PC REVIEW | Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin

Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin is a tower defence-style game that follows on from the popular Defender’s Quest: Valley of the Forgotten. Going into this game, you play as Evni Hunt and her crew as they battle the creatures that have appeared in the mists known in-game as Mirk. You upgrade your crew and weaponry to defend your city and save the people from the creatures spawned by the mirk. There are RPG and tower defence elements to the game that, while on the surface, start out as engaging but quickly begin to lose their lustre as you continue to play.
There are times where I wish I could just say, Hey, it is what it is; it might not be the best game, but at least it was an attempt. Unfortunately I can’t; I have to be honest and review the game that is given to me as I see it. Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin was in development hell for about 10 years from what I read, and I’ll be honest, it looks and plays like a game that would have been released back then and has had nothing done to improve it. I’m afraid this is going to be quite a short review, and I honestly wish it wasn’t the case considering what the developer has gone through.

Things I liked!

• Hand-Drawn Graphics | I do appreciate hand-drawn graphics in some games; this one does have that very homemade feel to it. Each of your characters has their own personality and unique look to them that makes them stand out. The backgrounds are quite fun to look at as you play as well. I would actually like to see this as a webcomic… unless it already is one and I just haven’t noticed.
  
• Sound | The sound design of Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin is actually quite epic; the music fits well with the battles, and the sound of the weapons as they blast, crush and destroy the creatures is suitably engaging. A lot of tower defence games can have repetitive music in the background, which can be quite grating, but Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin actually keeps a good balance.

Mixed & disliked!

• Gameplay | The gameplay of Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin starts off well, but as you progress, sometimes it feels like it’s holding your hand, and others it feels like it strips away everything that makes the game fun, and this can even be on the same level. There are RPG elements to the game, but they feel more tacked on than a part of the overall meat of the game. I really would like to see someone take over and give the game the extra love it deserves to elevate it from a broken project to a fantastic sequel.

• Story | The story is quite basic, and sometimes that might be all you need; however, the characters seem to want to tell more of a story than the script allows. It really does feel like buried beneath the surface there could be an epic tale to be told, but unfortunately it just wasn’t meant to be.
  
• Difficulty | The game has a very odd difficulty system, as mentioned before; you can be destroying your enemies with gusto one moment only to be completely overwhelmed by the same enemies the next. It just felt very inconsistent. Tower defence games are meant to have a learning curve to them, but this felt more like a series of learning hillocks. Again, I think the idea is good, but the execution just didn’t quite make the grade.

CONCLUSION

Score: 25/100 – Defender’s Quest 2: Mists of Ruin is a game that is sadly lacking for me. It has a lot of potential behind it, and comparing it to the first is something that will always happen. I feel that given the time frame it took to get the game from Kickstarter to full release, I would have expected a lot more. More plot, more action, more of everything. Now I understand that the developer has gone through quite a rough time, and I have to acknowledge that, but it could have been delegated to others to complete so that the finished product could have met the potential that the game clearly wants to reach. All in all, it was a disappointing effort that, with a little TLC and a few community mods, could come back from the brink and become a great wee game.