The game is infamous amongst the Pratchett fandom for mixing plot elements from a number of Discworld novels to create a huge plot amalgamation. The basic story is similar to Reaper Man, with Death having suddenly disappeared and the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork having been overrun with undead since no-one is around to collect their souls. The Unseen University, premier college of wizardry, has noticed and has charged Rincewind, incompetent wizard and highly-trained coward, to find Death and bring him back before the epidemic gets any worse. Along the way, Rincewind will encounter a range of weird and wonderful characters, encounter a range of absurd puzzle-solving and challenges, and may even have to become Death himself. As you can probably see, the nature of Pratchett's universe has the potential to make a very unique game - and unique it is, blending the best of Pratchett's humour, served with a side-dish of Python-esque wit to boot.
The game, if you haven't already gathered from the screenshots, is a Point and Click Adventure, or 'Graphic Adventure'. You play as Rincewind and must guide him through the various locations, collecting random objects and solving puzzles, usually with said random objects. Explaining the game is hard, because Discworld II does random to a tee, and, like its predecessor, often requires a departure from logic to solve its puzzles. For example, the first act of the game requires Rincewind to collect a number of odd items to enact the Rite of AshKente, a ritual that summons Death. This isn't merely a simple matter of visiting locations and collecting these items however, as you need to go through a number of 'hoops' to get them. One item you need, for example, is 4ccs of mouse's blood. In order to get this, you have to get a rooster drunk and go to a bar where a vampire is sitting, forcing the rooster to crow. The vampire will feverishly return to his resting place in the cemetery, thinking morning is approaching. You then go to a High Magic Facility at the University and steal a test tube before going to the cemetery to steal the vampire's teeth while he rests. Then you use those teeth to bite a mouse before pouring into the aforementioned test tube. And, hey ho, you have 4ccs of mouse's blood! As a reader of the books, I can concede that mouse's blood is mentioned somewhere as a prerequisite for the Rite, but even so, the extremes this game goes to in order for the layer to obtain such items is wacky and unparalleled. Still, it is pretty damn humorous and is what makes the game unique in its charm. At the very least, this sequel is a fair bit easier than the original, which is infamous for its harsh difficulty level.
But as illogical and wacky as the game can be, DWII is truly a beautiful game to look at, even more than twenty years after its release. Its zany, cartoon look holds up incredibly well, with beautifully drawn locations and characters, adding in an atmosphere aided by a beautiful soundtrack. The team at Perfect Entertainment truly outdid themselves in terms of the game's presentation, its hand-drawn visuals far more exuberant than the first game's jagged pixels. Not to beat on the first game, of course - its visual style is still cute and charming - but the sequel just outdoes it in this area. However, as a devoted Pratcheteer, I had to wonder - why isn't Rincewind wearing his 'WIZZARD' hat in these games? It was a key element to his appearance in the novels but is puzzlingly absent here. Not a major issue, but it did cross my mind.
To finish off then, I would happily recommend Discworld II to both Pratchett fans and those unfamiliar with the man's work. This game was my introduction to the Discworld as a child and, all in all, it really isn't a bad place to start, introducing you to a host of lovable and zany characters. For those dedicated Pratcheteers, you will find great pleasure in finding your favourite characters adapted for the computer screen as well as famous locations such as UU, Ankh-Morpork, Djelybebi and much, much more. For those unfamiliar with Pratchett, it will be just as wild an adventure and worth every moment.
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