Witchaven II
Encyclopedia
Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance is the sequel
to the fantasy
first-person shooter
video game Witchaven
, created and released in 1996
by Capstone Software
. It was Capstone's last proprietary
game release before their parent company
Intracorp
went bankrupt.
of Duke Nukem 3D
fame. The sequel's gameplay
is very similar but features some other improvements over the original game, such as possibility to wield two weapons (one in each hand) and to hold a shield in the non-weapon hand. Compared with the previous game the level of difficulty was also increased and the graphics were partially refined. Unlike the first game in the series it came with the Build level editor which meant that the players were able to create their own levels. Unlike in the first game, most enemies are human. There are 15 levels in the game.
, when the forces of darkness were triumphed over: Illwhyrin, the witch queen of Char, was destroyed in her lair and the evil curse was lifted. During the victory party celebrating the destruction of Witchaven, the hero of the game, Grondoval the Witchbane, falls into a slumber. After awaking, he is told by the mysterious ancient female golden dragon named Ikethsti that Cirae-Argoth, one of the most powerful of Nether-Reaches Order of Witches, has arrived to avenge the death of her sister. In an elaborate act of revenge, her army of demons and Argothonian clansmen has abducted Grondoval's beloved princess Elizabeth and the other people of his homeland Stazhia to exact the titular blood vengeance
and now it is only up to Grondoval to try and rescue his countrymen before they will all be gone forever. His new quest is fight his way to find and defeat Cirae-Argoth, thwarting her plot, and to capture the Horned Skull item which would then contain her evil powers until it could be destroyed. The story is told in the intro sequence (in which the dragon just burns the village and flies off north, without saying anything) and further expanded in the game's manual.
The game ends with a cinematic sequence showing the corpse of the slain witch turning into a skeleton, which is then shattered by Grondoval's magic missile when it rises and attempts to flee. Grondoval then loses consciousness and awakens in a different location. The dragoness Ikethsti arrives again to tell a cryptic message, saying the whole plot was really an elaborate set up as Cirae-Argoth was not her real master and Grondoval's kindred has never disappeared; it was actually only Grondoval who has vanished. Ikethsti also tells him his trials are far from over, and they will see each other again (apparently hinting at another sequel that has never arrived). In the final scene the witch's skull swallows a butterfly and vanishes into the ground while an ominous music plays.
rated the game 72 out of 100). Often criticized was quality of the game's cinematics and the enemy AI
being as poor as in the first game, as well as its overall feel of a rushed expansion to the first Witchaven instead of a more proper sequel. According to a review in Next Generation
, while the game was "an improvement over the original," it did not "stack up to comparable games in its genre" (in particular, Duke Nukem 3D) and called it "uninnovative but unsurprising" and "just like Doom". Computer Gaming World
gave Witchaven II only 2 out 5 stars, citing "sluggish game speed, buggy gameplay, no continuity in the story and generally weak use of of the Build engine", despite the game's "ferocious, in-your-face action".
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game Witchaven
Witchaven
Witchaven is a fantasy computer game developed by Capstone Software and released by Intracorp Entertainment in . It was followed by the sequel named Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance in 1996.-Story:...
, created and released in 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....
by Capstone Software
Capstone Software
Capstone Software was a subsidiary of IntraCorp, a Miami, Florida-based computer and video game company. Founded in 1984, Capstone created first-person games such as Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, William Shatner's TekWar and Witchaven, and is also known for releasing games based on movie/TV...
. It was Capstone's last proprietary
Proprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
game release before their parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
Intracorp
IntraCorp
IntraCorp was a Miami, Florida-based game publisher, founded in 1984. They went bankrupt in 1996 and shut down along with their main subsidiary, Capstone Software. IntraCorp developed and published games for a wide range of genres....
went bankrupt.
Gameplay
Just as its predecessor, Witchaven II used Build engineBuild engine
The Build engine is a first-person shooter engine created by Ken Silverman for 3D Realms. Like the Doom engine, the Build engine represents its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called sectors, and uses simple flat objects called sprites to populate the world geometry with...
of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
fame. The sequel's gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
is very similar but features some other improvements over the original game, such as possibility to wield two weapons (one in each hand) and to hold a shield in the non-weapon hand. Compared with the previous game the level of difficulty was also increased and the graphics were partially refined. Unlike the first game in the series it came with the Build level editor which meant that the players were able to create their own levels. Unlike in the first game, most enemies are human. There are 15 levels in the game.
Story
Witchaven II takes place after the events of the first gameWitchaven
Witchaven is a fantasy computer game developed by Capstone Software and released by Intracorp Entertainment in . It was followed by the sequel named Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance in 1996.-Story:...
, when the forces of darkness were triumphed over: Illwhyrin, the witch queen of Char, was destroyed in her lair and the evil curse was lifted. During the victory party celebrating the destruction of Witchaven, the hero of the game, Grondoval the Witchbane, falls into a slumber. After awaking, he is told by the mysterious ancient female golden dragon named Ikethsti that Cirae-Argoth, one of the most powerful of Nether-Reaches Order of Witches, has arrived to avenge the death of her sister. In an elaborate act of revenge, her army of demons and Argothonian clansmen has abducted Grondoval's beloved princess Elizabeth and the other people of his homeland Stazhia to exact the titular blood vengeance
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
and now it is only up to Grondoval to try and rescue his countrymen before they will all be gone forever. His new quest is fight his way to find and defeat Cirae-Argoth, thwarting her plot, and to capture the Horned Skull item which would then contain her evil powers until it could be destroyed. The story is told in the intro sequence (in which the dragon just burns the village and flies off north, without saying anything) and further expanded in the game's manual.
The game ends with a cinematic sequence showing the corpse of the slain witch turning into a skeleton, which is then shattered by Grondoval's magic missile when it rises and attempts to flee. Grondoval then loses consciousness and awakens in a different location. The dragoness Ikethsti arrives again to tell a cryptic message, saying the whole plot was really an elaborate set up as Cirae-Argoth was not her real master and Grondoval's kindred has never disappeared; it was actually only Grondoval who has vanished. Ikethsti also tells him his trials are far from over, and they will see each other again (apparently hinting at another sequel that has never arrived). In the final scene the witch's skull swallows a butterfly and vanishes into the ground while an ominous music plays.
Reception
Witchaven II received rather average reviews (albeit PC ZonePC Zone
PC Zone was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. PC Zone was founded in 1993.The magazine was published...
rated the game 72 out of 100). Often criticized was quality of the game's cinematics and the enemy AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
being as poor as in the first game, as well as its overall feel of a rushed expansion to the first Witchaven instead of a more proper sequel. According to a review in Next Generation
Next Generation
Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to:- Publications and literature :* Next Generation Magazine, video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company...
, while the game was "an improvement over the original," it did not "stack up to comparable games in its genre" (in particular, Duke Nukem 3D) and called it "uninnovative but unsurprising" and "just like Doom". 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...
gave Witchaven II only 2 out 5 stars, citing "sluggish game speed, buggy gameplay, no continuity in the story and generally weak use of of the Build engine", despite the game's "ferocious, in-your-face action".
External links
- Official website
- Witchaven II at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Witchaven II at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...