Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World Overview
Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World continues the story of the rogue guardian Sheltem, who is now pursued to a new planet called CRON. The objective is to halt his destructive plans, which threaten to destroy the world. This sequel builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, Secret of the Inner Sanctum, retaining a core structure of first-person exploration and turn-based combat for a party of six custom characters.
Character creation involves selecting from races like humans, elves, and half-orcs, and classes including returning options such as Knight and Sorcerer, plus new additions like the Ninja and Barbarian. A character's effectiveness is tied to specific attributes. The game introduces a skill system for abilities like mountaineering and cartography, and some locations or items have restrictions based on gender, alignment, or race. Parties can also hire two additional non-player characters for support in battles.
Gameplay shifts toward a more quest-driven experience compared to the first title, with townsfolk providing specific objectives. Enemy encounters occur at fixed locations, though the type of foe faced remains random. Time is a significant factor, as the party can travel to different periods and characters will age, with their statistics changing and eventual death occurring if the adventure takes too long. This integration of time pressure and character mortality makes the overall pacing challenging.
