A lone quest
Questron II stands as the only entry in the series to grace the Atari ST. Oddly, it serves as a prequel to the original and reveals that the long-standing peace in Landor is only possible because the hero is sent back in time to prevent the Black Tome from ever being created. Confused? Well, this epic journey unfolds across two distinct continents - Landor and the even more dangerous Realm of Sorcerers. The ultimate goal is to defeat six wicked sorcerers before they complete their forbidden book and forever seal the fate of the world.
Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Initially, we are a lone adventurer exploring the realm of Landor, completing quests that gradually strengthen us, ready for the big battles. You know, it's the usual stuff heroes are expected to do daily. If you’ve played something like Ultima and Phantasie, you will have an idea of what to expect: towns, castles, wilderness, and monster-infested dungeons scattered across a sizeable island.
First things first, character creation is almost non-existent. Aside from choosing a name, that’s it. That came as quite a surprise - no class selection, no skill allocation, and no stat tinkering. You start as a Serf equipped with just a dagger, rawhide armour, some food, a Gold Key, and a Book of Magic (which is your source of spells). Progression comes later, but not in the way you might expect! More on that later.
Movement around Landor will be instantly familiar and is performed with the cursor keys (or mouse). There is a list of commands for inventory, wearing equipment, speaking, fighting, and more. It’s initially a bit overwhelming, but soon becomes second nature. I love that it’s displayed on the screen for easy reference.
Out in the wilderness, encounters are frequent and mostly aggressive. So pressing "F" initiates combat for one turn. Not every encounter is hostile; some characters will trade or offer information (for a price) if you press "S" to speak. Combat is simple: you take turns exchanging blows. Damage is determined by your Strength, Agility, equipment and your opponent’s gear. Oddly, the game doesn’t explicitly display weapon damage statistics, but the price in shops gives you a good understanding. Ie, the higher the price, the better it is.
This is starting to sound good, with new islands to explore and turn-based combat...
Stopped by a warrior who wants to sell me a hatchet (better than a dagger!)
However, I already have a hammer, which is better. Sell that dagger, Steve!
Mesron expects a lot
Early on, you’re tasked with finding Mesron in Castle Redstone somewhere on the island. Once there, use that gold key lurking in your pocket, as speaking to him grants your first level up, increasing your Strength, Agility, and maximum Hit Points. Unlike traditional RPGs, levelling up does not occur through grinding. Nope, your progression is event-based, so advancement through is tied to completing milestones.
You’re quite poorly equipped, so you’ll need gold to upgrade your equipment as soon as possible, and that means venturing into the wilderness and (GULP) dungeons. Towns provide the usual amenities: weapon and armour shops, banks (allowing you to recover stored gold after death), and even casinos. Wizard’s Squares, found in some casinos, offers a surprisingly decent way to earn extra money if luck is on your side.
This large island boasts plains, forests, swamps, hills, and impassable mountain ranges concealing even more hidden places. Mapping is highly recommended, but only as a basic reminder. I quickly sketched the coastline and marked towns as I found them, which made navigation easier. Much later in the game, acquiring the Scroll of Scalna allows better dungeon mapping, easing the burden on your pen somewhat.
NPC interaction is minimalistic, and I'm being kind there. Speaking to townsfolk never produces a side quest or yields worthy dialogue. Often, brief hints are repeatedly thrown out, but occasionally you’ll uncover something important. Don’t expect deep conversations; I got told to "get lost" more times than I can count!
The dungeons are different from other areas and are scary death pits filled with incredibly tough enemies, secrets, and unique treasures. Without mapping, they can be disorienting. Combat encounters happen here almost as frequently as in the wilderness, but this time you can see them approaching. While you can often retreat from combat by moving away, that is often not an option in such a claustrophobic environment. Are you strong enough to enter a dungeon? Ask yourself that before heading into the unknown!
It’s difficult to fully review an RPG like Questron II because everyone's experience varies depending on the path taken. Also, while it’s technically open-world, progression is gated by specific objectives. Wander off too early, and you’ll likely be overwhelmed and turned into a pool of red goo by a stray beast. However, you will be resurrected to continue on, but it's now that you realise you should have used a town's bank!
Look - find Mesron and then follow the intended path of exploring, earning gold, upgrading equipment, buying spells, and keep repeating that. Once you're wealthy, load up to the gills with spells, it's only then that you should venture into the dungeons to hopefully complete the next mysterious milestone.
Magic matters, with that glaringly obvious hint out of the way, let's see some more screenshots...
Finally, we find the right place for a good chat with Mesron.
He rewards me with a level up, and my new avatar looks like Jeremy Clarkson!
Tips for exploring Landor
Unlike similar RPGs, I feel Questron II leaves you in the cold. There's little help beyond being told to speak to Mesron. You're forced to discover everything about the quest by pure luck most of the time, without a journal. Do not think you can wander off and start foolishly exploring the dungeon. You will die...
- Check your inventory to see what you possess, and then make sure you're [A]rmed and [W]earing the armour. The dagger is weak, and your armour is poor, so upgrading these is essential.
