Discworld II: Mortality Bytes!
1996
- point-and-click
- adventure
- fantasy
- comedy
- single player
The story
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! is the second point-and-click adventure game based on Terry Pratchett's series of fantasy novels set on the mythical Discworld. The game was developed and produced in 1996 by Perfect Entertainment for the PC, and ported in 1997 for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was published by Psygnosis for the PC and PlayStation, and by Sega for the Saturn (only in Europe). In Discworld II the player controls Rincewind the "wizzard" (voiced by Eric Idle, as in the previous game) who has been burdened with the task of coercing Death out of his impromptu retirement and back into his regular duties. The plot borrows from a number of Discworld books, most notably Reaper Man, Moving Pictures and Lords and Ladies. It all begins in a quiet Ankh-Morpork street, where Rincewind and The Librarian inexplicably fail to die from a nearby cart-bomb explosion. The odd event is not shared by them alone however: occurrences of the newly dead re-awakening and disturbing the populace are being reported all over the city, prompting the Archchancellor of Unseen University to halt his usual activities of feasting and merrymaking, and to take charge of the situation. Much to Rincewind's despair, the entirety of this process involves appointing him to the task of finding Death and convincing him to resume his work.
What it’s like
Bright, painted cartoon backdrops of a crowded, grimy city, with cluttered streets, candlelit university halls and wobbly gothic architecture, all drawn in a broad, wry style that leans into caricature. Scenes unfold through mouse clicks on hotspots, with the camera settling on fixed views that let you take in every prop and sight gag. Cartoon cutscenes punctuate the story, and the voice acting carries much of the mood: a dry, self-deprecating narrator-like wit, with occasional slapstick. The vibe is goofy and irreverent, a gentle sort of chaos that suits a lazy afternoon, a comfort replay, or an evening when you want to puzzle through something without tension. Pacing is leisurely, driven by conversation and experimentation rather than reflexes, and the emotional register stays light even as death and the undead take centre stage. Violence is cartoonish and bloodless in tone, with skeletons, undead and the odd comic mishap played for laughs rather than dread; there is no sexual content, and nothing here is frightening in a lasting way. It is for players who enjoy sly humour, puzzle-solving at an unhurried pace, and a fantasy world full of eccentric characters.
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