You remember the RPGs of old don't you? You know the ones, where wizards, dwarves, barbarians and other heroes enter dungeons, kill hordes of evil creatures and ransack the place of treasures. The Dungeon Keeper series is based around this premise but with some role reversal; you get to build and manage a dungeon of evil while would-be forces of good try to destroy you! After putting the heroes on the back foot in the original, it's time for you to go on the offensive. Your overall objective is to find and capture every Portal Gem so your evil minions may escape the confines of this dank underworld and invade the world above.

The basic mechanics remain true to the original. You start with Imps, who are fearful of battle but essential to your dungeon as they are the only creatures that can dig through the underworld's dirt and gold, claiming new areas for your dungeon. Once your Imps have claimed land you may begin building your dungeon rooms. There is a wide variety of room types, including lairs for your creatures, treasure rooms for storing gold and torture chambers where you interrogate and convert heroes or rival creatures. Once you have found and claimed a portal in the land, creatures will be attracted to your dungeon. To attract the most useful creatures you'll need to build the biggest and best rooms.

You view the underworld from an isometric perspective and the majority of the game is played like a Real Time Strategy game. However, there are some RPG elements thrown in, with creatures gaining experience and levelling up through training and combat. Getting your creatures to higher levels is essential, as you can only attract limited numbers to your dungeon. There's also some first person action, as you can cast a possession spell on your creatures to view the game from their eyes and use their attacks and skills against enemies.

Since the original Dungeon Keeper there have been a number of changes. New rooms (most notably the Casino and the Combat Pit) have been added, whilst some others (the Scavenger room) have been taken out. There have also been changes to the creatures you can attract, with some of the weedier minions like Beetles and Spiders being replaced by ferocious combatants, such as the Black Knight and the Dark Angel. Probably the biggest creature change is that you can no longer get a Horned Reaper as part of you fighting force. Throughout the game you may collect Horny Talismans though and on collecting all four you may cast a spell to summon him for a short period. Spells are also cast in a different way, no longer costing gold, but mana instead. Mana is regenerated by your dungeon, but is diminished by powering traps and sustaining Imps.

The main campaign mode will provide many hours of strategic planning and all out carnage. There is a lot of diversity in these missions. Some simply involve building up a dungeon and invading a hero stronghold, others place you in the middle of a stand off between heroes and a rival keeper. Another sees you laying siege to three powerful, allied keepers. One memorable mission is fought around a neutral temple, which is home to a group of Dark Angels. These fearsome warriors will pledge their allegiance to whichever keeper kills the most heroes. However, you've got two rival keepers to contend with. These fights on multiple fronts often lead to some of the most frantic and interesting battling and planning of the game, while other missions call for a much subtler approach.

My Pet Dungeon mode gives you unlimited time to build your dungeon with no interference from enemy invasions and when you're happy with it you can trigger the attack of enemy troops to test out how the defences stand up to combat. Although it lacks the thrill of the main game, it is sometimes fun to just build a sprawling dungeon for your creatures to inhabit and then watch the futile attempts of heroes to break through your defensive traps.

Another new addition is the Skirmish mode. Much like skirmishes in other RTS games, you get to set a map and a number of opponents to face. Rather than just making the CPU easy, medium or hard, you can give enemies an array of personalities, from 'idiot' to 'master keeper' and 'paranoid' to 'psychotic'. It's often interesting just to see how different keeper types interact. While some hole themselves up in fortified dungeons, others try to capture as much land as possible. However, the CPU opponents are no substitute for real human players and the problem is finding them. Because the game is now so old, the online community for it has essentially collapsed. But if you do manage to find an opponent you'll probably have a lot of fun pitting your wits against your rivals.

Graphically, Dungeon Keeper 2 is showing its age. The main game graphics are basic at best, while the first person mode suffers some severe pop-up despite not looking hugely impressive even when originally released. However, the graphics do suit the game, creating a dark atmosphere that is enhanced by the sound effects. You'll occasionally get some music playing when large battles break out as well as a verse of "Burn Baby Burn" when someone wins the jackpot in the casino, but overall it's up to some sound effects and the voice of the narrator to set the scene. The narrator gives vital information about your creatures and rooms and also makes some humorous quips every now and then.

The essential ingredient of any game is gameplay and Dungeon Keeper 2 has plenty of it. Despite its age, it still feels like a breath of fresh air, injecting some much needed variety into the strategy genre. Far too many games rely on simply finding a resource, using it to build an army and defences and then crushing your enemies. The Dungeon Keeper series mixes it up, forcing you to train creatures and attract your fighting force rather than simply buying them. And rather than the wide open spaces traditionally used for RTS games, Dungeaon Keeper 2 has a claustrophobic environment where you need to mine out the room to build and dig your way to enemy strongholds. The main game offers a solid challenge and My Pet Dungeon and Skirmish modes help to add to the lifespan for those looking for more mayhem. Dungeon Keeper 2 is a ray of innovation in a vast sea of generic strategy games and with its addition to Sold Out's £4.99 range, everyone should give it a try.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).