Heimdall 2: Into the Hall of Worlds

Version differences

Heimdall 2 was created on Amiga (OCS/ECS, AGA and CD32) and later ported to DOS. There are many differences between these four versions of the game:

• Amiga versions are mostly different between themselves in the graphics department. AGA versions contain 256 coloured screens which were later also adapted to DOS version. ECS version colour palette was reduced to 32 colours with lack of some animation details (for example there are less people in the villages).
• In OCS/ECS and AGA versions music and sounds are exactly the same. There are only four tunes (title screen, map screen, shop screen and end sequence). There is no music during the gameplay - you can hear only background sounds that are very limited. The in-game music during the gameplay is only available in CD32 version and is played from audio tracks. In DOS version there is a single music theme for almost the entire game plus there is one additional tune on the map screen. CD version of the game introduces different soundtrack played directly from audio tracks similar to CD32 version.
• Amiga versions were given a choice to select one of the language translations: English, German, Italian and French. DOS version adds a fifth one - Spanish
• Amiga versions of the game have more stats (all versions). They were simplified for the DOS version. "Strength" and "Dexterity" do not appear at all (they had no use/no impact during the game), "Battle Magic", "Spirit Magic" and "Task Magic" are combined into one "Runelore". Because of that the effects of the spells are also different. In DOS version by fighting all the stats are rising no matter what type of action was used. In Amiga versions only the stats being used are growing (if you fight with magic only magic stats are rising).
• The scrolls in DOS version have different colours than in Amiga version and they are not related with the kind of magic. In DOS version you can't distinguish offensive and healing scrolls just by looking at them - you need to examine them using suitable in-game icon.
• In DOS version Heimdall and Ursha start with different statistics and different inventory. In Amiga versions both characters are the same.
• In the Amiga versions casting a spell with wrong runes does nothing. In DOS version the character wastes mana.
• In the Amiga versions the characters' images change when they lose health. Also when they are poisoned they get green. In DOS version the health bar turns green instead and there is no image change.
• Amiga OCS/ECS version contains a bar showing the enemy's health. It does not exist in AGA/CD32 or DOS version.
• Amiga OCS/ECS, Amiga AGA and DOS versions have exactly the same save game option giving the possibility to create a save at any moment of the game. However, CD32 introduced a different approach - save was possible only in the Hall of World by finding a special book. The idea was challenging and buggy - in some cases it made the game impossible to be completed due to lack of possibility to revisit other worlds.

Awards

• Amiga Joker
  • Issue 02/1995 – Best RPG in 1994 (Readers' Vote)