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Intro Breaking new ground in RPGs seems to be something few developers strive to do. With the legendary Final Fantasy series literally dominating the American console RPG scene, there seems little reason to deviate from the party system and turn-based combat that we've all come to know, love, and expect. However, From Software sees things differently. Not content to make a cookie cutter RPG, they start from where they left off with the original Lost Kingdoms, and produce an innovative, original, and--most importantly--fun title that breaks away from the pack and provides an enjoyable, if not a bit short, card-collecting romp through the imaginary land of Argwyll. Gameplay: 7/10 Set in the fantasy kingdom of Argwyll, the story tells the tale of a young woman named Tara Grimface and her struggle to save a kingdom and fight some bad guys using her fearsome....ummmm....deck of cards. Much like the Suikoden and Pokemon titles, Lost Kingdom II emphasizes collection. Every facet of the game revolves around the idea of collecting a variety of cards, and then tapping into the various powers of these cards to unleash beasties, abilities, special attacks, and other various attributes. However, the game doesn't feature much outside of the card system, resultantly causing the game to just feel a bit bare, a bit anemic. It's a good thing the card / battle system is very, very good. The game is organized in a Super Mario Bros. 3 / Final Fantasy Tactics sort of way, with a representative world map that contains separate levels. Tara can't explore the world, she can just enter one of the individual levels. For each level, Tara is expected to make a single deck of 30 cards, enter the level, complete an objective (usually killing various beasts), get some new cards, and then progress to the next level. Like the rest of the game, this is deceivingly simple. For you see, each card has its own elemental affinity--either Wood, Earth, Fire, Water, Mech, or Neutral--that is utilized through the ol' rock-paper-scissors convention. Accordingly, each enemy also has an affinity--Water defeats Fire, Fire defeats Wood, Wood defeats Water, and Water defeats Earth (Mech and Neutral have their own exceptions). On top of that is the various card types: weapons, for a single attack; independents, creatures that do Tara's bidding until they are killed or unsummoned; helpers, that help Tara in battle by performing various feats; summons, large creatures that appear for one devastating attack; and transforms, that morph Tara into a creature with its own set of abilities. Obviously, as Tara progresses through levels, continuous deck customization is required to insure that the deck can meet the challenges of the upcoming level. Luckily, the game utilizes a feature that lists the affinities of the creatures in the selected level without having to play through it, letting Tara enter the level prepared. Additionally the game features two sets of experience points--the points that Tara accumulates from defeating foes and the points each individual card receives from being played. Use a specific card, and that card gains experience that can be used to upgrade the card to a more powerful one, or copy the card using some sort of magic mitosis operation. Also present, is a multitude of card combinations unlocked by having certain cards in your playable hand at the same time--Skullapalooza anyone? Put this, plus over 200 unlockable, playable cards in a big pot, stir, and bake, and the resulting dish is one that obsessive compulsive RPG fans will write home about. The game emphasizes the card system, a lot. In fact, the game is built entirely around this concept--it seems that ever periphery item standard in RPGs (towns, side quests, battles) is built solely for supporting the battle system. There is exactly one inhabited town with one shop in the entire game and even then, it feels sparsely populated at best. NPCs often have one thing to say and its rarely informative or helpful--just existent. The side quests are very limited and very linear, but they serve to fill out the deck with powerful cards unobtainable by normal play. But, each card operates very differently from the next. The secret to succeeding in Lost Kingdoms II is figuring out how each card acts and in what situation to play it--a fun system for some, yet drearingly boring for others. Outside of cards, Tara cannot equip armor or weapons--she doesn't even have an inventory. And while I'm all for shattering the walls of the modern-day RPG, it's nice to have something, anything else to help flesh the game out. Lost Kingdoms II is no 40 hour tedium-fest either. Clocking it at around the 10 hour mark, gamers should have little trouble completing the game in a good rental span. However, for the more ardent fan, From Software has included multiple endings, an assortment of side quests, and some truly devious puzzles to keep gamers interested (one such puzzle must be completed correctly the first time, or it can't be completed until a new