Lands of Lore - Guardians of Destiny

Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny is an action role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive, released in 1997. Known as Lands of Lore 2, it is the sequel to Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. The game abandons grid-based combat for real-time, first-person action with full 3D exploration. You play as Luther, son of the antagonist Scotia, who is cursed to randomly morph between three forms: human, agile lizard, and powerful beast—each with unique abilities for combat and puzzle-solving. The game features non-linear exploration, platforming, spellcasting, and puzzle-solving. Player choices lead to multiple endings, including separate "good" and "evil" paths with seven possible conclusions. Live-action FMV cutscenes advance the story.

DOS

Released in North America on September 29, 1997 and in Europe on October 17, 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows. Minimum system requirements include an 80486 66 MHz CPU, 8 MB of RAM, 50 MB of hard drive space, and a 4x CD-ROM drive. The recommended setup features a Pentium 90 MHz CPU and 230 MB of hard drive space. The DOS version features a musical score by David Arkenstone and Frank Klepacki, praised for its atmospheric quality. Graphics utilize pre-rendered backgrounds with richly detailed environments. The game received critical acclaim for its immersive world, memorable voice acting by Sean Masterson as Luther, and innovative shape-shifting mechanic. Critics noted some clumsy interface elements and platforming frustrations. A sequel, Lands of Lore III, followed in 1999.