Quest for Glory II VGA Remake
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Overview
Quest for Glory II VGA Remake is a fan-made recreation of Sierra On-Line’s classic 1990 adventure-RPG hybrid Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire, developed and published by AGD Interactive in August 20081. This ambitious project transformed the original EGA text-parser game into a full point-and-click, icon-based experience with VGA graphics, marking the only way for modern players to experience this beloved entry in the Quest for Glory series with updated visuals1. The remake was distributed as a free download, continuing AGD Interactive’s tradition of lovingly recreating Sierra classics for contemporary audiences2.
The development of this remake was a labor of love that spanned nearly seven years of on-and-off work3. AGD Interactive, the same team responsible for acclaimed remakes of the first two King’s Quest games, brought their considerable expertise to faithfully recreating the Arabian Nights-inspired world of Shapeir while adding quality-of-life improvements and enhanced combat mechanics4. The result has been described as an “award-winning Adventure/RPG game” that captures the spirit of the original while making it accessible to new generations of players2.
Game Info
Story Summary
The game transports players far across the blazing desert to the beautiful city of Shapeir, a peaceful oasis where folks are friendly and a Hero can seemingly relax for a while after the adventures of the first game1. The Hero arrives in this Arabian Nights-inspired setting only to discover that danger looms on the horizon. A warning comes in the form of dire prophecies about the evil of Raseir, once the mirror image of Shapeir but now a dark reflection ruled by wickedness1.
The central conflict revolves around the growing threat posed by Raseir, whose malevolent influence threatens to seep into Shapeir and doom both the land and its people1. The Hero must navigate the maze-like alleyways of Shapeir, interact with its diverse inhabitants, and grow stronger through combat and skill development to face the challenges ahead. Throughout the adventure, players encounter memorable characters including Rakeesh, Uhura, and the sinister Ad Avis, all rendered in full 256-color glory for the first time3.
As the narrative unfolds, the Hero discovers that a hero’s work is never truly done, and they must rise to meet the call of duty once again1. The story maintains complete fidelity to the original game’s plot, with AGD Interactive making a deliberate choice to preserve the narrative while enhancing the presentation and gameplay mechanics5.
Gameplay
Interface and Controls
The remake completely overhauls the original’s text parser interface with a modern point-and-click system featuring icons for Walk, Look, Interact, Inventory, Special Actions, and Spells5. This transformation from keyboard-driven text input to Sierra-style icon-based controls makes the game significantly more accessible to players unfamiliar with parser-based adventures. However, for purists who appreciate the original experience, AGD Interactive thoughtfully included a text parser option for communication with NPCs5.
The dialog system combines elements from later Quest for Glory titles, using Quest for Glory III-style character portraits alongside Quest for Glory IV-style point-and-click dialog trees5. This hybrid approach provides visual feedback during conversations while maintaining player agency in choosing dialogue options.
Structure and Progression
The game maintains the original’s structure as a hybrid adventure-RPG, allowing players to develop their Hero through multiple character classes and skill improvement. The setting centers on the city of Shapeir and its surroundings, with the labyrinthine alleyway system representing one of the most significant changes from the original5.
The alleyways have been vastly redesigned from the original’s dark, scrolling tunnels to brighter, more navigable spaces that do not scroll5. Players can choose between the original alleyway layout for an authentic experience or a simplified layout option for easier navigation5.
Puzzles and Mechanics
The game blends traditional adventure game puzzle-solving with RPG combat and character development. Players must manage time effectively while exploring Shapeir, building skills, and preparing for the challenges ahead.
The revamped combat system stands as one of the most impressive aspects of the remake, featuring many enhancements including new moves, new features, clever AI opponents, and auto-battle assistance to help players who may lack sharp reflexes5. This accessibility option ensures that puzzle-oriented players can still progress through combat encounters without frustration, though the high combat difficulty has been noted as potentially challenging even after adjustment4.
Reception
Contemporary Reviews
At the time of its release, the remake received strong acclaim from the adventure gaming community. Adventure Gamers awarded the game a 4 out of 5 rating1, praising it as a faithful recreation that improved upon the original in meaningful ways.
The Adventure Game Studio community panel gave the remake a prestigious 4 cups rating4. Their assessment described it as “a solid remake of the original that tries to improve on its predecessor in nearly every way, often succeeding”4.
Modern Assessment
The remake has maintained its strong reputation over the years, being recognized as an essential experience for fans of Sierra-style adventure games. Community reviewer Jester declared it “a nearly flawless remake of a classic” noting that “the strengths of the original game are emphasized, and the weaknesses are eliminated. This game should not be missed by any fan of Sierra-style games”4.
Another community member, Mandle, offered high praise: “This game is AMAZING once you get into it and start learning the lay-out and culture of the city. It begins to feel like you are in a real place living your character’s life rather than playing an adventure game”4.
Aggregate Scores:
Awards:
Development
Origins
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire was originally released by Sierra On-Line in November 19906. Unlike other games in the Quest for Glory series, it never received an official VGA remake from Sierra, leaving it as the only mainline entry trapped in EGA graphics with a text parser interface. This absence made it a prime candidate for fan restoration4.
