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Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire

Last updated: March 19, 2026

Overview

Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is a 1990 adventure/role-playing game developed and published by Sierra On-Line for MS-DOS and Amiga12.

Designed by Lori Ann Cole and Corey Cole, it is the sequel to Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero and continues the story of the Hero of Spielburg13.

The game was the last EGA game created by Sierra On-Line, following development processes intended for the graphically superior VGA games, which made its development difficult14.

The manual is illustrated by Marvel Comics artist Ernie Chan1.

According to Corey Cole, the game cost $450,000 to develop1.

Trial by Fire is the only game in the series that was never officially remade with VGA graphics by Sierra, though AGD Interactive released a free VGA fan remake in 200815.67

Story Summary

The story is inspired by various Middle Eastern myths and stories, including Arabian Nights1. Directly following from the events of the first game, the newly proclaimed Hero of Spielburg travels by flying carpet with his friends Abdulla Doo, Shameen and Shema to the desert city of Shapeir13. The city is threatened by magical elementals of fire, earth, wind, and water, while the Emir Arus al-Din of Shapeir’s sister city Raseir is missing and his city has fallen under tyranny1.

After defeating the four elementals that threaten Shapeir, the Hero travels to the city of Raseir, which is missing its emir1. There, he is imprisoned by Khaveen and under hypnosis helps the evil tyrannical wizard Ad Avis to resurrect the evil genie Iblis1. In the final fight, the Hero attacks the palace and battles with Ad Avis, who falls to his presumed death begging for assistance from his Dark Master13.

As thanks for the Hero’s success in liberating Raseir and restoring its lost splendor, the Sultan of Shapeir, Harun al-Rashid, rewards the Hero by adopting him as his son1. The game contains many references to classic films including Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, as well as the Marx Brothers, Lawrence of Arabia, and Star Trek13.

Gameplay

The game follows the path of its predecessor, with distinctions in gameplay1. The interface is a text parser, which requires the player to input commands from a set (but unknown) list to have the character perform actions1. Unlike the original, Trial by Fire operates on a restricted time frame; the entire plot is concluded in 30 days13.

Interface and Controls

  • Text parser interface requiring typed commands1
  • Real-time combat system1
  • Day/night cycle affecting gameplay and puzzle availability13
  • Character import from Quest for Glory I with stats and inventory39

Structure and Progression

  • Most of the game takes place in the fictional city of Shapeir and its surrounds1
  • Many puzzles do not appear or cannot be solved until certain days, keeping gameplay on a tight linear narrative1
  • The game’s maze-like city layout served as a primitive form of copy protection, making early quests difficult without the manual’s map1
  • Players can obtain a magical map that transports their character instantly to hotspots1

Puzzles and Mechanics

  • Players can advance their character and explore class-specific side-quests13
  • A Magic User can earn the title of “Wizard” through challenges at the Wizards’ Institute of Technocery1
  • A Fighter may earn membership in the Eternal Order of Fighters1
  • A Thief may perform several thefts, including stealing the Maltese Falcon1
  • Cross-class quests are possible; characters can become a Wizard, complete every theft, and join the Eternal Order of Fighters13
  • This is the first game where the Hero may be awarded the title of Paladin by acting honorably throughout the game13

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

In 1991, Dragon gave the game 5 out of 5 stars1. Computer Gaming World stated that the game was more linear and less replayable than its predecessor, but had an excellent conclusion1. UK magazine ACE gave the Amiga version a score of only 600 out of 1000, praising its size but criticizing average graphics, grating music, slowness, and the large amount of disk swapping needed1. However, Amiga Action was more favorable, rating the Amiga version 88% in July 199110. ASM (German magazine) gave it an overall score of 10/1210.

Modern Assessment

Both Michael Baker and Tyler Willis of RPGamer gave the game 4 out of 5 stars, praising the game’s strong narrative, superb writing, and graphical design111. In 2011, Adventure Gamers named Quest for Glory II the 81st-best adventure game ever released1. Adventure Gamers rated the game 3.5/5 (Good), calling it “a worthy sequel that has re-styled basic elements from So You Want To Be A Hero both positively and negatively”12. IMDB users rate it 8.4/1013. HowLongToBeat reports the main story takes approximately 8 hours to complete, with completionist runs taking about 16 hours14. Speedrunners have completed the game in under 9 minutes using exploits15.

The free VGA fan remake by AGD Interactive (released August 24, 2008) brought the game to modern audiences with point-and-click interface, full voice acting, and updated graphics516. The remake received critical acclaim for faithfully preserving the original’s gameplay while modernizing its presentation16.

