Which did you prefer, Grimrock 1 or 2?

[LiveInABox]

Right thankyou. I will post again in this thread when I have finished the game.

[karadoc]

I've only just started Grimrock 2... but currently I'm thinking that I prefer the atmosphere of the first one. Grimrock 2 seems to have a mish-mash of different areas right next to each other; and although it's cool to have lots of different areas, I'm not feeling a sense of continuity. It feels like just a bunch of random stuff crammed into a box. I think the game is presenting me with too much scenery too soon, and the story isn't clear. (Now I'm on the beach, now I'm in a swamp, now I'm underground, now I'm in a forest, now I'm in a dungeon, and I still don't know what my characters think they're doing. Maybe they should just make a camp on the beach and wait to be rescued rather than exploring random dungeons.)

Also, I keep getting a sense that I've messed up my character creation. There are certain synergies between races, traits, skills, and stats that I'm only now starting to realise... and I'm thinking that if I'd known, I'd have build my characters differently. (I could restart - I haven't gotten super far; but I'm worried that I'll just discover something new and want to restart again!)

All in all, from my limited experience, I think that Grimrock 2 is probably the better game, but it isn't better in every way.

[CremionisD]

I find the LoG 1 has the better story elements, and the more old school dungeon crawler feeling to it. Because of the story and the atmosphere it creates, it is more addictive -- pushing the player to complete just one more puzzle. Many have criticized the ending of LoG 1 of being a kind of weird. Perhaps, but at least it was pretty surprising and not another stupid dragon (at least I was surprised the first time I saw it!). As a final boss fight it really works well, even if the boss is a little bit strange...

LoG 2 doesn't really seem to have a deep background story, like the first one seemed to have. Then again, the open world does not really permit telling a story the same way as it was done in the first LoG. Also the outdoor areas do not create the atmosphere that I would expect from a dungeon crawler -- the first time I played LoG 2 I did not get very far, and I stopped playing for several weeks since the game didn't really give me good enough story, nor the right atmosphere to keep me trying. Obviously I returned to LoG 2, and have completed it many times by now..

From purely technical point of view, LoG 2 is clearly more advanced than the first one was, in both quality and execution. And it's bigger. Bigger is always better -- I would have liked to see it being even bigger... Having players say "too small game" usually means that they want more!.. It's like with a really good book: They are always too short, no matter how massive they are.

I didn't intend to write comparison/review, but it just came out. Sorry about that...
So which one of these two do I prefer? It's a close call, but I have to say LoG 2 even with all the issues I have with it.

I have a feeling that AH worked insanely hard on LoG 2, so I'm not sure if I'm entitled to say it, but I would prefer LoG 1 atmosphere and story elements with LoG 2 scale and technical execution. That would be the best dungeon crawler ever.

[LiveInABox]

Well I just finished Grim 1! Just some quick notes as it is almost 6am and it took me an hour to beat this damn boss

Loved the atmosphere and the sense of going deeper and deeper underground. And that Toorum dude who leaves all the notes..that was really really neat, moreso than anything in Grim 2. I genuinely wanted to know what happened to him. UNTIL I DID! Anticlimactic or what, I mean what a cheap trap of certain death! Could have easily have happened to us only it wouldn't because, well, we have to complete the game! This is supposed to be a test not unavoidable death. Very weak and lame end to that great character Almost Human.

Graphically nowhere near Grim 2 on any level, I think Grim 2's outdoor atmosphere was at best at night, maybe it should have been all at night, but yeah different game. Still pretty, but Grim 2 is utterly gorgeous.

And...oh yeah that final boss fight WTF. I mean the cube was kind of cool but I did not enjoy randomly clicking it in the hope of removing some piece of junk while simultaneously hoping to get lucky in trying to avoid masses of trash spawned enemies. Not fun. The ending seemed rushed, the ending sucked. I didn't really enjoy the whole machinery vibe of the last few levels either.

Other things...I missed not being able to switch between two weapon configurations and not being able to drag cast spells. Mages in general were just much more versatile and more powerful in Grim 2 (could easily be the most powerful in the game). I think though the characters (mage aside) were fairly balanced in Grim 1, most powerful probably my crossbowman. Towards the end he was a complete beast, maxed out range and he deals insane damage and very quick cooldown.

