Attack of the Clones: Alundra 2 May 14th 2008 | By Espy   Ah, Alundra. It’s no secret that Alundra is a game I love - more than some Zelda games, in fact. The game was always destined to fade into obscurity - shipments were small, and the game was released not long before Ocarina of Time - an alternative Zelda fix was hardly needed. But, the game proved popular enough, and a sequel was made for the Playstation. And no-one liked it. The game traded in the crisp 2D graphics for now very dated-looking 3D. The dark story was largely displaced in favour of slapstick scenes and shallow, clichéd characters with ropey voice acting. Gone was the fully-explorable world map (in its place was a “select your destination” splash screen). Finally, you didn’t have any weapons other than your sword, shield and a few largely useless magic rings. But don’t stop reading there. I’ve said it - the Alundra 2 staff made some poor decisions. This caused a lot of uproar from the fans - message boards (of what few there were in 2000) were ablaze with “The story sucks!”, and “The gameplay is rubbish!” However, I, aged 11, blissfully unaware of the controversy, decided I wanted, in my own 11-year-old words “Something like Zelda, but for the Playstation”, and bought it. And saw it for a completely different game - one I’m sure the fans of the original overlooked while being too busy pointing out why it just wasn’t the same. Now, I know you’re probably thinking “You were 11 when you played it. You wouldn’t have been able to tell a bad game from good! You're letting nostalgia get the better of you.” It may surprise you to learn, then, that Alundra 2 is one of my most replayed games. And each time, it’s still as darling as ever. You are Flint, a teenage silent protagonist. After attempting to raid a giant flying screw (!), and subsequently jumping ship, you are washed ashore and awaken in a warm bed in a peaceful village. I trust you’re beginning to see why this is being included in “Attack of the Clones“. Flint is a swordsman, who is quickly hired by Princess Alexia to save the kingdom from evil sorcerer Yoda - sorry, Mephisto - who makes a living sticking screws into the necks of innocent people and turning them into obedient zombies. The potential the game had for a dark story is evident, but was unfortunately largely lost due to an overwhelming amount of anime slapstick (though the darkness does shine through in a few key scenes). What is left is a weak, wishy-washy plot with poor voice acting. But that’s not why the game stands out. The missing elements that stop Alundra 2 from being a straight 3D Zelda clone are threefold: a proper world map, a 3D camera (as opposed to the overhead view this game features), and varied weapons. Players must work their way through puzzle-filled forests, beaches, caves or whatever other clichéd dungeons you can think of. These are balanced out with villages, where the player is required to do some good, old-fashioned RPG detective work, trying to find missing family members, or rounding up pirates. In that sense, the game is as clichéd as they come. But, and I say this while taking a few steps back from the Alundra purists, that’s one of the great things about it. Everything that makes the game environment clichéd is done fantastically, leaving a… fantastically clichéd gaming environment. The world of Alundra 2 is one that you’d want to go on holiday to - everything is full of life and colour, and strengthened by the brilliant soundtrack (which I’m guessing is by the same composer as the original, as a lot of the tracks are very similar to those from the original). The game is great fun, too - the puzzles, while not as cruel as those from the original, can certainly leaving you scratching your head from time to time, and experimenting with different combinations of barrels, or switches, or whatever the puzzle involves, is rarely a chore, and always feels fresh. This is quite an achievement, considering the game only gives you a sword and some rings to toy with, compared to the stacks of potential weapons and items from the original. This could even be considered an improvement - you never feel the need to try every weapon on every object in the room to try and find “they key” - the puzzles are always more practical. There are always side quests and bonus items to collect to unlock new sword attacks or more powerful rings, and in true Zelda fashion, the purpose of that strange statue you saw at the start of the game will suddenly become clear upon returning to old locations. And there is a trading puzzle throughout the game, either a complete rip-off, or homage to, Link’s Awakening. This game is nothing but a good old traditional adventure. Don’t pay too much attention to the cut-scenes, block the lacklustre plot form your mind. This game isn’t Alundra. It’s Alundra 2. Heck, even lie to yourself and pretend this game isn’t part of the Alundra series - you could say doing so is the only mistake the development team made. Hey, you may even grow to like those elements that are oh-so-different from the original once you get an idea of what the game holds important. The game doesn’t try to tell you a dark story. It doesn’t try to be perfect in every way. This game gives you a large fantasy world, brimming with adventure and secrets, and says “go and play”. And can you think of a better way to spend an otherwise boring summer week? Well, once you’re done with Grand Theft Auto IV… Alundra 2 is out of print, but copies can be found on eBay and Amazon marketplace for a very good price.