Hero of Egypt II

Hero of Egypt II is a God-of-War-style third-person action-adventure video game developed and published by Empire Entertainment; it is the second installment of the series, the third chronogically, and the sequel of the original Hero of Egypt. Loosely based on the Egyptian mythology (and partly Mesopotamian), it is set in Ancient Egypt, with heroism as central motif. The player controls the protagonist, named Imhotep, whom has become the Pharaoh of Egypt. Imhotep learns that a new threat, the Babylonian empire, born from the ashes of the Assyrian empire, is seeking to dominate the known world, stopping at nothing to achieve its goals. During his journey, his quest for heroism will also become a quest for vengeance.

The gameplay is very similar to the previous installment, and focuses on combo-based combat, achieved through the player's main weapon - Pharaoh's Khopesh - and secondary weapons acquired throughout the game. It features quick time events that require the player to complete various game controller actions in a timed sequence to defeat stronger enemies and bosses. The player can use up to four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability as alternative combat options. The game also features puzzles and platforming elements. In addition to its vastly similar gameplay, Hero of Egypt II features improved puzzles and four times as many bosses as the original.

Gameplay
Just like the original game, Hero of Egypt II is a third-person single-player video game viewed from a fixed camera perspective. The player controls the character Imhotep in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements, and battles foes who primarily stem from Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythology, including Gallu, mummies, Basmu, Edimmu, Mukil, Umu Dabrutu, evil Utukku and stone golems. Other enemies were created specifically for the game, including iron soldiers, iron archers, and the personal guards of Nabonidus (main villain of the game), including sentries, guardians, juggernauts, and high priests. Many of the combination attacks used in the original Hero of Egypt reappear, and the game features more than double the amount of boss fights and more difficult puzzles than the original. Platforming elements require the player to climb walls and ladders, jump across chasms, swing on ropes, and balance across beams to proceed through sections of the game. Some puzzles are simple, such as moving a box so that the player can use it as a jumping-off point to access a pathway unreachable with normal jumping, while others are more complex, such as finding several items across different areas of the game to unlock one door.

There are four game modes in the game:


 * Story Mode: a pratically linear mode where the player can save the game and purchase Imhotep's upgrades between stages;
 * Bonus Play: unlocked after completing Story Mode for the fist time; here, the player can choose which level to play, which costume will Imhotep wear for the level, and how many upgrades he will weild, including weapons, magic and health and magic bars upgrades;
 * Combat arena: unlocked after completing Story Mode for the fist time; the player can choose up to 5 types of the enemies Imhotep fought and defeated so far in the game. It is also possible to set Imhotep's health (very low-low-medium-high-very high), magic (very low-low-medium-high-very high-unlimited), items (very low-low-medium-high-very high-unlimited) and block (very low-low-medium-high-very high-unlimited), and the difficulty of the game;
 * Challenge of the Gods: is unlocked after completing the game for the first time, and is composed by 10 stages.

Story Mode includes a total of 16 levels:


 * 1) Death
 * 2) Divinity
 * 3) Liberation
 * 4) Showdown
 * 1) Divinity
 * 2) Liberation
 * 3) Showdown
 * 1) Divinity
 * 2) Liberation
 * 3) Showdown
 * 1) Divinity
 * 2) Liberation
 * 3) Showdown
 * 1) Divinity
 * 2) Liberation
 * 3) Showdown

Combat
Once again, Imhotep weilds his Egyptian Khopesh and Shield, which now seem to have a different look. As the game progresses, Imhotep acquires new weapons - the Axe of Kalash, the Blade of Hammurabi and the Sharur Hammer of Ninurta - offering alternative combat options.

Prologue
"[The screen is black, and only Imhotep's voice is heard.] One of the greatest paradoxes in life is that men who crave power are best fitted to acquire it, and least fitted to exercise it. [Cut to a mural depicting Imhotep dressed as a Pharaoh and sitting on his throne. Imhotep is worshipped by everyone, and most of them bow to him. Tanit, Imhotep's wife, sits next to him (and she is also dressed like Cleopatra from Civilization VI lol)] The Pharaoh is the heart of Egypt. The land is its body, and the people are its blood. Now I am the ruler of Egypt. And yet, I feel satisfied to be called... the Hero of Egypt. [Cut to Imhotep riding on his chariot, leading an army while destroying the Assyrians, along with their king Ashurbanipal.] My armies, armies that have defeated any enemy it crossed, armies that put an end to the injustice of an Assyrian tyrant, my armies have thundered across the boundest desert, and earth has trembled beneath them... [Cut to another mural where dozens of workers are building an obelisk.] ...just as it has trembled beneath the steps of dozens of thousands men, working to the monuments to my glory... a glory I had hardly earned. But just as I have respected Egypt, Egypt respects me as well... even Menreptah, the Pharaoh that came before me. Menreptah was Egypt, just as I am Egypt, and as my son will be Egypt. His face is my face, and his face. His strenght, our strenght. [Cut to another mural where a priest, masked with the head of Anubis, looms on the sarcophagus of Menreptah.] The Pharaoh that came before me gave his life to protect Egypt, a task passed by me when I managed to defeat Seth, the evil God of Chaos that sought to plunge the whole world into chaos. And when his duty was complete, so too was his life completed, his life now a bright star in the sky of the night, for he now has joined the ancestors in the world of Aaru, the Reed Fields where all just men go. He, along with all the Gods, now watches over all of us, over all of Egypt. [Cute to a final mural where Imhotep and Tanit are holding a baby in their arms. The baby is their son, Amenhotep (whom, in HoE II, is now eight years old).] And even as my "father" was taken by Anubis, a new life came to the world: it was my son, born the day after my crowning as the Pharaoh of Egypt. And as my "father" was bound with fine linen, my son was freed from the bounds of darkness, and could see light for the first time... and thus, eight years ago, a new day came to all of Egypt. [The murals sequence ends, and we see Imhotep walking out of his palace, and looks at the Sun.] I am proud of all of this, all of my achievements, all of my deeds, all of my works. And yet... it is just the beginning for me. After all... I am the Hero of Egypt."

