all-new commercial game too.

Oh! I was simply being vague... I am completely aware of AGDI's new games and then some! Quest for Glory 2 and The Lost Dutchman's Mine are both looking great. There is another wonderful surprise in store from the team at AGDI but I have been sworn to secrecy!

Originally Posted by AGA

Interesting review, even if it is inaccurate in places (although of course I prefer my review ). Absolutely nothing from this game is ripped from any Sierra game, it's all completely redrawn. Neither is any of the music from the other King's Quest games, Tom and Diane Lewandowski from Quest Studios made it all from scratch. You also mention skipping the underwater chase "this time". There was no underwater chase in the original game, unless my memories are very mistaken. Also, out of interest, what puzzles had multiple ways to solve, I didn't notice any...

I guess I was mistaken on most of that (I'll edit those parts), but yes, there was an underwater chase (unless I'm thinking of Space Quest 1 in the desert). And I'm pretty sure there were multiple ways to solve puzzles. There was in the first, there should be in this game.

[Sorry if I come across as an asshole in the previous paragraph, but accuracy is important in this reviewing lark ]

Nah. You're right.

[Erpy]

Interesting review, even if it is inaccurate in places (although of course I prefer my review ). Absolutely nothing from this game is ripped from any Sierra game, it's all completely redrawn. Neither is any of the music from the other King's Quest games, Tom and Diane Lewandowski from Quest Studios made it all from scratch. You also mention skipping the underwater chase "this time". There was no underwater chase in the original game, unless my memories are very mistaken. Also, out of interest, what puzzles had multiple ways to solve, I didn't notice any...

Actually, the art in KQ2VGA was a very big mix of different approaches, ranging from handdrawn and scanned-in art (dialogue pictures and certain cutscenes) to the use of collaging/texturing in certain areas.

The music was completely composed from scratch, although you may notice influences from familiar songs in certain parts...hints of the Greensleeves theme, the KQ fanfare, KQ3's intro song, MOE's intro song, Cedric's theme song, the Jaws theme, the Batman theme and the KQ1 Cloudland theme are among the familiar elements in there.

There were indeed multiple solutions to certain puzzles. Certain items alternated each other (you could use both the hammer and fence picket to get the crystal), there's multiple ways to get the monk to talk to you, multiple places to get the reed, multiple ways to cross the enchanted ocean, multiple ways to get past the lion (4 in total) and multiple ways to defeat Hagatha.

[fov]

Hi Erpy! Welcome to the AG forums.

SamNMax, I think you're right that you're remembering a SQ chase scene. There was no underwater chase in the original KQ2 (although there was a *very brief* underwater scene).

Tierra / AGDI's KQ2 "remake" is one of my favorite games. It felt like playing a brand new KQ game. I'm really looking forward to the QfG remake and also Al Emmo & the Lost Dutchman's Gold.

emily

[Ninth]

I haven't played the original King Quest 2, but this game is so good compared to most recent commercial game it's sickening.
Although to say the truth, I think it's even better than most, if not all, Sierra quest games.