Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Mortol II
May 2, 2025
Stephanie Boluk, a game educator from UC Davis, joins fellow faculty member Patrick LeMieux, a speedrunning expert, and Aaron 'ix' Kearsley, a former speedrunner. They dive into Mortol II, discussing its unique gameplay mechanics, including the absence of traditional save systems. The trio explores the chaotic politics of Mortolia and shares hilarious anecdotes from their gaming experiences. They also reflect on the evolving landscape of game design, contrasting nostalgic elements with modern innovations, making for a lively, insightful conversation.
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Distinct Characters Change Gameplay
- Mortal 2 introduces five characters with unique sacrifice abilities instead of a single character type.
- This changes the feeling from playing anonymous units to controlling distinct individual characters.
Tougher Progression Design
- Mortal 2 removes checkpoint saving and resets lives to a flat 99, forcing a fresh start each playthrough.
- This design makes progress more fragile and death more punishing than the original Mortal.
Mortal 2 as a 1980s Sequel
- Sequels in the 1980s often shifted gameplay drastically, like Mario 2 and Zelda 2, subverting expectations.
- Mortal 2 fits this pattern by adopting exploration platformer mechanics and changing core gameplay from Mortal 1.
