Saboteur II: Avenging Angel

Saboteur II: Avenging Angel followed up the successful original from Durell Software in 1987, bringing to the Commodore 64 a female heroine hunting down the killer of her brother, the ninja from the previous game. The gameplay stays true to the original concept of infiltrating a sprawling enemy complex, fighting guards, and completing sequential objectives, but the game's map was significantly enlarged and given a more elaborate mission structure that logically builds on itself — the player must first find certain items or information before being able to advance to other parts of the base and uncover the whole conspiracy.

Compared to the first game, this one places greater emphasis on exploration and solving a sequence of tasks rather than a pure race against the clock, giving it an almost adventure-game dimension within an action framework, without losing any of the combat's pace. On the C64 the game retained smooth animation for both the main character and the guards, and expanded the range of environments the heroine passes through, from sewers to prison cells and technical sections of the base. The audio was only mildly improved over the first game, but it still made good use of the SID chip's capabilities to underscore the tense atmosphere of infiltration and guard confrontations.

Saboteur II is still regarded by many players and critics as an even more mature title than its predecessor, precisely because of its more thoughtful progression structure and more interesting, better-connected game map. The sequel cemented Durell Software's reputation as a studio capable of delivering original, technically accomplished action games with open-world elements at a time when such an approach was still rare on 8-bit platforms. The game remains playable today and offers the satisfying feeling of gradually uncovering a sprawling base and its secrets, which is why it ranks among the classics worth trying alongside the first game as well as on its own.

Why play it: For those who loved the first game and want a more elaborate map and more thoughtful progression, Saboteur II is a more mature sequel that works great both standalone and as a companion to the original.