This game needs a remaster!! Yes remaster not remake because it's pretty much a perfection, at least as single player, can't say anything about the multiplayer
One of the games of my childhood that will always be close to my heart. Dark humour, original gameplay - hundred of hours played. I still come back to the game every now and then.
OK, they made some improvements/additions on the original ( My Pet Dungeon, better traps and some interesting level objectives) - but this was more than offset by a total ruination of the most important element - the basic game play. This is slow, slow, slow. I don't want to drop my creatures and watch them lie on the floor for a minute. I don't want to build my dungeon like an ailing octogenarian would. I don't want to watch my creatures shuffling around as if it's a Sunday afternoon stroll. One of the best features about the original was that (mostly) you had to play fast, think fast and act fast. And what's with the stupid buggy cut scenes? Absolutely pointless. The new creatures didn't do much for me either. The basic excellent concept is still there though and the voiceover and music is once again very entertaining. Regardless, still a big disappointment and I couldn't be bothered crawling through the main campaign a second time.
One of my favourite old timers but "Its good to be good". Most similar and the best game is Rimworld. Maybe its not about digging but digging is not the best aspect of this kind of game. One settlement/city is better than many levels. Could been few settlements and 4X game.
Having just played through the original Dungeon Keeper, I don't really find this installment as impressive.
Overall the game attempts to add a storyline by having the player collect Portal Stones in each level, although, aside from the intro showcasing a wizard scattering these, there is no mention what they are for, or why they are important. Because of this the game fails to deliver one of the major selling-points of the original: world domination. Rather than conquer lands it is a mad scramble to collect Portal Stones for some unknown purpose.
On the subject of comparing to the original, the gameplay is sluggish. Minions getting stunned when dropped; walking slowly from one place to another; or stopping completely because the Hand of Evil (the cursor) is hovering over them, slows the gameplay considerably. Being forced to watch cinematics every now and then also slows down the gameplay.
Surprisingly, the game looks, in my eyes, less aesthetically pleasing than the original. Gone are the 2D sprite-based graphics with nicely rounded edges, in favor of clunky, sharp-edged 3D graphics. The game is from a time when true 3D graphics was relatively new, which does excuse the rudimentary graphics somewhat.
Graphics and overall pace aside, the most annoying aspect is the lack of a feature to by which to pick up either the highest or lowest level creature **** type. This feature was present in the original, and was of great help when wanting to split creatures between various tasks. The Hand of Evil also no longer displays the level of each creature held. Two features that are sorely missed. On the other hand, it is now possible to pick up even more creature.
The game does, however, introduce a few improved and welcome features.
Most noticeable change is the addition of a numerical indicator of how many creatures each room can accommodate. The separation of constructed / researched items from the workers / researches in each room is also a welcome change. No longer does an item count towards the limit, thus ensuring a stable workforce.
Spells now use mana instead of gold, which is a nice and welcome change. In the original, when gold was limited, it was always a struggle to balance spending gold on spells during combat with training creatures and expanding the dungeon. A welcome change indeed.
Rooms no longer have to be researched, but are rather awarded or unlocked on a level-by-level basis, which is also a welcome change, which speeds the gameplay up somewhat.
Spells are, much like the rooms, no longer necessary to research once they have been researched once. They can, however, be upgraded, which is a nice feature, but not a strict requirement.
--- Ratings ---
Overall: 6.5
Graphics: 7
Gameplay: 6
Sound: 9
Innovation: 4*
*: Although there are some nice additions to the interface, the game is continuation of series, with a predecessor, which leaves a lot to be desired in regards to the overall pace,and accessibility.
I remember getting this game and being so intensely disappointed. I spent months on Dungeon Keeper 1, but this second installment is rather dumbed down, making it easy to get powerful characters fast thus rendering most characters useless. I finished the game in just a single day and it doesn't offer any replay value at all, because in multiplayer people just rush to the most powerful characters in minutes, destroying the whole pacing of the game.
SummaryCreate your own dungeon empire! Dig out your underground kingdom. Populate your dungeon with a variety of beasts - such as the Skeletons, Dark Elves, Trolls and evil Warlocks. Prepare them for battle with training rooms, workshops and magical libraries. Command your hordes in frenzied battles against the invading forces of heroic good. S...