SPACE QUEST II: VOHAUL'S REVENGE
INFAMOUS ADVENTURES VGA REVIEW
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YEAR: 2011
SIZE: 472 MB
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PLATFORMS: Windows
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+ Beautiful VGA artwork
+ Smooth animation
+ Extra puzzles
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- Tricky maze in the Pinkunz Canyon
- Easy to miss vital items
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STORY
After a promotion to Head Janitor, Roger Wilco moves from his home
planet Xenon, to the Orbital Space Station 4. His new boss is… less
than friendly. You’d think, after saving the universe from the evil
Sariens in the last adventure, his boss would show a little respect. But
somehow, his boss doesn’t see it that way. And poor Roger is still
tasked with the most menial of jobs, such as sweeping the floor! Oh,
how quickly heroes are forgotten!
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After being ordered to clean up the mess in a recently docked shuttle,
things quickly take a turn for the worse, when he is beaten up and
knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he is greeted by none other
than Sludge Vohaul himself. Vohaul seems to have a grudge against
Roger, for interfering with his plans previously.
Ahh, but Vohaul has a NEW plan now. Even more diabolical than
before. He is making clones of door-to-door life insurance salesmen,
and he is going to use these clones to take over the universe:
Bwahahahahaha. And to stop Roger from interfering THIS time, he is
sending Roger to the planet Labion, to do hard time in the mines.
But when the hover shuttle that is taking Roger to the mines crash
lands… Roger uses the opportunity to escape, put an end to Vohaul’s
new evil scheme, and save the universe once again.
He just needs a little help from you…
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TECHNICAL NOTE
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You must not have any other versions of Space Quest II installed on
your computer, while using this version.
　
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GAMEPLAY
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This is a VGA remake of the original Sierra game. However, it is not just
a straight remake of the original. Infamous Adventures have taken the
time to add their own special touches to the game. First off, they’ve
added a new, extended intro, summarising Roger’s exploits in Space
Quest 1, followed by Roger being interviewed on the David Letterdroid
Talkshow. They’ve also re-jigged some of the puzzles, and added a few
new puzzles of their own, which adds a new challenge for veteran
players. I had so much fun with the new puzzles, so thank you
Infamous Adventures!
While Sierra’s original game used a text parser in which you typed in
commands, Infamous Adventures have added a point & click interface,
which matches the later Space Quest games.
You interact with Roger’s world via a menu bar at top of the screen -
simply move your mouse up there to see it. Icons along the bar allow
you to Walk, Look, Pick Up, and Talk. There are also 2 extra icons,
allowing you to Smell and Taste - I really recommend you try those out
on everything possible! The results are hilarious! The bag icon holds all
your inventory items - just click on it to see what you are carrying. The
Scroll Bar is the Game Menu, and from here, you can Save, Restore,
Restart, or Quit the game. However, I was slightly disappointed to find
that this version only has 20 Save Slots. After that, you’ll need to Save
over a previous game. You can also adjust Speed, Music, Sound Effects,
and Speech to your preference. You can even choose if you want Voice,
Text, or both.
Just like the original, there are also some dead ends, in that if you don’t
pick up Item X, you won’t release you need it until ages later, and by
then, it may be too late to go back and get it. Also, the maze from the
Pinkunz camp is still here. But Infamous Adventures have simplified if
slightly, so it’s not to tricky to navigate.
Infamous Adventures have also written their own version of the original
SQ II manual, which is hilariously funny. You can access it after the
game is installed. I loved reading Roger Wilco interviewing… Roger
Wilco!
　
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GRAPHICS
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The updated Graphics are where this remake shines most. Infamous
Adventures uses VGA graphics, and is simply gorgeous! Backgrounds
have so much detail, and are just stunning! And animation is incredibly
smooth. Everything from seeing Roger travel (and land) through the
transport tubes, to the pulsating plant on Labion, to the adorable
Pinkunz, to the Scrub-O-Matic is a pleasure to see. And little touches
like Roger’s victory gloating over the giant ape, reading graffiti on the
bathroom walls, and the slo-mo replay of Roger taking out a Labion
guard with a slingshot, really brought a smile to my face. The
decontamination process at start of the game, is a giant ‘Simon’ toy.
Who remembers them, hehe?
Gorgeous head-shot portraits of characters are shown as they speak,
and I love all the detail poured into those portraits. Their eyes blink,
and their mouths move, which adds a touch of realism to the game.
Inventory items are shown as little pictures, so you can easily see at a
glance what you are carrying.
Vohaul himself looks a lot more intimidating now. And the beast that
locks you in the cage is now a Predator hunter. The swamp is so
detailed, and you can see each piece of algae floating on top of it. The
maze at the Pinkunz Canyon now has an eerie green glow about it.
There is so much to explore and love about Space Quest II!
　
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SOUND AND MUSIC
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The game is now fully voiced, with the Infamous Adventures team
lending their talents to bring the game to life. The Narrator is my
favourite voice. The Pinkunz are very high-pitched and squeaky, and
adorable to listen to.
Sound effects are also wonderful. The hovercraft on Labion sounds
threatening. Barbecue fire cackles effectively when Roger is locked in
the cage. The Terror Beast whistle gives a satisfying ‘Toot’. The
mechanical clunk of Vohaul’s security robots. So many little touches
have been added. A tinkle is head whenever Roger picks up an item or
performs a correct action.
Background music is beautiful, and it changes every so often,
depending on the scene. Infamous Adventures have done a fantastic
job with this. And at end of the game, as the Outro credits play, the
familiar theme tune fades into a wonderful rock track, which I
absolutely loved!
Give the game a try - you won’t be disappointed!
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