AGD Interactive, already established through their successful King’s Quest remakes, undertook the ambitious project of bringing Quest for Glory II into the VGA era4. The team’s passion for classic graphic adventures drove them to spend years perfecting the remake, treating it as a labor of love rather than a commercial venture2.
Production
Development on the remake began years before its eventual 2008 release, with AGD Interactive working on the project off and on for nearly seven years3. The team made a conscious decision to keep the game faithful to the original with no plot changes, focusing instead on enhancing the presentation and gameplay mechanics5.
The remake features completely redrawn graphics in VGA 256-color resolution, replacing the original’s EGA visuals3. Voice acting was added to bring the characters to life, and the entire interface was redesigned from text parser to point-and-click icons5.
Technical Achievements
The remake was built using the Adventure Game Studio (AGS) engine, a popular toolkit for creating adventure games in the style of classic Sierra and LucasArts titles4. This engine choice allowed AGD Interactive to create an authentic Sierra-style experience while running on modern Windows systems.
The visual upgrade to 256-color VGA graphics represented a significant technical achievement, allowing players to finally see characters like Rakeesh, Uhura, and Ad Avis in their full-color glory3. The pseudo-VGA aesthetic successfully evokes the look of Sierra’s early 1990s VGA titles while maintaining the artistic spirit of the original game2.
Technical Specifications
PC Version:4
- Resolution: VGA (256 colors)
- Engine: Adventure Game Studio
- Media: Digital Download
Version History
| Version | Date | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | August 24, 2008 | Windows | Initial release5 |
| 2.0 | January 20, 2011 | Windows/Mac | Major update with fixes and improvements, first Mac version2 |
The version 2.0 release represented a significant milestone, packed full of fixes and improvements while also bringing the game to Mac users for the first time2.
Technical Issues
Some known issues include occasional download mirror outages, though AGD Interactive maintains multiple download sources to ensure availability5. The combat system’s difficulty has been noted as potentially challenging even after adjustment, which may turn away some puzzle-oriented players4.
Easter Eggs and Trivia
AGD Interactive included several fun extras for players who take the time to explore the game thoroughly5. The remake was created by the same team responsible for the acclaimed King’s Quest I and King’s Quest II VGA remakes4, demonstrating their extensive experience with Sierra game restoration.
The original Quest for Glory II was notably the only game in the mainline Quest for Glory series to never receive an official VGA update from Sierra, making this fan remake the definitive modernized version of the game4.
Legacy
Sales and Commercial Impact
As a free fan project, the remake was distributed without charge through AGD Interactive’s website7. Despite—or perhaps because of—its free distribution model, the game achieved widespread recognition within the adventure gaming community. The forum discussions surrounding its release showed considerable anticipation, with fans expressing that they had been “waiting for this for years”6.
Collections
The remake is available as a standalone free download and was not included in any commercial collections. Players can download it directly from AGD Interactive’s official website2.
Fan Projects
This remake itself represents one of the most ambitious and successful fan projects in adventure gaming history. AGD Interactive’s track record includes similar remakes of King’s Quest I and King’s Quest II, with their King’s Quest II remake having been downloaded over 451,400 times8. These projects demonstrate the enduring love for Sierra’s classic adventure games and the dedication of fans to preserve and enhance them.
Critical Perspective
The Quest for Glory II VGA Remake stands as a landmark achievement in fan game development, demonstrating that passionate communities can produce work rivaling professional studios. By taking Sierra’s only unremade Quest for Glory entry and bringing it into the VGA era, AGD Interactive filled a significant gap in gaming history.
The remake’s success lies not merely in its technical achievements but in its philosophical approach—maintaining strict fidelity to the original narrative while judiciously improving accessibility and combat systems. This balance between preservation and modernization has made it the definitive way to experience Quest for Glory II for contemporary players, ensuring the game’s legacy continues for new generations of adventurers.
Downloads
Purchase / Digital Stores
- Not available commercially (freeware release)
Download / Preservation
- AGD Interactive Official Site - Official free download2
Series Continuity
Quest for Glory II VGA Remake faithfully recreates the second entry in Sierra’s beloved Quest for Glory series, bridging the Hero’s journey from the Germanic-inspired Spielburg Valley of the first game to the Arabian Nights atmosphere of Shapeir. The game introduces players to iconic series characters including Rakeesh the Liontaur Paladin and Uhura the warrior woman, who would become recurring figures throughout the series3. The events in Shapeir and Raseir set the stage for the Hero’s continued adventures across diverse cultural settings.
- Previous: 1989 - Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero
- Next: 1992 - Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
References
Footnotes
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Adventure Gamers – Quest for Glory II VGA Remake – game description, release date, developer information, rating ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11
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AGD Interactive Official Website – version 2.0 release, Mac availability, award-winning status, developer background ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8
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Engadget News Article – development timeline, 256-color graphics, alleyway changes ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
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Adventure Game Studio – Quest for Glory II VGA Remake – engine, awards, panel rating, user reviews, combat difficulty ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18
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AGD Interactive FAQ – release date, interface details, alleyway options, combat system, faithfulness to original ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13
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NeoGAF Forum Thread – original release date, community anticipation ↩ ↩2
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Cheap Ass Gamer Forum – free availability, community discussion ↩
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AGD Interactive – King’s Quest II Page – download statistics, development background, team history ↩