Police Quest II: The Vengeance
Encyclopedia
Police Quest II: The Vengeance is an adventure game produced by Jim Walls
for Sierra On-Line
, and released in 1988. It is the sequel to Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
and is part of the Police Quest
series.
The player also uses typed commands to drive to locations throughout the game, which the game - unlike its prequel and sequel - will automatically drive them to.
Sonny Bonds has access to a firearm for use in his work as a detective. The player is required to use the gun at times throughout the game and will need to make sure the gun is sighted properly, as well as loaded with ammunition. However, there are no action-sequences in the game, unless one counts the few time-critical sequences and puzzles in the game as such.
The player character
is Sonny Bonds, a detective with the Lytton Police Department. The other main characters are Bonds' partner Keith, Bonds' girlfriend Marie Wilkans, and Jessie Bains, an escaped convict who Bonds arrested in Police Quest I: In Pursuit of the Death Angel.
.
Bonds and his partner Keith Robinson gather evidence at the jailhouse and locate the kidnapped jailer's car, when they are called to the riverside where Bains has apparently been spotted. Following a shootout with Bains, after which he escapes, Sonny finds evidence which leads him to believe the hostage has been murdered and dumped in the lake. Bonds dives in the river alongside a professional police diver to discover the jailer's body. Locating Bains' getaway vehicle near the Airport, Sonny investigates and finds out that Bains has since assumed the dead jailer's identity but still cannot determine Bains' next move. After going off-duty that evening, Bonds dates with Marie and they discuss the unfolding menace.
The following day, the body of Woody Roberts, a witness in Bains' trial (formerly the bartender at Hotel Delphoria in Police Quest 1) is discovered near the city's warehouse district. Evidence at the site directs Bonds and his partner to a motel in town, where the two storm Bains' room assisted by the local S.W.A.T.
unit. While Bains himself is not present, Bonds finds several items which indicate that Bains intends to take revenge on all who testified against him, including Bonds, Marie Wilkans, the already murdered Woody Roberts, and Don Colby, a former small time drug dealer now under the witness protection program. Hurrying to Marie's house, Bonds finds signs of struggle and clear indication that Marie has been abducted by Bains.
Bonds' detective work and the accumulated evidence lead him to believe that Bains has flown to Steelton where he intends to hit Don Colby. Alerting both Colby and the local police, Bonds and his partner take a flight there as well. On the way, they avert an attempted terrorist bombing of their plane. Arriving at Steelton, Bonds learns that Bains has already murdered Colby before the local police could react. A phonecall to Colby's office is traced to a local park, and Bonds heads there to investigate, quickly tracking Bains into the sewer system below the park. After navigating the dangerous sewers, Bonds finally confronts Bains in a shootout, during which Bains is shot dead, and Marie subsequently saved.
Depending on who shot first, the player can get two different endings. If Bonds shot first, then the jury will rule that he acted recklessly, and thus violated the law, giving the player the bad ending. If Bains shot first, then the jury will rule that he acted on self-defense, giving the player the good ending.
engine, focused more on detective and forensics work than the traffic-cop beginning of the original, while keeping the same realistic setting. The proper procedures for collecting and handling evidence are the main focus of many of PQ2's puzzles. It was released for the IBM PC
, Amiga
, Atari ST
and later for the NEC PC-9801 (using redrawn sprites in Anime
style). The scenarios present in the game are based on situations designer Jim Walls or his friends were in while in the police force, and the real Jessie Bains (whose name was changed) did escape and was on the loose at the time the game was released.
called the ST version "excellent in every respect — the graphics, plot, detail, humour and story telling are of first rate quality", awarding it 9 out of 10. Computer Gaming World
also gave the game a glowing review, saying, "The advanced graphics, intriguing story, and flowing animation make this story come alive. The whole package leads us toward a new apex in interactive game fiction!."
Retro-gaming websites Hardcore Gaming 101 and Adventure Gaming both praised the title, calling it the highlight of the series, with Hardcore Gaming 101 stating that "if there's any one title (of the Police Quest series) that deserves attention, it's this one. It's well-paced, fairly exciting, and more interesting than any of the others, and something of an overlooked classic." Adventure Gamers concluded similarly that "(t)he Vengeance is an entertaining and intense retro adventure that is not only the best of its series, but one of the very best of Sierra’s Golden Age."
Jim Walls
Jim Walls is a retired police officer, who in 1971 joined the California Highway Patrol. He retired after 15 years on the force after a shooting incident that left him traumatized....
for Sierra On-Line
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
, and released in 1988. It is the sequel to Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel is an adventure game produced by Jim Walls for Sierra On-Line, and originally released in 1987 built on their AGI.It was remade in 1992 using 256 color VGA graphics and the SCI engine....
and is part of the Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
series.
Gameplay
A typed command driver interface is used to control the player character in Police Quest II. Commands are given in a verb/noun combination (e.g. "Unlock Door" at the beginning of the game.) The player is required to follow correct police procedures to effectively complete the game.The player also uses typed commands to drive to locations throughout the game, which the game - unlike its prequel and sequel - will automatically drive them to.
Sonny Bonds has access to a firearm for use in his work as a detective. The player is required to use the gun at times throughout the game and will need to make sure the gun is sighted properly, as well as loaded with ammunition. However, there are no action-sequences in the game, unless one counts the few time-critical sequences and puzzles in the game as such.
