Ecstatica II

1997

adventure
action

The story

Welcome to a world of magic, mysterious traps and diabolical danger, graphical glory and fast, fiendish gameplay. Your desperate struggle against the forces of chaos will pit you against a relentless enemy onslaught; you'll need wits, cunning and expert swordsmanship to defeat the evil nemeses. Let's hope you don't pass out at the sight of blood. Using unique Ellipsoid technology, Ecstatica 2 places you in a vast gaming world that'll keep you in its spell for a long, long time. With over 1,100 camera views, superbly animated characters and a huge array of magic weapons, this is an exceptional action adventure from one of the most creative teams around.

What it’s like

Fixed camera angles frame each room like a painted stage, with pre-rendered backdrops in murky greens, ochres and deep shadow, and the characters moving across them as chunky, low-polygon figures that feel more like puppets than models. The look is dim and forested, lit by torchlight and gloomy daylight rather than anything bright, and the camera snaps between hundreds of set-piece views as you walk through woods, crypts and castle halls. Sound is a sparse mix of ambient drones, creaking doors and clanging swordplay, with the occasional tense sting when something lurches out of the dark. The pace is deliberate and puzzle-like: you move, pause, study a room, and try again after a trap or ambush, so the mood is brooding and slightly eerie rather than frantic. Violence is present throughout, with sword fights and blood splashes shown in a stylised, cartoonish way, and the monsters and deaths carry a grim, gothic edge without much gore beyond that. It suits a slow evening at a PC with headphones, for players who enjoy old-school adventure games with atmosphere, puzzles and a brooding gothic world.

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