Arrow II
“My name is Oliver Queen. After five years on a hellish island, I have come home with only one goal, to save my city. But to do so, I can't be the killer I once was. To honor my friend's memory, I must be someone else. I must be... something else.”
The Island Story (v Baron Reiter)
The story begins with the same cutscene as the last game - Oliver Queen and Sara Lance having fun on the Queen’s Gambit Boat as it sinks into the water. This time though the camera follows Sara as she regains struggles to stay afloat. She is pulled away by an undertow, and is rescued by a man on a large boat, which resembles a warship. The first level features Sara and the man - Baron Reiter exploring the boat, and learning the basic controls. Title Card Plays.
The story switches to Oliver, Slade, and Shado. They are burying Yao Fei on the beach, and Oliver lays an emerald on top of the grave. Shado says some Chinese things. After learning the basics of survival on the island, Slade takes Fyer’s map of the island. The map shows that Lian Yu is on a chain of sixteen islands, with Lian Yu being the largest one. This part of the game is essentially free roam exploration of Lian Yu with Slade providing the goal to construct a boat.
Upon collecting all of the materials Slade requested via exploration of the single island, a large warship is seen in a cutscene. After drawing attention to it, a small party comes to shore - Baron Reiter and Sara Lance. Oliver and Sara are both shocked that the other survived.
Baron Reiter tells the protagonists a story - the Lian Yu arpeggio was once home to Japanese war stations, where they experimented on the island’s natives. They were developing a drug called the Mirakuru (aka Miracle), which would give the user enhanced strength and enhanced mental capacities. Unfortunately, the island’s natives rose up and killed the Japanese and did god knows what to the serum. Reiter has come to the island to claim the Mirakuru and use it to save the world.
Reiter says that Fyer’s men have cleared Lian Yu of the natives but the rest of the islands will be much more hostile towards them. He tasks the protagonists (and Sara) with assisting him by exploring the islands. In exchange, he will work to get each of them home afterwards.
Thus, like in any open world game, we go island to island searching for something which we don’t know the location. We attack the natives (who will always attack you first), who get more powerful the further along we go. Along the way, each team member becomes suspicious of both Sara and Reiter.
Upon finding the Mirakuru, you have to inject Slade with it as he becomes severely injured after a boss battle against a Native leader (who seemed to be powered by the Mirakuru). Also, the bunker with the Mirakuru will contain difficult puzzles and such that you need to solve.
Reiter arrives and Sara stands by his side. Reiter forces the trio to surrender to him and hand over the Mirakuru. Oliver engages Reiter and Shado duels Sara. During the battle Slade escapes with all of the Mirakuru. Oliver and Shado are taken onboard, where they meet four other prisoners. The first, Anatoly Knayzev, is a Russian Bratva lord. The second, Thomas Flynn, is a calm missionary, The third, Hendrick Von Arnim, is a short-tempered mechanic. The last, Kiyiya, is a beat up Native American.
Reiter tortures Oliver and Shado for information regarding where Slade Wilson would hide. He kills Shado, and then threatens to kill Sara, who he knows Oliver cares about. Oliver tells Reiter the location of the crashed plane that the trio used for their base.
As Reiter leaves, Sara lets Oliver and the other four prisoners out. She says that she wants to help them escape, though the prisoners are very reluctant to trust her. Upon escape by defeating the one prison guard (called ‘The Butcher’), you are tasked to go to the plane.
When you arrive at the plane, Slade reveals that he traded Oliver and Shado’s life for the Mirakuru. When he hears of Shado’s death, he is enraged. He also does not trust Sara.
Slade says that in order to defeat Reiter, the group of seven needs the Mirakuru enhancement. Kiyiya points to a submarine in the water that can only be accessed if a person inside the bunker presses the button. While the button is held, the hatch on the submarine will open. Slade, Hendrick, and Sara will go to the bunker. Oliver, Kiyiya, Anatoly, and Flynn will find the Mirakuru.