- It's best to explore the immediate landscape, fighting and e[X]amining the area for food. You may even meet the odd trader... Use the [S]peak option when you do.
- Redstone Castle is your first port of call, which is southwest of your starting location. Inside is The Hall of Visions, which is unlocked with the key you're already carrying. [S]peak to Mesron, and you will get a level up.
- Now that Mesron has helped in his little way, you can buy and use better armour and weapons, which you can purchase in towns like Bay View. You will have the potential (afaik) to use a Staff weapon and wear Ring Mail.
- However, these items will cost gold. You can find gold fighting or searching the landscape, but it's best to find a casino hosting the Wizard's Square game. You have the potential to win big money. Once you have, scour the town for shops selling that staff and ring mail.
- If you see a Travel shop, pop in... they sell Ropes and Hooks to traverse the mountains.
- Now, I'd say continue to hit the casino and earn as much money as possible. You can never have enough (I had a lot of success in Lyton and Long View). Here you can also top up your HP, and food if needs be.
- Don't walk around like Mr T. --> Use the Bank.
- When out exploring, some enemies appear, but you can immediately escape. However, some you cannot run from, and they appear to surround you no matter what you try. If you still don't want to fight them, then hit F once to engage and THEN walk away.
- Magical spells play a ginormous role in Questron II, but it's not like you may assume compared to other games. Initially, I felt spells like Fireball and Magic Missiles are very strong, and can be one-hit kills. That's total overkill when exploring outside, but essential for Cathedral guards and when down in a dungeon. Trust me, your current melee weapon will NOT be good enough for ages. I always find the best town to stock up on magic is Ontaga.
- Now that you're rich, wearing the best gear, armed with the best weapon, and have purchased loads of magical spells, it's time to take things further. Everything I've found seems to be centred on Redstone Castle and Rivercrest Cathedral...
- Redstone Castle has loads of chests containing gold, but many other chests contain useful keys. Unfortunately, attempting to loot these will anger the guards, and they’ll relentlessly chase you. They are incredibly strong and way too much for me and my trusty Staff weapon. However, the magic you bought opens up the game completely. Try hitting them with a fireball:)
- Open all the chests and run to the castle's exit. Then turn around and walk back in - the guards are passive again. So now it's time to use the keys you found in the chests earlier.
- The Cathedral has access to an underground dungeon, and it's a great place to begin dungeon crawling. However, don't bother unless you have listened to my hints about levelling up, getting rich, and being armed to the teeth. It's tough down there, and you won't last a single encounter without magical spells. Plus, the monsters hit a lot harder!
- Don't bother leaving Landor for the Realm of Sorcerers' Island, unless you're at the Apprentice rank. Although you can travel back by boat...
- Magic is the key to your survival.
- Cathedrals are great to stock up on many Bread of Life (John 6:35)
- Strong stuff that magic. Have I hinted enough about this?
As you can tell, I've had a bundle of fun within Questron II. And I hope this was enough to get you past the beginning stages. If not, then allow me to be blunt via hidden text that you'll need to highlight...
- Explore the towns and jot down each service they offer.
- Earn loads of cash at the casino.
- Arm yourself and load up with as much magic as you can afford.
- As hinted, everything is centred on Redstone Castle and Rivercrest Cathedral. Explore the dungeon under the Cathedral and use the Castle for keys/maps/Mesron, and the Orb, which is needed by a magician in the Dungeon.
- Basically, make sure you're properly armed and loaded with magic, grinding back and forth between the Castle and Cathedral.
- That's it. I really don't want to risk ruining your fun...!
Right then, shall we see a couple more screenshots before the gripping conclusion...
A massive milestone in Questron II is finally being able to see the Holy One.
The dungeons aren't always home to very strong monsters. Try Speaking.
CryptO'pinion
Let me be honest, when I drafted this review, I was pretty much close to giving up. I thoroughly enjoyed the first island, but reaching the second felt like a step in the wrong direction. The difficulty suddenly shot through the roof, and I couldn’t help but wonder why the game would throw me into an impossible situation.
I pushed on, cautiously exploring the northwestern part of the island, dying more times than I’d like to admit! Eventually, I stumbled across a couple of towns, with traders offering health, armour, and new items such as boats. This proved to be a turning point, allowing me to escape this hellhole to sail back to the first island to revisit Mesron in the hope of getting some help, which I did. Armed with improved stats, I returned to the island and found that traders were now offering better weapons and armour. Progress, at last!
Like I said earlier, you make your own way through any RPG, but less so in Questron II, as everything seems rigid and tied to Mesron, who demands quests to be completed in stages before carrying on. Sadly, this isn't clear much of the time. Plus, not having some sort of journal to follow is rather limiting and confusing.
Still, things begin to open up once you are wearing better armour, which allows you to survive the relentless wilderness encounters. The dungeon on the east part of the island is your only way forward, and possibly the only obvious "next step" of the entire adventure (because everywhere else is blocked in some way). It uses a first-person perspective similar to Dungeon Master, and on the third level, a scroll grants automapping. Wow, this opens up the whole experience, and I can't express just how much I enjoyed this part.
