Heretic II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heretic II

Developer(s)	Raven Software
Publisher(s)	Activision
Designer(s)	Jon Zuk
Engine	Quake II
Release date(s)	October 31, 1998
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T PEGI: 12+ PEGI: 11+ (FI) USK: 16 (German version) USK: 18 (U.S. version)
Platform(s)	PC, Mac, Linux, Amiga
Media	CD-ROM
Input	Computer keyboard/Mouse

Heretic II is a fantasy third-person shooter computer game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision in 1998 continuing the story of Corvus, the main character from its predecessor, Heretic.

Using a modified Quake II engine, the game features a mix of a third-person camera with a first-person shooter's action, making for a new gaming experience at the time. While progressive, this was a controversial design decision among fans of the original title, a well-known first-person shooter built on the Doom engine.

The score was composed by Kevin Schilder.

Heretic II was later ported to Linux by Loki Software and to the Amiga by Hyperion Entertainment.

[edit] Plot

Corvus, the hero who saved Parthoris from D'sparil (the first and weakest of the three Serpent Riders), is now involved in another quest to save this land. After the defeat of all the three Serpent Riders, the people who inhabit Parthoris are being decimated by a mysterious plague, an unknown disease that is killing many people. Corvus, back to his village, Silverspring, where the Sidhe live, discovers that his fellow people are being killed by a strange disease who causes people to become mad and to attack others.

Corvus looks for information and discovers that Morcalavin, a fellow Sidhe, tried to reach immortality by using the seven Tomes of power. One of the tomes was fake, and this caused Morcalavin to become mad and to create a disease which was spread in the continent of Parthoris. Corvus escapes from Silverspring and reaches the swamps to go to Andoria, a town inhabited by the Ssithra, a civilized amphibian race. Siernan, a medic and alchemy expert who is highly regarded by his people, knows how to cure the disease (Corvus has also been infected but his Tome of power helps him fight the disease back) and tells the hero to find certain specific ingredients that will be used to breed a healing potion.

Corvus then reaches the K'chekrik hive, inhabited by a race of giant insects, where he must face many of them (they are hostile because they fear the plague). Corvus also fights the K'chekrik queen and meets the High Priestess, who also fears the plague and is determined to kill the hero. After the princess is defeated she creates a portal which brings Corvus to the Ogle Mines. After the Mines Corvus reaches the Cloud Fortress, Morcalavin's lair. Corvus and Morcalavin fight, and after a great duel the hero manages to replace the fake tome with his own, bringing an end to Morcalavin's madness and stopping the plague. Parthoris is safe once again.