Protection is useless. My rogue ended up with around 100 evasion and almost no protection and he was near untouchable. My party got wiped out pretty quickly in the fighters challenge but I could leave him there for 10 mins doing NOTHING and he would still be alive. Seriously I forgot to pause it and I left him there for 10 mins to go make some tea and came back and he was still alive! Grim 2 is much more balanced.

I liked the enemies more in Grim 2 as well, just better designed and more fun to fight. The combat is better in Grim 2.

The puzzles are much better as well in Grim 2. The series has some utterly brilliantly imaginative ones but also a a fair number of completely inane and illogical puzzles in both games, I doubt there is a single person alive who finished these games without looking at a youtube walkthrough unless you have the patience of a saint and even then I doubt it. Almost Human don't make puzzles that are so ridiculously difficult you have to resort to walkthroughs as that only loses immersion. I didn't think there would be anything as difficult as trying to find the entrance to the faerie realm in Interplays brilliant "Stonekeep" but a few of the puzzles here come pretty close. In fact that Stonekeep puzzle was impossible, I remember Interplay had to send a floppy disc out to early buyers..In comparison though Stonekeep wins for atmosphere, immersion and story (latter goes without saying) if nothing else. But I digress. There were some amazingly brilliant puzzles/secrets in Grim 2, I loved that obvious 'meditate' one where you stare in the dark and the level changes, and also the 'flight of the eagle' one among many others. Genius. And a lot of the puzzles in Grim 2 were very challenging but logical and there is such a huge feeling of satisfaction for progressing. Nothing as clever, memorable or as good can be found in Grim 1.

So yeah, the story aside, overall Grim 2 is better in nearly every single way.

Grim 1 7/10
Grim 2 9/10

[minmay]

And that Toorum dude who leaves all the notes..that was really really neat, moreso than anything in Grim 2. I genuinely wanted to know what happened to him. UNTIL I DID! Anticlimactic or what, I mean what a cheap trap of certain death! Could have easily have happened to us only it wouldn't because, well, we have to complete the game! This is supposed to be a test not unavoidable death. Very weak and lame end to that great character Almost Human.

SpoilerShow

It's not actually the end of that character! You know those healing crystals that can bring people back to life? Well...

[Azel]

Am I the only one who greatly dislikes Toorum after seeing his face??

He just looks so utterly weak and as "non-warrior" a man is it could get in the fantasy world lol.



Just look at at the guy... about as intimidating as a Muppet wielding a plastic spork. After beating LoG1 and following Toorum's footsteps, I was hoping to find a fallen Batman and instead we got Robin

[LiveInABox]

And that Toorum dude who leaves all the notes..that was really really neat, moreso than anything in Grim 2. I genuinely wanted to know what happened to him. UNTIL I DID! Anticlimactic or what, I mean what a cheap trap of certain death! Could have easily have happened to us only it wouldn't because, well, we have to complete the game! This is supposed to be a test not unavoidable death. Very weak and lame end to that great character Almost Human.

SpoilerShow

It's not actually the end of that character! You know those healing crystals that can bring people back to life? Well...

Damn really? OK I need to try that.

[LiveInABox]

Am I the only one who greatly dislikes Toorum after seeing his face??

He just looks so utterly weak and as "non-warrior" a man is it could get in the fantasy world lol.



Just look at at the guy... about as intimidating as a Muppet wielding a plastic spork. After beating LoG1 and following Toorum's footsteps, I was hoping to find a fallen Batman and instead we got Robin

Nah if that's him then that is more or less what I expected him to look like. He has that whole Prince of Persia vibe going on, agile and skilled enough to get as far as he did.

[Azel]

I'd lean more towards the "sidekick" to the Prince of Persia lol

[karadoc]

To me, Toorum looks fine. He doesn't look like a brute or a warrior. He doesn't look like Batman, that's true. To me he looks like a nomad. A confident traveller, who knows how to survive and isn't easily tricked or confused. He isn't there for the fight, but he can look after himself if he needs to. That's the image of him that I get from his story and his picture.

--
Comparing Grimrock 1 and Grimrock 2 reminds me a bit of Diablo 1 vs Diablo 2. The newer game has gameplay improvement; more varied and interesting enemies; lots of new and varied areas; more interesting and balanced character advancement; better graphics; and it's longer. But the original game had a strong atmosphere...