Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance

aka: Witchaven II: Vingança Sangrenta

Moby ID: 3514

Released

1996 on DOS

Credits

32 people

Releases by Date (by platform)

1996 (DOS)
2021 (Windows)

Publishers

Developers

Capstone Software

Moby Score

6.5

#17,481 of 165K

Critics

64% (18)

Players

(15)

Ranking

#1,272 on DOS

Collected By

54 players

Genre: Action
Perspective: 1st-person
Gameplay: Shooter
Interface: Direct control
Setting: Fantasy

DOS Specs

USK Rating: 18 (keine Jugendfreigabe)

Business Model: Commercial
Media Type: CD-ROM
Input Devices Supported: Keyboard, Mouse, VR Helmet/Headset
Multiplayer Options: IPX, Modem, Null-modem cable
Number of Offline Players: 1 Player
Number of Online Players: 2-16 Players

Description official descriptions

Illwhyrin, the witch queen of Char, has been vanquished, her lair Witchaven destroyed, and the curse that plagued the land is finally lifted. However, shortly afterwards the valiant hero Grondoval the Witchbane is contacted by a mysterious golden dragon, who tells him that Illwhyrin's sister Cirae-Argoth is coming to avenge her death. Demonic legions abduct the princess Elizabeth along with other people from Grondoval's homeland Stazhia. It's time for the hero to embark on an even more dangerous journey, rescue the innocents, and defeat the evil witch.

Like its predecessor, Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance is a medieval fantasy-themed first-person action game. The gameplay is similar to that of the previous game, with a few additions. The protagonist is now able to fight with two weapons at once (one in each hand), as well as equip shields. The sequel also includes a Build engine level editor that allows players to create their own stages.

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (DOS version)

32 People · View all

Executive Producer	Amy Smith-Boylan
Senior Producer	James M. Wheeler
Programming	Les Bird Joe Abbati
Assistant Producers	Richard Henning Katheryn Gangi
Additional Programming	Jeff Schulz Lance Peck Rafael Paiz
Witchaven 2 Artwork	Scott Nixon Kurt Laifatt Ruben Cabrera John Potter Humberto Lopez Gonzalo Montes de Oca Ernesto Roque
3D Intro/Ending	Carlos Ibarra Ken Loyd
Sound Fx/Music	Joe Abbati Steve Newton
Original Story/Design	Scott Nixon James M. Wheeler
Marketing Product Manager	Judy Melby
Cover Artwork	Ken Kelly
Level Designs	Richard Henning
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 64% (based on 18 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.1 out of 5 (based on 15 ratings with 1 reviews)

Lackluster sequel actually detracts from the original.

The Good
Some very cool environments, the return of a variety of weapons (that can now be enchanted- that's very cool), and the addition of some enemies (and thus, story elements) that are very welcome (including human enemies).

The Bad
The controls in this game are deplorable. You slip and slide everywhere (even on solid surfaces). The hit location is sketchy with ranged weapons, and the story progession is dismal. This game makes the same mistake as the original- offering the storyline only in the manual. As a result, you have no idea why you are fighting various barbarian tribes, why they are aligned with the evil witches, etc.

The Bottom Line
Following the release of "Witchaven", fans were begging for a sequel. When it was announced on a discussion board, we squealed with glee. This game should have corrected many of Witchaven's weak points, but in the end, the only improvement was more enemies, enchanted weapons, and much better multiplayer support. Otherwise, the game ruined the short-lived series and we never heard from Witchaven again.

DOS · by Jason Musgrave (72) · 2003

Trivia

Cover art

The cover art for Witchaven 2 was created by artists Ken Kelly, who also created the cover art for the original game.

Cutscene anomaly

During the course of the game, the player collects different weapons and armor to make him appear more or less like a Midian Knight on the cover of the original Witchaven (spiked shield, horned helmet, chain vest, etc.) However, in the cut scenes, Grondoval wears bright gold armor and helm and never holds an axe. The gold armor only matches with the breastplate that the player can attain during play. The player's hands do not match the cut scene versions' hands and wrists *at all*.

Engine improvements

Although it uses the same engine as the original "Witchaven, slight improvements and changes made it impossible to open Witchaven maps with the new map editor that came with Witchaven 2.

German classification

On July 31, 1996, Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance was put on the infamous German index by the BPjS. For more information about what this means and to see a list of games sharing the same fate, take a look here: BPjS/BPjM indexed games