- Prologue of the game

It has been ten years since Imhotep has defeated Seth. Two years later that day, Menreptah, former Pharaoh of Egypt, has died, and Imhotep has been crowned on his place. Since the beginning of his reign, an obelisk has been erected, and named as "Stele of the Hero" in honour of Imhotep himself. Also, Imhotep and Tanit now have a son, Amenhotep.

Outside Egypt, relations between the Egyptians and the Hittes are now even stronger, also thanks to the past battles against the Assyrians. As for Kalash, secondary protagonist of the previous installment, he has returned home in Syria, where he is now leader of a merchant guild.

Meanwhile, Babylon, taking advantage of the fall of the Assyrian empire, has now taken possession of all that remained of the empire after the death of their king Ashurbanipal. The new Babylonian empire is led by a king named Nabonidus, strong and charismatic.

Bosses

 * 1) Ashurbanipal
 * 2) Goliath
 * 3) Ligish
 * 4) Utultar and Dibbarra
 * 5) Nemesis
 * 6) Semiramis
 * 7) Marduk
 * 8) Nabopolassar
 * 9) Ashurbanipal: King of Assyria, and final boss of the game.
 * 1) Ashurbanipal: King of Assyria, and final boss of the game.

Pharaoh's Khopesh
Imhotep's Egyptian Khopesh, his regular trademark weapon, has been blessed by Horus, becoming the Pharaoh's Khopesh. Now, Imhotep's attacks have become stronger and faster, and new attacks are now available to him.

Level 1

 * Cost: n/a
 * Power: 100%
 * Kemetic Fury: A quick combo that hits the target. Square, square, square, square
 * Kemetic Fury (Air): A quick airborne combo. Jump, square, square, square
 * Bravery of Horus: A powerful but slow overhead attack. Triangle
 * Bravery of Horus (Air): Airborne version of the Bravery of Horus. Jump, triangle
 * Kemetic Rage: A powerful attack to damage enemy defenses. Hold triangle
 * Plume of Maat: A quick and powerful combo ending in an explosive finish. Square, square, triangle
 * Double jump: While in the air, press X to gain more height. X
 * Grab: Allows Imhotep to grab to any opponent. Press Square to stab the enemy with the Khopesh, or Triangle to slam him on the ground and stomp on him.
 * Evade: Allows Imhotep to dodge incoming enemy attacks. This works for all weapons. Right stick

Level 2

 * Cost: 1'500 orbs
 * Power: 150%
 * Spirit of Geb: A powerful but slow multiple hit combo with an explosive finish. Triangle, triangle, triangle
 * Spirit of Geb (Air): Airborne version of the Spirit of Geb. Jump, triangle, triangle

Level 3

 * Cost: 2'250 orbs
 * Power: 200%
 * Strenght of Shu: Slow but powerful combo. Triangle, triangle, square
 * Dance of death: Useful combo for critical damage. Square, square, square, square, triangle
 * Anger of Isis (Air): Imhotep performs a powerful, airborne multi-hit attack on the enemy. Jump, hold square
 * Fall of Ra (Air): Imhotep performs a powerful, airborne overhead attack that slams the enemy on the ground. Jump, hold triangle

Level 4

 * Cost: 3'750 orbs
 * Power: 250%
 * Fury of Nut (air): A Multi-hit air attack ends with an explosive finish. Square, square, square, hold triangle
 * Wrath of Osiris: Imhotep performs a powerful multi-hit attack after evading. Evade, hold square
 * Wrath of Ra: Imhotep performs a very powerful attack after evading. Evade, hold triangle
 * Ascension of Thoth: Simultaneously launches Imhotep and enemies into the air. Evade, hold X

Level 5

 * Cost: 9'000 orbs
 * Power: 300%
 * Blessing of Osiris: Enemies drop Green Orbs when hit while Curse of Seth is active.

Pharaoh's Shield
Blessed by Horus, Imhotep's shield has been transformed into the Pharaoh's Shield. Thanks to this, Imhotep is even more resistant against even the strongest opponents, and it will take more time before his defenses are broken.

Level 1

 * Cost: n/a
 * Defence: 100%
 * Block usage: 100%
 * Block: Allows to block incoming attacks. R1
 * Parry: Allows to shove an attack just before the enemy attack connects. R1

Level 2

 * Cost: 1'500 orbs
 * Defence: 150%
 * Block usage: 75%
 * Valor of Horus: A counter attack after parrying your foe. Parry, then Square

Level 3

 * Cost: 7'250 orbs
 * Defense: 200%
 * Block usage: 50%
 * Wrath of Horus: A powerful counter attack after a parry. Gives an opening for opponents. Parry, then triangle

Enemies

 * Babylonian warrior
 * Babylonian archer
 * Babylonian champion
 * Babylonian royal guard
 * Giant snake
 * Rock snake