I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love grid-based dungeon crawlers (blobbers for those unfamiliar), and thought I'd give the Bard's Tale Trilogy a whirl considering my fondness for the latter installments and its recent (2018) remastering.

Some of y'all may have seen my recent post on Bard's Tale 1, which I'll link below, but I had every intention of reviewing the games title by title as I completed them. However, as you can see, that plan fell by the wayside as I found myself blowing through the latter two games. I expected to enjoy the experience but was also hesitant as I thought the games would demonstrate mechanics consistent with their age.

While there are elements that reflect it being a product of its time--very little hand-holding, somewhat obtuse hints and riddles, and labyrinthine level design--it also imbued such a strong sense of adventure and emanates so much love and passion. And it's for that very reason I found myself unable to put them down.

Bard's Tale 1

Bard's Tale 1 Review

Bard's Tale 2

Bard's Tale 2 is the weakest entry in the trilogy for me, but not for a lack of improvements. The main issue with Bard's Tale 2 is for as much as some things are a welcome change, there's just as many--if not more--decisions that set it back.

Focusing on the positives first, the best improvement by far is the overall scope which expanded beyond the city of Skara Brae and even included an overworld to travel between other new cities. Easily one of my biggest criticisms for the first game was how limited the environments were.

The other major improvement was generally better guidance and with better and clearer riddles. Most of the remaining systems stayed relatively consistent from the first to second game.

The biggest downgrades primarily came from how mean-spirited and sadistic the design was, which mostly seemed to be the result of trying to increase the difficulty from the first game to the next. However, it generally led to increased tedium over a genuinely harder experience.

In no particular order, here were some of my qualms:

• Trap density and enemy encounters increased dramatically

• Enemy area affect attacks were far more plentiful

• Not only were there more dungeons but the size of them were consistently larger and more tiresome

• Dungeons were absolutely laden with disorienting effects and outright darkness zones.

The latter most point was likely the most contentious choice as it genuinely felt like they'd spent so much time developing levels only to remove the player's ability to see them. That and a maze riddle needing to be navigated seven different times blind was not entirely enjoyable and only serves as one example signifying the stark difference in design between the first and second game.

Overall, I still had fun at times but found the experience significantly less pleasant than the first entry.

Bard's Tale 3

By contrast, Bard's Tale 3 was the absolute pinnacle of the trilogy. While Bard's Tale 1 set the foundation, 3 built the home.

What really sets 3 apart from the first two entries is the sheer amount of variety coupled with a deft touch in limiting dungeon scale and scope. The overall number of walkable grids is likely comparable to the amount in Bard's Tale 2, however, because they're separated into more manageable levels it's much less oppressive. Also, adding to that, the general trap and enemy encounter density felt like a better compromise between the first and second entry.

Riddles and puzzles were generally more direct, forward, or linear than their counterparts in Bard's Tale 2. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.

One of the biggest complaints I had in the earlier titles was how much your melee characters were sidelined given your mages did most of the heavy lifting in encounters. However, because of enemy resistances, there was a much greater balance between melee and spellcaster effectiveness which was very much welcomed.

Lastly, everything culminates in a rather daunting multi-level hellscape for the final dungeon that feels appropriate for the final encounters. Originally, it had seemed like an unfortunate return to form of the second game. However, as I progressed, I realized it was most certainly earned through the course of the game and wasn't nearly as cumbersome as the previous final dungeon.

Conclusion

Overall, I had a fantastic experience stepping back in time to venture into such a foundational game. I often hear about Wizardry and Might and Magic, and it's a touch of a shame that The Bard's Tale Trilogy doesn't share a spot on that mantle among gaming circles.

Regardless, I can say with ease that Bard's Tale 3 is so refined in what it does that it's worth any blobber fan's time, whether you've played it before or not.

And, if you're so inclined to give the whole trilogy a try, I think you'll be delighted to find a rather remarkable adventure that provides a unique experience you won't find replicated among modern titles.

