• Genre: 2D Action Platformer and Turn Based Strategy Game.
  
• Developed and Published by: Arcen Games
  
• Platform: Windows, Mac OSX and Linux.
  
• Business Model: Dual-Pack
  
• Free Press Copy Was Supplied

Read the Full Blog Review[kingisaaclinksr.com]

What Is This Game?
AVWW2 is a blending of strategy and platforming genres into one 2D game experience. The gameplay alternates between two different modes: turn-based strategy and side-scrolling platforming action. Your basic goal is to ensure that your Resistance survives long enough for you to gain enough power to defeat Demonaica. In order to do so, you'll need to level up in power, acquire higher level mage classes, find feats that give you special abilities and customize your character with perks. There are different mage classes which change the type of spells you can use. Everything from water to decay-based abilities. Feats allow you to gain special abilities necessary to progress through the game. Perks are items that let you fine-tune your character.

Overall Gameplay Thoughts
A Valley Without Wind 2 is a well polished sequel that takes some of the ideas of the previous game and polishes them up. The combat is more engaging with its variety of spells, different classes and different monsters. It's not the same game AVWW1 was and that's for better or for worse depending on your point of view. It's not the same open-world game like its predecessor. Instead, it focuses on a direct evil threat that you get to know throughout the course of the game. The linear nature of the side-scrolling areas and the combat do eventually become more frustrating later on as the challenge really starts to spike at the end to the point of unfairness.

Sidescroller Combat Musings
The combat is definitely more engaging and rewarding than the original game. You only have four spells you can use and I think they worked. You have a fast primary attack, a slower but stronger secondary attack, a special attack which varies depending on your class and ammo spells which are more powerful spells that you can only use in limited amounts. For the most part, the spells felt balanced to their own strengths although some were a little too situational for my tastes. The combat system is about you finding the ideal place to throw your spells while dodging the spells being thrown at you. Taken as a whole, the side-scrolling element is nicely designed. I had a lot of fun with it until the mid-late to late end of the main campaign.

That's when I begin to notice a few problems with the combat. I was starting to die a lot more. Sure, the combat should be more challenging towards the later end of the game, but it felt like a constant battle of attrition. I would simply run out of health before I could get to the end of the level from all the little cuts of damage I would take. It got too frustrating at times. The floaty nature of the jumping and the large hitbox of your character feels at odd with the bullet-hell and precision that the game demands. You have so many spells being cast at you and traps to avoid that it's nearly impossible to avoid taking a lot of damage in the course of the level. Taking on the tougher monsters becomes a bad idea as you'll likely take a ton of damage for very little reward. Your better off just avoiding them altogether. Combine that with the difficulty of regenerating health and you can end up dying a lot.

The Strategy Gameplay
This was definitely the highlight of the game for me. The strategy element of the game is fairly simple and straightforward, once you figure it out. As I’ve mentioned before, the main goal is to keep the members of the Resistance alive long enough for your mage to grow strong enough to overthrow Demonaica. You have to salvage food and scrap, constantly recruit new members, destroy obstacles and capture/construct new buildings. Moving your resistance members around, planning out how to tackle new areas of the map all while dodging Demonaica and his forces really worked well and I had a blast with it.

PC Settings and Controls
AVWW2 comes with all of the PC settings you'll want/need and I can't think of anything missing. It's built on the same engine that all Arcen Games have been. You can adjust the resolution, rebind all the keys and a lot of other settings you might find interesting. It also supports modding via texture packs which you can find in Arcen's forums. As for the controls, well, that's a bit complicated.

AVWW2's design was focused for controller and keyboard only. While it does allow for mouse aiming in the game, I don't recommend using it. It was put in after the game was released due to a lot of complaints made about the lack of mouse control. I personally don't agree with their decision to put it in the game but I can understand why since they did. Keyboard works but it's not as enjoyable to use as the controller.

Final Thoughts
A Valley Without Wind 2 is a different kind of platforming/strategy experience. Unlike it's open-world predecessor with city-building & light strategy elements, AVWW2 is a more laser focused, linear side-scrolling/strategy game. It does remove a lot of the open-world aspects that the original had. However, I think it works out for the better. You should treat both AVWW1 & AVWW2 as unique games sharing the same universe. Also, keep in mind that while the game is worth experiencing, there are some aspects that may turn you away due to its more experimental nature.