game is started). As Tara finds new cards and subsequent abilities, she can even return to previous levels to garner items that were previously unavailable. As game lengths go, I couldn't recommend the game being shorter or longer--the story isn't particularly moving or deep, nor is the combat so interesting that I find myself yearning for just 10 more hours. However, the game isn't without its faults. Simply put, Lost Kingdoms II players will be lost without having played the original. While there are some differences, Lost Kingdoms II expects the player to have a certain level of comfort with the combat system and theory that drives the entire game. Newbie players can expect a very steep learning curve with little aid from in-game tutorials or the manual to ease the adjustment period. That's not to say that it's impossible to figure out Lost Kingdoms II, but it is frustrating to play through the first few levels seemingly clueless to whether your summoned house plant can defeat the feared hobgoblin. Storywise, the sequel focuses on the same world in which the original took place. Katia, the original's protagonist, is now heralded as a hero (complete with statue likenesses), and players can even expect to visit locales seen in the previous game--albeit changed to reflect the amount of time passed. Add to this the ability to important card collecting acquired by playing Lost Kingdoms I, and it seems that the developers wrote the game specifically for fans of the first. Not necessarily a bad thing, but a more complete tutorial (or manual) is desperately needed to bring newbies up to speed. The story isn't any different. There is one, and it's a little interesting, doing nothing else but tying together the locales and reasons for proceeding to the next area. Just like the rest of the game, it serves to strengthen the battle system. It's not bad, nor is it amazing--it services well enough though with typical RPG highlights that include: outcast youth finding solace in a band of other outcasts, the exploration of the concept of power and who holds it, and enough monarchy corruption to keep the British tabloids busy well into the 26th century--serviceable. But
what makes Lost Kingdoms II really shine is its inclusion of a 2-player
versus mode. Complete with a variety of options that regulate card use, time,
and bidding, the mode is a welcome addition that allows you and a friend (with
their own memory card) to take each other on using your very own customizable
homemade deck. Add bidding options that allow the victor to win up to 3 cards
per battle and the mode is sure to start up some sweet, passionate multiplayer
lovin'.
Graphics: 7/10 But as I've already mentioned, this game's about the cards. To aid this, there is always pictures of the 4 current cards (mapped to each respective face button) and the next 4 cards in the queue on the combat screen. And while these pictures are incredibly useful, the pictures appear rather blurry and it's often hard to make out what exactly the card is. Of course there is a way to counter this--hours of memorization, as the longer you play, the more you'll find cards that better suit your playing style--the ones that are instantly recognizable after using the card some hundreds of times. The environments
and towns all seems sparse. Graphically, the game never really stands out, but
at the same time, the graphics are never bad--they far exceed the bar set by other
card video games, yet they still fall below those set by other big budget, next
generation RPGs like Final Fantasy X. The diamond in the coal of graphical
ho-hum comes in the form of the cards. Once played, each card has a very unique
animation that differs from every other card. Higher level summons are a visual
treat, while weapon cards provide a fleeting, well-animated second of PAIN! Sound: 8/10 However,
the game does feature voiceovers. Usually, that statement gives me shivers at
the prospect of poorly synched, over-emoted, Engrish, but fear not. Lost Kingdoms
II voice-overs are very well done. While they're not on par with the oft-mentioned
Final Fantasy X, they fill the void nicely. I'd take Sol's voice over Tidus' any
day. Control: 7/10 The
combat mode is where the lion's share of controlling takes place. Each of the
four face buttons activates the respective card assigned to that button. Hold
down the R-button and hit a face button to move that card to the bottom of the
deck, or hold down the Z button to enable the card's twice-as-powerful-as-normal
Z-Effect magic. The right analog stick, meanwhile, handles the camera, and the
L button is used to re-center the camera over Tara's shoulder. And the system
works exactly as advertised, with one caveat--every time Tara enters a battle,
she's almost imminently running away from the opponent, so some camera finagling
is necessary. Luckily, the camera controls fluidly, and no matter how hard I tried,
I couldn't even get it to screw up and give me the wonderful perspective of inside
a nearby wall. Overall: 7.5/10
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