Turok 2 is one of my favorite shooters and it largely comes down to just how memorable it is. Between its setting featuring a highly intelligent, highly advanced saurian race, one of the most iconic weapons of all time (among other honorable mentions), and the mechanics of context-specific deaths which is rarely done, it's a marvel of its time that still deserves a playthrough even today.

Hit detection, enemy staggering, and a semblance of realism in 1998

What impresses me most about Turok 2 is the reactivity of its enemies. It feels ages ahead of its time in convincing the player these are brutal, relentless killing machines--but they're not invincible.

If we consider the Endtrail, the standard infantry in the invading force, they're incredibly formidable at range but downright lethal in melee combat. Their claws will make short work of the player as they rend with unbelievable agility. This makes killing them at range, and nearly every enemy for that matter, not simply a luxury but a necessity.

Inevitably, when the player finds themselves ambushed or overwhelmed, options all but dwindle. This is where I simply adore the enemy's context-specific reactivity. A shot in the leg or arm might cause the enemy to reach toward the wounded area in pain, giving you precious moments to distant yourself and neutralize your foe.

It's all about the drama

Building off of that is the pinnacle of the game: context-specific deaths.

As mentioned before, shooting an arm or a leg may cause the enemy to respond to that specific shot, but excessive damage to an extremity may cause a rather violent and dramatic death. Damaging an arm may result in it being blown off, an explosive to the chest could leave behind a series of flailing legs, headshots need no explanation, and so on. They're so horribly cinematic and it gives so much character to the creatures you face.

On top of that, there's some incredible emotion in how dramatic the death rattles and screams from the creatures are. It's a bit hammy at times, but that's also what gives it so much life. Between the visuals and the sound design for enemy deaths, it's absolutely blood curdling.

Lastly, the enemies also respond in unique ways depending on the presence of other creatures. At times, your may see something like the Raptoid--the common grunt--get into a fight with another creature or even outright flee depending on the damage you've done to them.

Playtime is only as fun as the toys you have

Unfortunately, the arsenal in this game is hit or miss. Roughly half of the weapon wheel is extremely specific or is superseded by something more deadly: the claws are a throw away once they're replaced, the pistol is also quickly sidelined, the tranquilizer gun and charge dart gun very rarely see use, and sunfire pods have specific use cases but are otherwise better forgone.

For as lackluster as about half the arsenal is though, the other half more than makes up for it. The standouts here are led by none other than one of the most iconic weapons in videogames: the Cerebral Bore. Although, it is better in theory than execution, as the range of effective enemies is a bit limited. Still, this heat-seeking brain drill is an all-time classic.

For more effective measures, the Tek Bow and its explosive arrows, the Razor Wind chakram, the Shredder, Firestorm Cannon, Plasma Rifle, Grenade Launcher, Scorpion (rocket) launcher all give a healthy balance between being unique in design or delivery and usefulness. The Shredder and Tek Bow with Tek Arrows are some of the more memorable and deadly pieces of your arsenal, where I can readily hear the sound of a Tek arrow priming before exploding.

More to love, but not without its flaws

I genuinely think the sound design in Turok 2 is exceptional and it seems a lot of love was poured into it which really gives the game its energy. Audio feedback--and just how satisfying and crunchy sounds can be--is so incredibly important, especially in how enjoyable a shooter feels.

To top it off, I think the game features a rather fitting and lovely soundtrack, which is especially important as the levels are so long you'll be hearing the same tune for quite some time. Thankfully, it doesn't manage to overstay, even despite its exposure.

However, that is where the game is going to receive its fairest level of criticism, which is not just in the level length but its design and how labyrinthine it is. For any who have any semblance of being directionally challenged, this will be an incredibly frustrating experience. Not to mention the objectives, which can only further add to the player's ire if they manage to miss something and have to backtrack.

Conclusion

While it's not a perfect game by any means, I still think it's something so incredibly special especially given just how definitive and unique much of it felt for its time. Certainly some of the design choices were questionable, but there's a lot here that give the game so much life despite its flaws.

If you've never given the game a chance, for any reason, I think it's worth considering solely to experience a game which still has something to offer that's unlike almost anything out there today.