Your family was murdered by pirates. You are a helpless slave in a pirate camp. Thus your story begins, to find your brother and reveal the tragic fate of your kin.

Dark Disciples 2 is the sequel to the freeware CRPG game Dark Disciples. The game most resembles a rouge-like game, but the character saves do not delete upon death.  A new story, a new character, and a new world make this sequel as fresh as ever.
 
The game has changed a somewhat since its previous instalment. Many new features have been added to create a more complex game world. Skills based on player stats make for a more complex character, there is a fast travel system in town and ranged weapons and spell skills have been implemented. All these suggestions I remember from the forum, so apparently the developer knows how to lend an ear to the fans. The complexity and attention to detail is great.  You can explore multiple locations, from forests and swamps, to cities and dungeons. In each location you will find appropriate monsters, and a great atmosphere – like rooster fights and illegal arena battles in the “underground”.
 
Game play wise, the game hasn’t changed much, however the skills and the addition of ranged weapons add an extra layer of complexity. The AI has been upgraded to better challenge the player, and the fact that monsters now poses ranged weapons and spells make the game all the more challenging. The character can now use prayers and curses to level the playing field, and spells are “prepared” before resting, and like in a D&D game you have a limited number of charges to use to your advantage. Also, gems have gone from simple trade commodity to elements of mystical power.
 
The story is fresh compared to what you might see in a mainstream game. Your character is dumped scratching his/her head on a pirate camp, and you must escape to let your brother know of the tragedy. In the meantime, you must wrestle with vivid prophetic dreams and complete various quests for anyone from the city administration to a simple bard. The goal of the game seems to be preventing the end of the world – but I won’t spoil it for you!
 
The graphics are cute and colourful . They have improved in quality since the last game.  Despite this, whenever I try to pitch the game to a friend, the graphics come up first – sadly this warrants a thumbs down. Still, for retro fans , it may provide an enjoyable experience reminiscent of the good old days.
 
The editor has been improved and is now a very fun tool to make your own mods with. You can easily create your own world, add characters, items, scripts, and bring to a life a whole new world – it’s worth mentioning that good editors are usually found in mainstream games, not indie freeware projects like this, so that’s a plus.
 
One thing definitely worth mentioning are the puzzles found in all major and minor quests. They all have 2 or more solutions, which makes them suitable for almost all character types, and they all require some thinking on the player’s part making the game even more exciting. Still, although the detective work is fine, the game can get a bit cryptic at times. Nevertheless, the puzzles add both frustration and enjoyment, and prolong the game’s playability and re-playability.
 
In conclusion, if you like old school RPG games, an original story, and don’t mind the occasional cryptic puzzle, Dark Disciples 2 is the game for you. With patience, you could create your own world and enjoy your own quest.