At a Glance

Although playing a good guy is all fine and dandy, many would say it’s much more fun to play the villain. While this statement applies greatly to Hollywood, the same could be said about video games. EA’s second instalment of Dungeon Keeper gives players just the opportunity they’ve been waiting for, to play as the Dungeon Keeper. Unexpectedly, Dungeon Keeper 2 is not purely a game about death and war like the title suggests; it is a game of strategy and management. The game begins in a sparse location on a seemingly desert planet, similar to that of Mars. From here on in, you must teach the few Imps you have for a population and start looking for gold. As soon as you acquire a reasonable amount of currency, you can begin building sleeping quarters, research areas, libraries and training areas. Of course, there is a natural enemy, which, towards the end of each stage, will make an appearance. You must defeat your given foe to progress deeper into the game. As you become wiser, you will gain more monsters of varying forms that can learn some devastating magical attacks. But as your population increases, you will face harder challenges and you must also accommodate your increased population. Playing the game with less haste and more thought will make you much more successful in your task. Dungeon Keeper 2 is very simple to learn, with a fantastic tutorial for inexperienced players, yet challenging to master. It is this balance in the game that makes it a pleasure to play.