When you complete both missions, the four climb into the submarine. They find no Mirakuru but two torpedoes. Both can be fired at the warship as a distraction, but have to be manned. After a fight about who should be in the torpedoes, Flynn volunteers. Kiyiya decides to man the other torpedo because he will die soon of natural causes anyways. Hendrick and Anatoly will stay at the submarine and monitor the situation, while Slade, Sara, and Oliver fight Reiter. Before the battle the following scene occurs.
SLADE WILSON
You all ready, kid?
OLIVER QUEEN
I think so. (to Sara) If I die here and you live, tell my parents that I made it to the island.
SARA LANCE
And if I die and you live, tell my parents I died on the Gambit.
OLIVER
Why?
SARA
The Sara Lance that they knew died on the night that the Gambit went down.
After making it to the beach with the attack squad, you control the two torpedos and make giant dents in the ship. Then you switch back to the attack squad and board the ship. The boss fight with Reiter is very tough, and you fight in the ship that is partially being submerged. As the battle ends, Slade gets his eye stabbed out by one of Oliver’s arrows that fires incorrectly, Sara gets pulled away by the undertow once again, and Reiter’s life is taken by Oliver. As Oliver and Slade escape the ship, they take a long distance radio with them.
The four surviving members of the attack - Slade, Oliver, Anatoly, and Hendrick - all are able to get transportation off of the island. Slade heads back to Australia to return to his family, Hendrick heads to Starling City to pursue a job, and Anatoly heads back to Russia. Oliver Queen says that he can not return to Starling City as his family wouldn’t like the man he has become. He decides to stay on the island and mediate. As Oliver’s friends leave the island, Anatoly hands him a piece of paper - his address in Russia, and Slade gives him the radio.
Upon exploring the wreckage after the island story is over, one finds a computer in Reiter’s office with a single vial of Mirakuru attached. The computer reads ‘Transfer Complete.’ When you access the computer, it reads transferred to the Heir to the Demon.
Starling City (v the Thinker)
The story begins with Oliver and his team taking out a petty criminal. The team consists of Oliver/The Hood, Roy/Arsenal, Sin, Diggle/Spartan, and Helena/the Huntress. Felicity Smoak/Overwatch monitors their situation.
Moira Queen is currently on trial for the murder of thousands of people. Her lawyer, Dinah Laurel Lance, is attempting to prove that Malcolm threatened the lives of Oliver and Thea; however, the court seems to be ruling against Moria’s freedom. Now that Tommy Merlyn is dead, Verdant needs a new manager. Helena Bertinelli is hired by Oliver to run day to day operations of the club. Thea Queen has enrolled at Star City University, pursuing a major in business with a plan to get an MBA. Quentin Lance has been demoted to a normal cop for taking aid from a vigilante. Oliver has enlisted Diggle and Felicity to help him open a second location for Verdant -- called ‘the Queen’. Walter Steele has taken over 100% of operations at Queen Consolidated. Roy Harper has enrolled at Star City University and is pursuing a major in Archeology, and one of his professors is a man by the name of Clifford DeVoe.
Team Arrow has continued to use the list of names as a guideline. Upon analysis of Malcolm Merlyn’s financial history, the team learned that some of the individuals have never had any contact with Malcolm. They must be on the list for a different reason.
Sin leaves the team. She says that a new opportunity has come up for her. Roy and Diggle follow her. She is meeting with a woman in all black leather - who calls herself the Canary. Oliver sees this and recognizes her as Sara. Oliver and Roy battle Sara and Sin in one level, before Sara reveals how she survived the island.
After the fight with Reiter, Sara woke up on the Chinese mainland. She explored the city and was discovered by a woman - Nyssa al Ghul. Nyssa brought her back to her homeplace - Nanda Parbat, where Sara trained and became a member of the League of Assassins. She traveled the world with Nyssa - a killing machine. However, when she learned of the plans that the League has to destroy Starling City, she left and came here to stop them. They have modified the Mirakuru into a bioweapon.
Oliver (and Roy) visits an old friend - Hendrick - who admits to smuggling some Mirakuru off of the island and selling it to some professor. As Oliver is leaving, Hendrick attacks from inside of a metal suit. (‘Who are you, Iron Man,” Oliver laughs.) Boss Battle One.
Thea Queen discovers that Roy is working with the Arrow and she gives him two choices - either stop or they’re through. Roy reveals the Arrow’s identity to her. She breaks up with Roy and leaves Starling City for the rest of the game.
