Legaia 2 (PlayStation 2) -- 11.09.02

[Jeremy]

Legaia 2: Duel Saga is a game that I, as a fan of the prequel, couldn’t wait to play. The first game (Legend of Legaia) added quite a few innovations to the RPG genre, chief among them was the unique combat system that amalgamated turn-based battles with d-pad commands, effectively making the game an action-RPG/traditional RPG hybrid. Legaia 2 places you in the role of Lang, a young boy who must reclaim the Aqualith, the stone that allows Nohl (his town) to survive. As you progress through the game, you will learn more about the origins of the main character, and the secondary characters that join your party along the way.

The battle system of Legaia 2 is nearly identical to the one in the original Legend of Legaia. In both games, you select d-pad commands when you begin your turn (these commands form attacks known as Arts), depending on the d-pad command you select, your attacks might be more, or less powerful. You must choose your Arts wisely though, since you are limited to the amount of commands you can input. There are numerous types of Arts in the game. Some help build up your attack power, but are weaker. While others use up your attack power, but they pack a bigger punch. The key to this system is trial and error. Once you find a set of Arts that work for you, stick to them. Try to avoid using one Art over and over again since part of the fun of the Art system comes from experimentation. One of the best things about this system is that you have total freedom as to how you want to use it. As someone who enjoys personalizing a game as much as possible, I really dig being able to constantly change up attack styles in the middle of a battle.

The story of Legaia 2, as I described to you above, might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, and at the beginning of the game, that is indeed true. However, as you progress through the game, you will meet new faces, and battle new foes that will, hopefully, keep you attracted to the game. If you find yourself getting a bit bored by the storyline, just try and focus on how the story has been presented to you. The presentation of the plot points in the game is fantastic, as Contrail (the developers) really did a fine job at putting a cinematic look and feel to every plot twist thanks to some sweeping camera views, and clever blurring effects. I really enjoyed seeing the interaction between the characters in this game, which is most definitely a good thing since you will be doing a whole bunch of that in this game. None of the character interaction (except for the glorious random battles) seems forced. Also, none of the characters in the game seem out of place, I find this to be quite an important detail since, as a player, I want there to be a sense of believability with the characters. I can’t relate to a character in an RPG who doesn’t have some rooting in reality. Thankfully, all of the characters do have their roots set in reality, and one of the secondary characters in the game will really tug at your heart. I would tell you who, but I honestly feel you should see the plight of the character for yourself so you too can get the same level of attachment that I did.

The graphics in Legaia 2 remind me of the ones used for most 8-bit and 16-bit RPGs in that they won’t blow you away, but they more than get the job done. This game, in the big picture, has sub-par graphics. The characters are blocky, and textures are blurry. However, when you break down the big picture, you’ll start to appreciate the finer details that the game captures perfectly. The dubbing for the characters looks great thanks to the voices matching the mouth movement perfectly. Also, the animation is stellar and the colors used throughout the game are striking and powerful. While the game isn’t a tour de force, it won’t exactly make you cringe either.

The sound in the game, particularly the music, is spectacular. The music used throughout the game is quite powerful, much like with the graphics, the music takes a minimalist approach to everything. The music isn’t anything fancy, you aren’t going to find any 100-piece orchestras for a battle. Instead, you will find simple, yet effective music that helps compliment the on-screen activities. In a battle, for example, you will be greeted to fast-pasted music with frequent drum beats that will get your heart pounding. For emotional storyline elements, you will hear slow, melodic music that helps capture the moment on-screen perfectly. The other elements of the sound, mainly the sound and voice effects, go by the same approach. The sound effects are simple, but they get their point across just fine. The same goes for the voice effects; which are used sparingly in the game, but, when they are used, they help to give you a little insight into the multi-faceted nature of the characters in the game. For example, after defeating an enemy, Galvan (the gruff father figure to Lang), will let out a light-hearted phrase, which shows that he does indeed have a softer side to him. I, for one, really enjoyed the “less is more” approach taken to the sound in this game. It doesn’t need a lot of flash to get it’s point across, so it doesn’t use it. I wouldn’t mind seeing more games use this approach since I find it to be a pleasant change of pace from the glitz and glamour that needlessly populates many of today‘s RPGs.

Normally, RPGs aren’t filled to the brim with replay value, but this game’s addictive and complex Art system gives you, the player, more incentive to keep playing the game. The game’s excessive use of random battles actually serves a greater purpose than usual thanks to the Art system. The random battles let you build up your attack power, and give you more chances to experiment with the battle system. There are tons of intricacies to the system that I enjoy; the system is a refreshing change of pace from the cookie cutter battle systems in most RPGs.

All in all, if you are looking for an RPG to buy, and you are tired of the redundant rehashes out there that seemingly forget what an RPG is supposed to be, pick this game up in a flash. It’s got a complex battle system to learn that is fun and addictive. Combine that with a beautiful musical score and solid sound effects, and you have yourself a must-have game. I have a feeling that if you’re in the market for an RPG with more old-school substance than new-age style, you won’t mind the graphical shortcomings too much.

[Jeremy]

Hopefully my attempt at a more concise reviewing style has payed off.

[xS]

I read the last paragraph.I'll probably pick this game up when it's cheap.

[Jeremy]

Cool. Wow, that last paragraph does do a good job of concisely giving info.

[Andy]

Nice last paragraph.

[Jeremy]

Thanks.

[MechDeus]

Briefly glancing over this, I spotted two areas that might help you (as long as you try to keep this sort of thing in mind when writing) condense sentences and get rid of repeating words.

The music used throughout the game is quite powerful, much like with the graphics, the music takes a minimalist approach to everything.

The music used throughout the game is quite powerful, but uses a minimal approach.

Normally, RPGs aren’t filled to the brim with replay value, but this game’s addictive and complex Art system gives you, the player, more incentive to keep playing the game.

Most RPGs aren't built for multiple playthroughs, but the addictive and complex Art system gives reason to keep coming back.

See the difference? Same thing, half the space.

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the advice, Mech.