Read the Notes on This Updated Review[wp.me]
Read the Full Review on A Paladin Without A Crusade[kingisaaclinksr.com]
A Paladin's Review: A Valley Without Wind (1)

[h1]A Paladin's Review: A Valley Without Wind 2. Less Open World But With A Better Focus On Strategy and Sidescrolling Combat[/h1] [*]Genre: 2D Action Platformer and Turn Based Strategy Game. [*]Developed and Published by: Arcen Games [*]Platform: Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. [*]Business Model: Dual-Pack [*][i]Free Press Copy Was Supplied[/i] [/list] [i][url=http://kingisaaclinksr.com/2013/03/09/kings-videogame-review-a-valley-without-wind-2/]Read the Full Blog Review[/url][/i] [b]What Is This Game?[/b] AVWW2 is a blending of strategy and platforming genres into one 2D game experience. The gameplay alternates between two different modes: turn-based strategy and side-scrolling platforming action. Your basic goal is to ensure that your Resistance survives long enough for you to gain enough power to defeat Demonaica. In order to do so, you'll need to level up in power, acquire higher level mage classes, find feats that give you special abilities and customize your character with perks. There are different mage classes which change the type of spells you can use. Everything from water to decay-based abilities. Feats allow you to gain special abilities necessary to progress through the game. Perks are items that let you fine-tune your character. [b]Overall Gameplay Thoughts[/b] A Valley Without Wind 2 is a well polished sequel that takes some of the ideas of the previous game and polishes them up. The combat is more engaging with its variety of spells, different classes and different monsters. It's not the same game AVWW1 was and that's for better or for worse depending on your point of view. It's not the same open-world game like its predecessor. Instead, it focuses on a direct evil threat that you get to know throughout the course of the game. The linear nature of the side-scrolling areas and the combat do eventually become more frustrating later on as the challenge really starts to spike at the end to the point of unfairness. [b]Sidescroller Combat Musings[/b] The combat is definitely more engaging and rewarding than the original game. You only have four spells you can use and I think they worked. You have a fast primary attack, a slower but stronger secondary attack, a special attack which varies depending on your class and ammo spells which are more powerful spells that you can only use in limited amounts. For the most part, the spells felt balanced to their own strengths although some were a little too situational for my tastes. The combat system is about you finding the ideal place to throw your spells while dodging the spells being thrown at you. Taken as a whole, the side-scrolling element is nicely designed. I had a lot of fun with it until the mid-late to late end of the main campaign. That's when I begin to notice a few problems with the combat. I was starting to die a lot more. Sure, the combat should be more challenging towards the later end of the game, but it felt like a constant battle of attrition. I would simply run out of health before I could get to the end of the level from all the little cuts of damage I would take. It got too frustrating at times. The floaty nature of the jumping and the large hitbox of your character feels at odd with the bullet-hell and precision that the game demands. You have so many spells being cast at you and traps to avoid that it's nearly impossible to avoid taking a lot of damage in the course of the level. Taking on the tougher monsters becomes a bad idea as you'll likely take a ton of damage for very little reward. Your better off just avoiding them altogether. Combine that with the difficulty of regenerating health and you can end up dying a lot. [b]The Strategy Gameplay[/b] This was definitely the highlight of the game for me. The strategy element of the game is fairly simple and straightforward, once you figure it out. As I’ve mentioned before, the main goal is to keep the members of the Resistance alive long enough for your mage to grow strong enough to overthrow Demonaica. You have to salvage food and scrap, constantly recruit new members, destroy obstacles and capture/construct new buildings. Moving your resistance members around, planning out how to tackle new areas of the map all while dodging Demonaica and his forces really worked well and I had a blast with it. [b]PC Settings and Controls[/b] AVWW2 comes with all of the PC settings you'll want/need and I can't think of anything missing. It's built on the same engine that all Arcen Games have been. You can adjust the resolution, rebind all the keys and a lot of other settings you might find interesting. It also supports modding via texture packs which you can find in Arcen's forums. As for the controls, well, that's a bit complicated. AVWW2's design was focused for controller and keyboard only. While it does allow for mouse aiming in the game, I don't recommend using it. It was put in after the game was released due to a lot of complaints made about the lack of mouse control. I personally don't agree with their decision to put it in the game but I can understand why since they did. Keyboard works but it's not as enjoyable to use as the controller. [b]Final Thoughts[/b] A Valley Without Wind 2 is a different kind of platforming/strategy experience. Unlike it's open-world predecessor with city-building & light strategy elements, AVWW2 is a more laser focused, linear side-scrolling/strategy game. It does remove a lot of the open-world aspects that the original had. However, I think it works out for the better. You should treat both AVWW1 & AVWW2 as unique games sharing the same universe. Also, keep in mind that while the game is worth experiencing, there are some aspects that may turn you away due to its more experimental nature. [b][url=http://wp.me/p4fZDz-2eD]Read the Notes on This Updated Review[/url] [url=http://kingisaaclinksr.com/2013/03/09/kings-videogame-review-a-valley-without-wind-2/]Read the Full Review on A Paladin Without A Crusade[/url] [url=http://steamcommunity.com/id/KingIsaacLinksr/recommended/209330]A Paladin's Review: A Valley Without Wind (1)[/url][/b]