Setting and characters
Police Quest II: The Vengeance is based in the fictional town of Lytton, California in 1988, as well as in the town of Steelton, Texas. Players can visit various locations in the city of Lytton including the Detective Division of the police department (where Sonny Bonds is stationed), the Jail and Cotton Cove, a picnic area running along the Clear Water River.The player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
is Sonny Bonds, a detective with the Lytton Police Department. The other main characters are Bonds' partner Keith, Bonds' girlfriend Marie Wilkans, and Jessie Bains, an escaped convict who Bonds arrested in Police Quest I: In Pursuit of the Death Angel.
Plot
After arresting Jessie Bains in Police Quest 1, Bonds is permanently promoted to the homicide division. He begins dating Marie Wilkans, who helped him in his undercover work in exchange for the dismissal of prostitution charges against her. Pretty soon, a dark shadow is cast over his happy life once more: When Bains is returned to Lytton for retrial, he manages to escape from prison, taking one of the guards as hostage using a makeshift knifeShiv (weapon)
A shiv is a slang term for any sharp or pointed implement used as a knife-like weapon. However, the word in practical usage is frequently used when referring to an improvised bladed weapon. Shivs are commonly made by inmates in prisons across the world...
.
Bonds and his partner Keith Robinson gather evidence at the jailhouse and locate the kidnapped jailer's car, when they are called to the riverside where Bains has apparently been spotted. Following a shootout with Bains, after which he escapes, Sonny finds evidence which leads him to believe the hostage has been murdered and dumped in the lake. Bonds dives in the river alongside a professional police diver to discover the jailer's body. Locating Bains' getaway vehicle near the Airport, Sonny investigates and finds out that Bains has since assumed the dead jailer's identity but still cannot determine Bains' next move. After going off-duty that evening, Bonds dates with Marie and they discuss the unfolding menace.
The following day, the body of Woody Roberts, a witness in Bains' trial (formerly the bartender at Hotel Delphoria in Police Quest 1) is discovered near the city's warehouse district. Evidence at the site directs Bonds and his partner to a motel in town, where the two storm Bains' room assisted by the local S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.
- S.W.A.T. 1 :Date: October 4, 2006Location: VilniusResults: Valentine Bagdonavicius defeated Richard Damanskas by KO Gediminas Bielskis defeated Mantas Kuslin by KO Saulius Poltanavicius vs Aivaras Juska Draw...
unit. While Bains himself is not present, Bonds finds several items which indicate that Bains intends to take revenge on all who testified against him, including Bonds, Marie Wilkans, the already murdered Woody Roberts, and Don Colby, a former small time drug dealer now under the witness protection program. Hurrying to Marie's house, Bonds finds signs of struggle and clear indication that Marie has been abducted by Bains.
Bonds' detective work and the accumulated evidence lead him to believe that Bains has flown to Steelton where he intends to hit Don Colby. Alerting both Colby and the local police, Bonds and his partner take a flight there as well. On the way, they avert an attempted terrorist bombing of their plane. Arriving at Steelton, Bonds learns that Bains has already murdered Colby before the local police could react. A phonecall to Colby's office is traced to a local park, and Bonds heads there to investigate, quickly tracking Bains into the sewer system below the park. After navigating the dangerous sewers, Bonds finally confronts Bains in a shootout, during which Bains is shot dead, and Marie subsequently saved.
Depending on who shot first, the player can get two different endings. If Bonds shot first, then the jury will rule that he acted recklessly, and thus violated the law, giving the player the bad ending. If Bains shot first, then the jury will rule that he acted on self-defense, giving the player the good ending.
Development
The 1988 sequel, developed with Sierra's new SCISierra's Creative Interpreter
Sierra's Creative Interpreter is the scripting language created by Jeff Stephenson of Sierra On-Line for its adventure games after the older AGI, and the runtime environment for such adventure games....
engine, focused more on detective and forensics work than the traffic-cop beginning of the original, while keeping the same realistic setting. The proper procedures for collecting and handling evidence are the main focus of many of PQ2's puzzles. It was released for the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and later for the NEC PC-9801 (using redrawn sprites in Anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
style). The scenarios present in the game are based on situations designer Jim Walls or his friends were in while in the police force, and the real Jessie Bains (whose name was changed) did escape and was on the loose at the time the game was released.
Reception
In its June 1989 issue, British magazine Atari ST UserAtari ST User
Atari ST User was a British computer magazine aimed at users of the Atari ST range. It started life as a pull-out section in Atari User magazine...
called the ST version "excellent in every respect — the graphics, plot, detail, humour and story telling are of first rate quality", awarding it 9 out of 10. Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
also gave the game a glowing review, saying, "The advanced graphics, intriguing story, and flowing animation make this story come alive. The whole package leads us toward a new apex in interactive game fiction!."
Retro-gaming websites Hardcore Gaming 101 and Adventure Gaming both praised the title, calling it the highlight of the series, with Hardcore Gaming 101 stating that "if there's any one title (of the Police Quest series) that deserves attention, it's this one. It's well-paced, fairly exciting, and more interesting than any of the others, and something of an overlooked classic." Adventure Gamers concluded similarly that "(t)he Vengeance is an entertaining and intense retro adventure that is not only the best of its series, but one of the very best of Sierra’s Golden Age."