The Book of Unwritten Tales 2

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
Developer(s)King Art Games
Publisher(s)Nordic Games[a]
Director(s)Jan Theysen[1]
Composer(s)Benny Oschmann
EngineUnity 3D
Platform(s)Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • Windows, OS X, Linux
  • 20 February 2015
  • PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
  • 18 September 2015
  • Wii U
  • 7 June 2016
  • Nintendo Switch
  • 5 February 2019
Genre(s)Adventure, Comedy
Mode(s)Single-player

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a comedy[2] point-and-click adventure video game[3][4] created by the German developer King Art Games.[5] The game, a sequel to The Book of Unwritten Tales, was published by Nordic Games on 20 February 2015[5] for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X.[5][6] Console ports for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One were released in September 2015. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released exclusively as digital downloads. The Wii U version was released on 7 June 2016 in Europe and North America. A Nintendo Switch version was announced,[7] and released on 5 February 2019.

Plot

The game's four protagonists, Wilbur a novice gnome mage, Nate a narcissistic human, Ivo a pregnant elf princess and a furry alien creature known as "Critter", partake in an adventure in the fantasy land of Aventasia.[2] A magic force is turning beasts into puppies and castles into dollhouses.[5] The four heroes reunite to combat this unusual transformation of Aventasia.[2]

Production

The English translation and voice recording were provided by OMUK.[3] The game was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter.[6] Before its official release, the game was launched on Steam Early Access.[1][5] The game's launch trailer poked fun at video game monetisation strategies,[8] such as free-to-play and microtransactions.[6]

The game made its way to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in both physical and digital form, for a budget price of $20 on 18 September 2015. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were also released, but these remained exclusively digital downloads; the PlayStation 3 version retained the reduced price of the eighth-generation consoles, while the Xbox 360 launched at a cost of $30.

Reception

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 received positive reviews from critics. The game has a Metacritic score of 80/100.[10] Game Revolution commented: "Is The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 worth getting? Definitely! Although it doesn't add much innovation to the series, this game offers a more complex and fine-tuned adventure than its predecessor."[2] Hardcore Gamer: "If you love point and click adventures, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is everything you could possibly want and more. With stunning (and clever) graphics, a fully orchestrated soundtrack and top-notch voice acting, its production values are second to none, and it has writing chops to match."[3] PC World called the puzzle design excellent but the graphics and audio occasionally spotty.[4] It stated: "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a reminder that while Telltale may have usurped the adventure genre, great traditional point-and-clicks can still be made."[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Chalk, Andy (4 September 2014). "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 hits Steam Early Access with a new gameplay trailer". PC Gamer. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e Haught, Jeb (17 February 2015). "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Thew, Geoff (23 February 2015). "Review: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Dingman, Hayden (20 February 2015). "Book of Unwritten Tales 2 review: Consumer of worlds, champion of point-and-click adventures". PC World. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Game Information, Screenshots & Media". Adventure Gamers. 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Saed, Sherif (19 February 2015). "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 launch trailer parodies free-to-play, The Hobbit". VG247. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  7. ^ Nintendo Life. "THQ Nordic Announces Another Three Games For Switch, All Launching In 2019". Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  8. ^ Green, Shaun (21 February 2015). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Gets A Second Tale". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  9. ^ "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  10. ^ a b "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  11. ^ "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  12. ^ "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  1. ^ Published as THQ Nordic on the Nintendo Switch