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Alundra 2 (PS1, 1999)

Alundra 2 (PS1, 1999)

Subgenre: 3D ARPG-ish (no exp point leveling) Clash at Demonhead/Zelda-like


Perspective: TP View (mostly TD though; 3 camera angle and zoom settings, angle is sometimes changed to a fixed side view perspective where you can only move left/right and sometimes it's a tilted view/beat 'em up style perspective where you can move freely)


Other: Hub map (popful mail-style except there's 2 entry points to each area and which one you'll use depends on which direction you came from on the map), One SV minecart segment and several mini-games (some mandatory), Timed escape sequence after the final boss

  • Mostly linear structure (backtracking with new abilities for items and mini-games or sometimes to progress, can go to a couple of areas early but there's no point, some non-linear dungeons, can't go back to some areas during some parts)

  • Multi-purpose tool items (rings; float in place in mid-air+stun enemies+manipulate green blocks and statues, steal HP and breath underwater, make rocks fall on enemies+temporarily activate certain platforms, walk on lava and light torches+activate red statues)

  • Some decent-good puzzles (lure enemies to trigger bombs and onto switches (Landstalker), luring fire spirits into unlit torches, platforming puzzles, one-way/conveyor belt tiles puzzle in the seagull ruins dungeon, bomb chain puzzles after the volcano, change direction of moving green statue puzzle and green statue "facing to create platforms" (similar to light beam puzzles) puzzles, spatial awareness puzzle in final dungeon) and timing-based challenges

  • Save points and HP/MP restoration points - 1-2 of each per area (can also carry hp/mp and hp+mp potions)

  • Difficulty options (easy and normal)

  • Skippable cutscenes and staff roll (unskippable get item jingles and in-game cutscenes that show what happened when triggering a switch (same with summon animations))

  • No area maps besides one on a sign in Gwaba town (can find a compass early on but a. it's big and placed in the middle of the screen (while it is semi-transparent it's distracting enough to not want to leave on) and b. it's an active item so you have to put it in your pocket and select it to use it (it's also not particularly useful), No quest log/journal feature

  • Full control config, No dual analog support (rotate camera with shoulder buttons)

  • Slow MP regen if standing still (can also gain HP regen but it's equally slow)

  • Some environmental storytelling (foreshadowing with the screw in the intro (and the other symbolism)+the ducks+the mini-boss that you can see through a telescope for example)

  • Some minor sequence breaking possibilities (can steer your avatar in mid-air to skip some platforming segments, )

  • Fast travel in the late game only and you can't teleport out of dungeons from anywhere (teleporters between the three ruins dungeons are unlocked after beating eden ruins, one-way teleporters out some dungeons, some teleporters in the whale dungeon and varunia ruins, gain a dragon mount in the late-game which lets you travel anywhere on the hub map)

  • Frequent loading screens (~7-9 seconds)

  • Enemy bombs also hurt enemies and trigger switches

  • Can jump over some enemies and projectiles (can also bounce slightly on small enemies without damaging them as well as use certain enemies as platforms)

  • Can't carry puzzle objects between rooms/sub areas

  • ​Long item trade quest - lacks clues?

  • Mostly meaningless dialogue choices (however in a couple of spots you can ask an NPC things and there's a basic dialogue tree+sometimes you can choose whether to give an object to an NPC and at one point can haggle for more money from one)

  • Rare MP drops from enemies and none from bushes - can lead to backtracking

  • Item drops disappear quickly (about 5 seconds) - sometimes it happens during an in-game cutscene

  • Various invisible walls (low fences, rooftops, can't jump over the blockade in dun webb from the floor above, etc.)

  • Mostly uninteractive environments (can't examine doodads in towns and odd looking objects in hostile areas)

  • Enemies and bushes keep dropping items which you have a full stock of (HP/MP)


Playthrough - Mini-Review



Influenced by: Zelda series, Landstalker, probably Clash at Demonhead, possibly Threads of Fate, Popful Mail, Dark Savior


Influenced: 

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