  • Dragon Magazine: 5/5 stars (1991)1
  • Amiga Action: 88% (July 1991)10
  • ASM (German): 10/1210
  • ACE Magazine: 600/1000 (Amiga)1
  • Adventure Gamers: 3.5/5 (Good), #81 best adventure game112
  • RPGamer: 4/5 stars111
  • IMDB: 8.4/1013
  • GOG: 4.9/5 (collection, 195 ratings)17
  • Steam: Very Positive (95% positive, 374 reviews, collection)18
  • HowLongToBeat: 8 hours main story, 16 hours completionist14
  • GameFAQs: “Great” (84 ratings)9

Development

Production

Quest for Glory II cost $450,000 to develop, making it one of Sierra’s more expensive EGA productions1. It was the last EGA game created by Sierra On-Line, developed using processes intended for VGA games14. The antagonist Ad Avis is named after Sierra’s then-creative director Bill Davis, and the city Raseir is an anagram for “Sierra” - both chosen as subtle parodies referencing a changing atmosphere within Sierra, with Raseir depicted as an Orwellian city under a totalitarian dictator1.

Technical Achievements

  • Last Quest for Glory game using EGA graphics13
  • Last EGA game developed by Sierra On-Line1
  • Development budget of $450,0001
  • Complex 30-day time management system1
  • Multiple class-specific quest lines and endings13
  • First game in series to introduce the Paladin class13
  • Manual illustrated by Marvel Comics artist Ernie Chan1
  • Platform releases: November 1990 MS-DOS, 1991 Amiga13

Easter Eggs and Cultural References

The game is filled with pop culture references and hidden jokes6:19

  • Characters named as parodies: Ad Avis (Bill Davis), Raseir (anagram of Sierra)1
  • References to Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Lawrence of Arabia13
  • Marx Brothers and Star Trek homages3
  • The Thieves’ Guild includes a Maltese Falcon statue to steal1
  • Raseir is depicted as an Orwellian city, a subtle parody of changing atmosphere within Sierra at the time1

Legacy

Quest for Glory II is notable as the only game in the series that was never officially remade with VGA graphics by Sierra1. However, AGD Interactive released a free VGA point-and-click remake on August 24, 2008, using the Adventure Game Studio engine15. The remake includes full voice acting and updated graphics while maintaining the original’s gameplay and story5.

The game is also notable for being the only Quest for Glory title without any direct influence of the character Erana, though she is referenced in a portrait at the Wizards’ Institute of Technocery13. The Paladin class introduced in this game would become an important character option throughout the rest of the series3.

Collections

This game has been included in the following collections:

  • Quest for Glory Anthology (1996)9
  • Quest for Glory Collection Series (1997)9
  • Quest for Glory 1-5 (GOG, Steam)1718

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

Download / Preservation

Manuals & Extras

See Also

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia – Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire – – history, plot, gameplay, development, reception ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63 ↩64 ↩65 ↩66 ↩67

  2. Archive.org – Quest for Glory II – – preservation, disk images ↩ ↩2

  3. Sierra Fandom Wiki – Quest for Glory II – – detailed game information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20

  4. RPG Codex Interview – Corey Cole – – development history ↩ ↩2

  5. AGD Interactive – Quest for Glory II VGA – – fan remake ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  6. TV Tropes – Quest for Glory II – trope analysis, easter eggs ↩ ↩2

  7. The Cutting Room Floor – Quest for Glory II – unused content ↩

  8. My Abandonware – Quest for Glory II – – platforms, availability ↩ ↩2

  9. GameFAQs – Quest for Glory II – – user reviews, guides ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. Lemon Amiga – Quest for Glory II Reviews – Amiga magazine reviews ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  11. RPGamer – Quest for Glory II Review – – modern review ↩ ↩2

  12. Adventure Gamers – Quest for Glory II – – modern review ↩ ↩2

  13. IMDB – Quest for Glory II – user ratings ↩ ↩2

  14. HowLongToBeat – Quest for Glory II – – completion times ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  15. Speedrun.com – Quest for Glory II – speedrun leaderboards ↩

  16. AGD Interactive – Quest for Glory II VGA – remake details ↩ ↩2

  17. GOG – Quest for Glory 1-5 – – purchase, user reviews ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  18. Steam – Quest for Glory 1-5 – – purchase, user reviews ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  19. ScummVM Wiki – Quest for Glory II – technical compatibility ↩

  20. PCGamingWiki – Quest for Glory II – – technical specs ↩

  21. Quest for Glory Fandom Wiki – – series information ↩

  22. Hardcore Gaming 101 – Quest for Glory – – series retrospective ↩

  23. Digital Antiquarian – Quest for Glory III and IV – – historical analysis ↩

  24. StrategyWiki – Quest for Glory II – walkthrough, game guide ↩

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