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The time for battle has come. Fresh from your exploits with the forces of evil in Eye Of The Beholder, there's no time to rest and take things easy because foul things are afoot once again. This time round there's just one hope for mankind - a direct assault on the dreaded Temple Darkmoon. But who will lead this treacherous mission? Who is brave enough, strong enough, talented enough and foolhardy enough to accept such a gruesome challenge? That's right matey, take two steps forward because it's gonna be you!

With plenty of character types to choose from in Eye Of The Beholder 2, it's worth getting to know what they can and can't do, so here's a quick rundown on each:

Dwarves: Short, stocky and fit - these little fellas are reliable team members.

Elves: Slimmer and shorter than humans, they're quick on their feet and good in a crisis.

Gnomes: Small in stature, high in intelligence but low on wisdom. Fairly foolhardy.

Half-elves: Taller and heavier than most elves, they're mostly immunce to spellcasting - well handy!

Halflings: A friendly race fairly resiliant to magic and good with sling shots.

Humans: You know all about them!

All races have their own classes, or types, of individuals. They include Clerics (boring book and spell lovers), Fighters (hurrah!), Mages (more magicy types), Paradins (elite warriors, cor!), Rangers (hanters and trackers) and Thieves (light-fingered types). Make sure you get a good cross section in your team!

Magic moments are the order of the day in The Eye Of The Beholder II, with plenty of chances to use spells 'n stuff to aid you in your quest. Characters such as mages and clerics can cast spells, but they have to have a bit of a rest before they can let loose their talents. Spells can be conjured up either by memorisation or prayer.

The first is infinitely preferable, 'cos you don't have to put up with someone mumbling to himself for ages and throwing holy water all over the place...

Just like the original, Eye Of The Beholder II gives you the chance to choose your team and modify their strengths and weaknesses for maximum effectiveness. Roll the dice to choose the attributes of your party, select individuals from all walks of life and kit them out with the goods you think they'll need.

It's crucial that you get the right mix, because each individual's skills and talents could spell the difference between victory and disaster!

Still shivering over the gruesome horrors of the first Eye Of The Beholder adventure? Well, the sequel features nasties so terrifyingly terrible they'll have you screaming for mum the second you clap eyes on them!

They'll sneak up on you from behind, encircle your party and let rip before you have a chance to say "Ooh, what's just bitten my bum?" Luckily you can fight back with all manner of weapons from stones to swords.

Eye Of The Beholder was a brilliant RPG and you'd think it would take some beating, but no! This sequel takes the original formula and improves upon it no end. The graphics have been revamped, the control system tweaked and the overall feel is much smoother and friendlier.

RPGs tend to be a bit daunting for spaced-out laser junkies like myself, but Eye Of The Beholder is a different kettle of fish. The control system is dead easy to get to grips with and the tense atmosphere really draws you in. There are more traps and surprises in this sequel than in the original game.

Finding your way out of the forest is hard enough, but the dungeons are truly labyrinthine. Music-wise, this is much the same as most PC games, a bit of a dead loss. The tunes are grim and uninspiring, but fortunately the decent sound effects save it. If you enjoyed the first game, then you'll find this is much more than a few extra levels. Watch out for it!

Eye Of The Beholder was the game which changed the face of role-playing adventures, making them more fun than ever before. Everyone's been waiting for the sequel for ages, and SSI have turned in a fine product which more than does justice to the original.

Basically this is an extension of the first (although of course you can play it if you're new to the game) with tweaks and improvements to graphics and gameplay. In one way that's a great strength, in another it's a weakness: fans of the first game will have kittens over this, while those who were looking for a significant march forward will be a tad disappointed.

Just a tad, mind you, because nobody could realistically have asked any more of a sequel than Eye Of The Beholder II delivers - a solid, improved, more challenging version of the original and one which should keep Eye Of The Beholder devotees happy for a very long time...