by Sarah Guy

Created on: October 29, 2008   Last Updated: April 04, 2012

Feyruna 2, by Jochen Kaercher, is an adventure puzzle game with a mystical "good versus evil" theme. The game's back story states that Fairyland has been overtaken with a scattering of dark crystals, which sap the energy of the land's inhabitants in order to grow stronger. If left unchecked, these crystals will turn into portals through which the Dark Princes, who were banished in the original Feyruna. can return. As the player, your job is to deliver magic balls to the Feyruna Druids, so that thy may regain their magic and defeat the dark crystals.

• Game Play

The game play of Feyruna 2 can be described as an offshoot of the platform game genre. Instead of jumping between platforms, however, you are maneuvering a ball downwards through a series of platforms in order to collect objects and get the balls to the correct recipients. Feyruna's basic concept is quite simple, but is made more complex by a variety of elements which are added level by level to raise the difficulty. These elements include monsters that can sap the energy of the magic balls, magic portals which can teleport the balls, and rune stones which can imbue the balls with different qualities. The player can also manipulate the balls' movement and path by opening trap doors, changing the direction of the roll, and blocking the path of the ball.

Feyruna 2 wears the guise of an adventure game, but at its heart it is a puzzle game. The 'plot' gives shape to the game play but it is not very compelling or engaging.

• Graphics

The graphics of Feyruna 2 are simplistic and unimpressive. They are reminiscent of the graphics you would find in Super Nintendo games in the early 1990's. Each level consists of a single screen, with a series of thin grassy platforms superimposed against a forgettable background. Game elements such as monsters, druids, rune stones, and obstacles are small and have limited animation.

• Sound

Feyruna 2 doesn't offer much in the way of interesting music or sound. The background music remains the same from level to level and is an inoffensive but boring instrumental piece. There are standard sounds which occur when you perform actions such as opening and shutting a trap door or shattering your ball.

• Creativity and Innovation

The concept of Feyruna 2 recycles many of the concepts you'd find in other fantasy/magic themed games, without contributing anything new or innovative. Both the graphics and the style of game play are a throwback to a much earlier generation of gaming. While the puzzle aspect does become decently challenging a few levels in to the game, there just isn't much else to keep the gamer's attention for very long.

I would rate this game 1/5, because it doesn't offer anything that you can't find elsewhere, done better. While the concept has potential, it is nt supported by interesting sound, compelling graphics, or adequate plot development.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Guy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.