Queen’s Wish 2: The Tormentor

Queen's Wish 2: The Tormentor is a classic, story-driven, turn-based fantasy Role-Playing Game (RPG) developed by Spiderweb Software, the studio known for decades of deep, indie RPG titles like Avernum and Geneforge. Released in 2022, it is the second chapter in the Queen's Wish trilogy, continuing the player's role as a child of the powerful, manipulative Queen of the Haven Empire.

The Savage Rokaj

The game sends the protagonist, a young royal, to the harsh, mountainous, and rebellious barbarian lands of the Rokaj. Your mother, the dread Queen Sharyn III, is desperately ill, and you are forced to prove your worth by bringing this savage and constantly rebelling vassal state back under the Empire's heel. The core of the narrative is an open-ended political struggle where the player must decide the fate of the Rokaj: to conquer it completely, ally with its native factions, or even assist in its rebellion against Haven.

Gameplay: Forts, Factions, and Tactical Combat

Queen's Wish 2 blends traditional isometric, party-based RPG mechanics with unique strategic elements:

• Open-Ended Story and Choice: The game offers over 50 hours of content and more than 100 quests, with decisions carrying significant, non-linear consequences. The central moral dilemma is classic Spiderweb: whether to act as an obedient child of the Empire or pursue a path that may be more just but ultimately rebellious and disastrous for Haven.

• Fortress System (Base Building): A key strategic element is the ability to rebuild and customize ruined forts throughout the Rokaj. These forts are vital, as upgrades provide the party with powerful, persistent bonuses, access to better trading options, crafting facilities, and high-tier equipment—most of which is bought or crafted, rather than looted.

• Tactical Combat: Battles are turn-based and tactical, emphasizing the use of sixty different abilities across four party members. Combat requires constant adaptation, as players must build and rebuild their characters with multi-class skills to counter the rapidly changing enemy types. Players can choose to be diplomats, resorting to violence only when necessary, or outright warriors of the Empire.

• Character Progression: The game features a streamlined progression where skill points earned from leveling are put into various combat, magic, and support disciplines. The fortress system directly feeds into the strength and specialization of the party, intertwining the base-building and character progression.

The game is praised for its rich, text-heavy narrative, morally complex choices, and the satisfying feeling of exploring and shaping a vast, detailed fantasy world.