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Morkin 2
Before the Gollop brothers became world famous with a little game called X-COM (also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown), one of their first hits was called Chaos, a revolutionary multiplayer fantasy strategy gem for the Spectrum computer. The game instantly became a minor hit, but unfortunately was never translated to any other system. It wasn't until 1998 when the Gollop brothers would develop Magic & Mayhem, the true sequel to Chaos using the same basic concepts.
Morkin 2 is an excellent but little known Chaos clone inspired by Gollop's classic, although it is not an exact remake. The basic premise remains the same: annihilate enemy mages by casting spells from a limited repertoire and number of spell points (you start the game with 25). Old Chaos fans will immediately recognize the 2D sprites of the mages and monsters, although they look much better than in the Spectrum classic.
The original is known for its elegant presentation, especially since almost everything in the game is animated. When the screen fills with Magic Fire or Gooey Blob, the entire play area burns and pulsates. The game is alive, even as you ponder your next strategic move. Although Morkin 2 features attractive VGA graphics, it lacks a bit of animation.
But, as we all know, graphics should always take a back seat to gameplay, especially in a strategy game. And Morkin 2 shines in this regard. It plays much like the original Chaos, albeit with a much more fluid interface thanks to the use of the mouse as the control mechanism. The game is turn-based, like the original, although the menu system of the original is more or less eliminated.
The biggest change lies in the way spells are cast. In the original game, spells could be either lawful or chaotic, and as mages cast spells, the alignment of the universe changed in the direction of the spell they cast, making lawful or chaotic spells easier to cast. Each mage also received a random but limited selection of spells. Once a spell had been cast, it could not be reused. In Morkin 2, spells are based on a mana system. You start with 25 'spell points', which you can spend on any of the spells you want, as many times as your spell points allow. During the game, your spell points are replenished, allowing you to save up for more powerful spells, at the cost of not casting them this turn. This change, in my opinion, makes Morkin 2 a better game, because success depends more on strategic planning than pure luck.
There are also other smaller changes that do not detract from the fun of the game. Unfortunately, the number of players has been reduced from eight to five, and there is no way to change the difficulty level of the computer AI. There are also minor differences in the rules; for example, it appears that line of sight is not necessary when it comes to making ranged attacks.
Although obviously inspired by Chaos, the differences are enough to make Morkin 2 a distinctive game worth playing on its own. If you have never heard of Chaos, then you can play this excellent clone. Fans of Magic & Mayhem, in particular, should play this game to realize its illustrious lineage.
