Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax - Reception

Reception

Reception
Review scores
Publication Score
Computer and Video Games 9/10
Crash 81%
Sinclair User 69%
Your Sinclair 6/10
Zzap!64 96%
ACE 754
Awards
Entity Award
Zzap!64 Gold Medal

Barbarian II received praise for its audio, mostly for the versions on more powerful platforms. Reviewers of The Games Machine pointed out that the "most remarkable feature of the ST version is its crystal clear sampled effects". Zzap!64's staff and Computer and Video Games's Julian Rignall were impressed with the digital thuds and whacks produced on the Commodore 64, and particularly the rendition of a certain monster's laughter. Mike Pattenden of CU Amiga claimed the "manic clucking of the mutant chicken would be enough to send running in the opposite direction". Although rating the audio-visual components of the Amiga version on par with that for the Atari ST, Pattenden and reviewers from The Game Machine felt the flashy introductory sequence on the Amiga made it stand out; Tony Horgan of Amiga User International called it the best introduction he has seen in Amiga games.

Although reviewers were less than impressed with the graphics on lower-end systems such as the ZX Spectrum, the colours and large detailed sprites on the higher-end platforms won their acclaim. The animation of the characters also captured their attention. Tommy Nash of Your Sinclair hailed it as "first class", while Paul Glancey of Zzap!64 called the sprites "beautifully defined" and "realistically animated". Similar accolades were given by other reviewers. The staff of The Games Machine were "constantly " at the designs of the monsters in the game.

Several reviewers had a common complaint about the game. As the difference between executing an attack and a movement was the pressing of the joystick button, they were irked to find their characters frequently switching directions instead of attacking with a low slash. Their frustration was increased when the protagonist took damage from enemy attacks as he or she executes the unintentional command to change facing. Chris Jenkins, however, praised the game for responsive joystick controls in his review for Sinclair User. Paul Lakin of Zero pointed out that the flick-screen presentation could lead to confusing situations in combat as the protagonist retreats across an exit and appears at the other end of the screen. Horgan had another grouse with the combat, moaning the loss of simplicity from the Barbarian series. According to him, while players could enjoy the first Barbarian game without much effort, intense practise was needed to defeat the monsters in the second game.

The change in combat systems was not the only difference between Barbarian II and its predecessor that influenced reviewers' opinions about the sequel. The first Barbarian game was enjoyed by reviewers for providing exciting head-to-head action between two players. Barbarian II abandoned this, setting up an adventuring experience for the single player. Jim Douglas, reviewing for Sinclair User, doubted that players who were looking for quick action would appreciate plotting a path through the maze to reach the final goal. Your Sinclair's Marcus Berkmann felt the two genres—slash 'em up and arcade adventure—were "fundamentally incompatible", agreeing with Douglas that the maze was a distraction. Crash's reviewers, however, felt the combination of genres made the game interesting. James Price wrote in Amiga Force that the adventuring element and unending number of enemies made Barbarian II a far better game than the first, while The Games Machine's staff said the expanded menagerie of foes adequately made up for a reduction in combat moves.

In their review for Dragon magazine, the Lessers called Axe of Rage "an engrossing slash 'n hack that'll please most arcaders." Zzap!64's reviewers were unanimous in recommending Barbarian II to their readers; however, two years later in a re-review, the magazine's staff said the game has aged badly, finding the gameplay "lot more crude and clichéd" and of dubious replay value. Martyn Carroll concurred in his article for Retro Gamer, 17 years after the game's release, calling Barbarian II "hugely disappointing" for " up almost everything that was great about the first game." Brown and Palace Software's co-founder Richard Leinfellner admitted as much; they said they had mixed feelings about Barbarian II, thinking the idea of a simple fun game was lost by stuffing too many features into it.

When Barbarian II was released, Palace Software went ahead with plans for Barbarian III. For two years, the third game in the series was publicised in gaming magazines. Your Sinclair held a contest for its readers, asking them to submit concepts of gruesome monsters. The winning entry would be implemented in Barbarian III. The Barbarian series of games were, however, brought to a halt in 1991 when Palace Group sold its software subsidiary to fund its expansion into the movie industry. Titus Software bought Palace Software and after reviewing its holdings, cancelled several of its new acquisition's projects, including Barbarian III.

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