Deeper within lies the Crystal Goblet, which must be returned to the Holy One at Twilight Cathedral. This is where my progress has stalled, as I’ve yet to figure out how to access the cathedral’s dungeon or the one near Demph. It's a disappointing end to weeks of absorbing gameplay. But I rarely complete any game, so I'm shocked I got this far. Hang on, this was supposed to be CryptO'pinion and not a progress report!!
With that in mind, Questron II is brilliant, but hardly what I expected. It offers a fantastic, fantasy world with weird creatures, towns, cathedrals, and monster-infested dungeons. After the in-depth character creation (sarcasm), you are free to explore anywhere you like. However, the traditional grind doesn't exist, as it's been replaced by Mesron, who demands that tasks need to be completed to level you up. His reward mainly serves to increase your maximum hit points and unlock better equipment through town traders.
The action is turn-based, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, magic seems to dominate every encounter later in the game. I've mentioned before how wealth is crucial for purchasing magical spells, but in Questron II, it’s so prominent that it feels a bit odd. Levelling up for better melee weapons isn’t as important as you might think. Having a range of spells is far more beneficial and somewhat reduces the need for melee combat.
The wilderness is a good place to explore without being overly large, but the terrain doesn't seem to be anything more than cosmetic (except the mountains). The dungeons are tough with a psychological, eerie atmosphere that I admired a bunch. However, the towns are strange with their weird layout, and there's no point to them beyond supplies. Also, NPCs are mostly pointless and offer no conversation or assistance.
For me, the game might look like a typical RPG, but it's not really. There’s limited depth in terms of development, unfolding storyline, character interaction, or a grind for progression. Not only that, but the lack of a journal leaves you in the dark, wondering what to do and where to go next. Worst of all is the chore of the wilderness due to the frequent encounters with monsters constantly popping up to hit and run!
So is Questron II a bummer that you should run a mile from? Not on your nelly! Otherwise, I wouldn't have spent the last couple of months playing so intensely (hey, have you been following my progress on X/Twitter??). In fact, it’s been one of the most engaging and rewarding experiences I’ve had in quite some time, certainly more so than some of the other titles I’ve battled through recently (I'm looking at your Knightmare!).
Yes, I've become a fan of Questron II, and I feel that I've learned so much about its world and know it like the back of my hand. I really enjoyed battling within the dungeons, looking for treasures. Plus, these genuinely gave me the heebie-jeebies, which I found most enthralling. Questron II is closer to Phantasie than Ultima, by far. However, whether it's an RPG is doubtful, perhaps more of a Lite RPG with emphasis on action.
So, as an ARPG, it's thoroughly addictive and tons of fun. An easy 88%.
- This download has improvements to the controls (and more) by FGC (my greetings to Mike)
- You can get your grubby mits on the standard hard drive version from 8BitChip.
- If old floppies are your thing, then head over to Atari Legend right now!
- Questron II sits within our Quest/Action group - click it to see others.
- Wanna see more screenshots? You're in luck then...
After chatting with Mesron and building up my stash of magic/etc, this was a big checkpoint.
But wow, 1000 gold pieces for three (helpful) maps? Sounds a lot...
For 1000 gold pieces, three maps are shown, but not given.
I wonder how I'd have felt about that back in 1988...
Of course, I'd have been annoyed as I didn't have a camera phone for years!
Landor is pretty big, and you'll note the white blocks identifying places.
For 1000 pieces of gold, I'd have expected to take the maps away with me!
So, that means only one thing - pen and paper. Or your iPhone camera! ;)
Forget about exploring dungeons until you're much stronger.
And loaded up with magic, as this becomes your main method of attack.
After opening up the green door (above), behind it are monsters!
Lots of them, too!! So hit the "M" key and blast them with fireballs.
If you're still feeling well and have enough magic spells, continue to explore.
It's dangerous, so keep an eye on your inventory, food, and HP.
Most treasure chests contain gold, which isn't that important later on.
But these had a Wand of Power and the Chalice of Arvyl. Cool!!
Landor's dungeon proved very fruitful for me! And I was teleported onto the...
...Realm of Sorcerers' Island, where the difficulty increased massively!!
Here, the game is too hard. The monsters are way too TOUGH!!!
Perhaps I should have seen Mesron first? (for a level up). A missed opportunity?
No. Persevere! Shop around, and you might see a boat for sale (and a pony).
Use that boat to head back to Landor to complete tasks/level up... Much needed!!
Even after levelling up, Realm of Sorcerers is a cruel and difficult island.
Fill your boots with magic and enter the dungeon (east side of the island).
Gone is the overhead view for a "Dungeon Master"-like 3D perspective!
At first, it's difficult, but the map layout is very good for the first few levels.
However, like everything on this island, it's TOUGH!
Don't enter unless you have enough magic and several "Bread of Life".
Unlike on Landor, this is a multilevel dungeon and a long quest.
I cannot express just how much you'll need Bread of Life and Magic!
I've since found the Scroll of Scalna (3rd level of this dungeon)
This opens up the dungeon crawling completely with a nifty mapping tool.
This is where I am, with only one more rank to gain before I'm top dog!!
