Just beat QFG2VGA and here's what I think...

[AGDIForever]

So what do I think of the game after beating it? It was Terrific! The best remake in history!

I will admit, I never actually beat the original QFG2. I was only 7 at the time and probably not patient enough to deal with parsers or puzzles.

This new remake literally sucked me in like a vortex. I couldn't stop playing. Every time I solved a puzzle I just wanted more. So, needless to say, I bet the game in less than a day.

To be honest, I think the farthest I got with the original QFG2 was the day of the Fire Elemental. But hey, in my defense: parsers can be frustrating! Take for instance the waterfall cave scene at the end. The only way to stop the hole from sucking you in was to "Apply Force" but how is that different from "Pushing the Rock"? Anyway, I'm glad I was able to beat the game without any cheats. It was a very enjoyable game. I would easily argue it is the best game in AGS to date.

As for everyone who thinks this game lacked a voice pack... it's called reading, try it some time!

But seriously, I enjoyed the game very much (have I said this enough?). Every aspect of the game is simply splendid. I would say something like "The new alleyway look was amazing!" or "The combat system was incredible!" but in retrospect, it was more than just that. The whole game was just well-rounded. As an amateur game developer, I don't just play things for face value. I analyze them to death and try to recreate the process in my head. Sometimes, I found this very difficult. (like how did the alley system work and how was the gradient map lighting done in the last scene of the cave?)

On one final note I just wanted to point out the only thing that threw me off was clicking the mouth on myself to say various things. I didn't find this out until I posted a message about challenging Issur. I realize this is probably how QFG3 and 4 are played, but it's been so long since I played either of these games that I couldn't remember. But if it was in the readme or the help dialog, then I should probably learn how to read myself!

Anyway, thank you for this terrific game, AGD Interactive! You really know how to bring back that classic experience!

[Brainiac]

Take for instance the waterfall cave scene at the end. The only way to stop the hole from sucking you in was to "Apply Force" but how is that different from "Pushing the Rock"?

True, the parser can be frustrating at times ("force" was the keyword, as "force rock" would also work), but the standard Fighter solution is not actually the only way to deal with the vacuum flow. You could use a Force Bolt on them (the standard MU/Wizard solution), "pick rock" and use your lockpick to move the rocks (the standard Thief solution), and possibly even throw something at the rocks above the hole (I'm not sure about that one though).

[greensenshi]

Chucking a rock at the base of the rock pile made it collapse, yes.(Remember the base was the weak point. You had to throw a Force Bolt at the base too.)

[Erpy]

Gradient map lighting? You mean the spots that glow up as you get closer to them with your lamp? The lit walls are objects placed over the background that has unlit walls. There's a function in the script that checks your distance to these spots continually and if the distance is below a certain number, it'll start decreasing the transparency of those objects depending on the distance between you and the key spot. Otherwise, the object's transparency is set to 100, making them invisible.

The alleyway system is distributed over like 26 rooms or so...one room for each type of intersection (straight road, T-section south, 4-way intersection etc.) and a globalint is used to determine in what spot you are and what direction you're facing. Depending on your position, the decoration objects are initialised and properties like graphic, position and blocking rectangle are set. When you leave the room, the new room depends on your position too. AGD2 and I spend like 2 months decorating both alleyway systems. (there's a feature I've written about it, but it's still in line waiting to be released)

[Ajanhuiri]

As I too have just recently finished the game. I also was completely satisfied and blown away. I played the original game in 1992, a bit after it was released; I was 16. I had played the original EGA Hero's Quest, then bought QFGI VGA while on tour with a drum and bugle corps. I so loved the revised QGFI I decided I wanted to play the whole series. At that time, however, there was only the EGA version QFGII, so I bought that. Immediately I thought... man too bad this isn't in VGA...

Of course, the character import option was the deal breaker. I previously had played and maxed my Spielburg hero out. I knew nothing of the mushroom cheat, I merely fought and fought and fought, for over 100 Spielburg days (ah the life of the adolescent). Upon character import the QFGII EGA had no idea what I was, so the game locked up and wouldn't allow me to complete even one of the story-lines. At this point I went out and bought the cheat guide Sierra Online produced (with the red-window decoder, remember!). I had to start my QFGII character to from scratch. I must have made mistakes, but I remember not being able to beat the game with full points on at least two separate character types. Bummer.

Thus ended my QFG days. However, I played for Sierra Online years and I still am distant friends with famous a Sierra Online developer's son (who I went to school with). Now that I've had this recent experience... I'm reinvigorated at the chance to play the whole series.