Legend of Grimrock II

Lore & Background

Legend of Grimrock II places players in control of a party of one to four prisoners who become stranded on the island of Nex after their transport ship is wrecked during a severe thunderstorm. The party explores forests, rivers, swamps, ancient ruins, and crypts, with their progress monitored by the elusive Island Master, who alternates between offering hints and taunting them. The goal is to gather elemental gems scattered across the island to enter a central castle, where the party confronts the Island Master and escapes. An alternative ending reveals the island's true purpose: to protect the secrets of creation.

Gameplay is real-time and grid-based, viewed from a first-person perspective. Characters have skill levels for weapons, magic spells, and traits such as evasion or alchemy, with starting skills determined by race and background. Skill points are gained by defeating enemies. Progress combines puzzle solving—ranging from observational challenges and riddles to logic puzzles and environmental mechanical puzzles—with real-time combat that allows maneuvering while fighting. Many puzzles are optional but reward superior items. Additional difficulty modes disable the in-game map and restrict saving to predefined locations for a single time.

The game was originally conceived as downloadable content for the first Legend of Grimrock, but Almost Human found the engine limitations constraining and decided to develop a full sequel. The island setting was chosen in early 2013, driving the design toward nonlinearity. The budget was significantly higher than the first game due to a larger team and twice the development time; by November 2014, the game had nearly recouped its budget.

Reader's Guide

Legend of Grimrock II received generally favorable reviews according to the review aggregator Metacritic. Critics praised its challenge level and its focus on a genre that had become rare, noting improvements over its predecessor in expanded scope, better character development, and greater freedom of progression. The game's nonlinear design and modern additions—such as multi-height levels, persistent injuries, and underwater sequences—were seen as refinements that updated the classic dungeon-crawling formula without abandoning its core appeal. The title's success in nearly recovering its development budget by November 2014 indicated a strong reception from the audience, and its place as a sequel that expanded upon the original's ideas helped solidify the Legend of Grimrock series within the niche of tile-based real-time dungeon crawlers. The game's alternative ending, which reveals the island's purpose of protecting the secrets of creation, added narrative depth beyond the straightforward escape plot.

Did You Know?

• Legend of Grimrock II was originally planned as downloadable content for the first game before becoming a full sequel.
• The game's island setting was chosen in early 2013, driving its nonlinear design.
• An alternative ending reveals the island's real purpose is to protect the secrets of creation.