Title: Godkiller 2: Exile
Memory required: 128K
Retail price: Free to download
Language: C z88dk (Mojon Twins Churrera Engine)
Author: APSIS aka Cthonian Godkiller (Maxi Ruano)
Music: Neil Parsons
Released: 2015

In Godkiller 2: Exile, the second part of the Godkiller series, we find our protagonist stripped of his deity-vanquishing powers, removed from time and space and dumped squarely into the demonic city of Dis. Surrounded by guardians of the underworld, you take on the role of the titular Cthonian Godkiller as you explore the map in search of 15 lost souls and three mystical artefacts. Recovering these items enables you to connect back up to the primary source of the universe and exact your revenge!

One of the latest in the long line of games developed with the aid of the Mojon Twins Churrera GameEngine, Godkiller 2: Exile shares many of its game mechanics with Land of Mire Mare. Enemies include skeletons and deathly knights, which guard various areas, and a number of gates bar your progress until you’ve found the necessary keys to unlock them. Portals, strewn around the map, transport you to other locations.

The city of Dis (which shares its name with the one found in Dante’s Divine Comedy) is supposed to represent the sixth through ninth circles of hell, and this inspiration is clearly apparent in the graphical elements and overall design. The map is nice and large and its labyrinthian nature means there’s plenty of it to explore.

Side A of the cassette contains the game, with side B providing some welcome backstory presented in a slideshow format. An impressively put-together (and spoiler-free!) image of the game map is also included and is recommended to have close by as you play.

Neil Parsons’ catchy yet wistful AY title track greets you upon loading and does a good job of setting the mood. After selecting your control method and starting the game, you’ll find yourself a bit lost. No modern-day hand-holding here! The first screen provides you with a power-up that grants you the ability to fire magical energy bolts at your enemies, but after that you’re on your own.  Godkiller 2: Exile is heavy on atmosphere and exploration, requiring quite a bit of trial-and-error to get through.

CRITICISM

The presentation of Godkiller 2: Exile is both equal parts good and equal parts ‘could do better’. The inlay, map and background story are all fantastic but there is nothing in the way of a controls list included with the game. The ‘M’ key on the keyboard is necessary for picking up items and activating portals (even when you’re using a joystick) and the only way you’ll know this is by visiting the website or by uncovering this fact accidentally.

Some of the scenery graphics take the form of bushes and small rocks which makes the map look impressively organic, but on the flip side it has the unfortunate effect of making the collectable items that you’ll need to finish the game blend in a little too well. Certain tiles at the far north of the map hide parts of the player character when you walk by, and although you can move in eight directions, you’re only able to fire your magic bolts in four directions.

While Godkiller 2: Exile makes use of the full screen, there is quite a bit of slowdown when there are more than two sprites moving around. There’s a good reason why the classics tended to use two thirds (or less!) of the screen in order to keep things running smoothly. Lastly, the unique items that you need to collect respawn in their original positions when you leave and re-enter the area.

Godkiller 2: Exile has the potential to be a great game but loses a few points due to its rough edges. I’m looking forward to the final part of the trilogy and I hope that some of the issues here have been addressed in the forthcoming sequel.

COMMENTS

Control Keys: Q, A, O, P, SPACE (and ‘M’!)
Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair.
Keyboard Play: Responsive movement and action.
Use of colour: Nice vibrant colours but some items are hard to see.
Graphics: Great character and enemy sprites. Scenery has a distinctive architecture.
Sound: Lovely AY title tune. Basic spot effects throughout.
General rating: Potentially great game let down by a few simple oversights.


Use of computer: 66
Graphics: 73
Playability: 62
Getting started: 58
Addictive qualities: 74
Overall: 67