Moira is ruled guilty and sentenced to life in prison. In prison, she is put in protective custody. When a mysterious force breaks into prison, you play as Quentin and Laurel (who is there to interview Moria for an appeal) to try and stop the thing and protect Moira. When the force arrives in the cell, it is Malcolm Merlyn. He knocks both of Quentin and Laurel out and then tells Moira that he is going to Corto Maltese to talk to Thea.
Some B-grade plotline involving a new Count Vertigo occurs. Vertigo has been modified and laced into bullets. The War against Vertigo serves as the second boss fight.
Roy and Sin go on a hiking retreat with Professor DeVoe where they explore some of the Native American temples inside the mountains around Starling City. DeVoe is shown to be very smart and more like Indiana Jones than the iteration of him than we see in real life the Flash. The duo are both invited to dinner at DeVoe’s house for their genius.
As they explore DeVoe’s house, they find out that he has the plans for the Mirakuru and is turning it into a bioweapon. They try and call Oliver, but DeVoe’s wife - Marlize DeVoe - stops them. Sara, Oliver, Helena, and Diggle rescue them. The main villain is known.
Nyssa al Ghul finds her way to Star City to look for Sara. She has eight League agents with her. Boss Fight Three. Nyssa tells Sara that when the final war comes, one of them will kill the other. That is that fate Sara has chosen.
DeVoe releases the virus and makes plans to leave the city. Walter Steele is among the first infected. He gets locked up in the Arrow Cave beneath Verdant.
The new Mirakuru virus has affected about ¼ of Starling City’s citizens. The ‘infected’ have become like zombies, all subject to the whims of their crazed minds. In the final two levels of the game, the team has to stop DeVoe from fleeing Starling City and stop the spread of the disease.
Roy and Sin confront DeVoe at the university the next day. DeVoe knocks them both out and then flees.
CLIFFORD DEVOE
Star City is dying Mr. Harper. It was long before Mr. Merlyn’s nefarious schemes or my own. Nothing you or Oliver can do will stop that.
ROY HARPER
That is where you wrong.
DEVOE
No, Mr. Harper. No matter how this battle ends, whether Star City is destroyed or not, whether I die or not, we will win the war. This is merely a test on a singular variable of a plan consisting of near infinite! In the long run, the fate of Star City matters not. A mind as weak as any of those of Team Arrow (heh) could never comprehend how the world will change after Genesis!
ROY
Screw you, DeVoe! I will kill you.
DEVOE
Kill me, Mr. Harper, or do not. My fate is of little concern to the Demon. I have served my purpose, and am willing to die so that I can be a part of something bigger and better than myself. The test has been done, and it was successful. The rest is merely a cover-up, an attempt to paint the Mirakuru as a singular attack by an insane terrorist. What happens now in Star City is insignificant to the greater good.
Oliver/The Arrow and Roy/Arsenal all fight DeVoe on his private plane, which is falling out of the sky. The boss fight involves a lot of robotic sidekicks that continually respawn. Sara/The Canary and Sin fight a bunch of guards at DeVoe’s hangers. They are the League of Assassins.
Quentin, Diggle/Spartan, and Helena/The Huntress guard Iron Heights Penitentiary. Laurel and Felicity/Overwatch begin to inject the cure into the infected, which surprisingly works.
Upon defeating the final two levels, the ending game cutscene plays. Moira is released from prison, Oliver and Sara or Laurel or Helena or Felicity go on their first date, Quentin is given a small promotion for his heroics. Everything is looking good.
A bunch of side quests are available after completing the main storyline to eradicate the Mirakuru. Once this is one, you play one additional level, as Malcolm and Tommy, who are fighting a bunch of members of the League. Upon completion, Malcolm and Tommy are seen to be both working with the League; this was just training.
Gameplay
The Island is very open world with tons of areas to explore. Post-storyline, you have made peace with the Natives and they offer side quests.
The Normal Story is very GTA like where there is quests that limit where you can move, but also tons to do and explore in an open world setting. There are the same level mechanics as last time where you can select with characters to bring with you upon replay.