Magna Carta 2

[Fencedude]

Eh, why not? Gotta be better than the first, right?

...lets find out. If nothing else, its very pretty.

[HitokiriShadow]

Gotta be better than the first, right?


The original Magna Carta is the only game I've ever sold back within twenty-four hours of purchase, and I think it might have even been within 5 or 6 hours. At any rate, I only played it for about an hour before I decided I had made a horribly mistake in buying it. Such sexy character art, such an atrociously un-fun battle system. Sadly, I also made the mistake of selling back the entire LE package. I should have at least kept the artbook...

[Senku]

Since the next 360 game I've chosen to get through isn't this one; I'll definitely be checking in for impressions.

[Fencedude]

Alright, several hours in now, past the first area.

I don't remember much about the first (I only played it a little, one of my roommates had it), other than that it was very pretty, but not very good.

The battle system here is kinda like a combination of Star Ocean and FFXII, its actiony, with AI controlled partners like SO, but battles take place right there in real time on the field, like in FFXII. How many attacks you can do is controlled by a Stamina gauge, and if you use up all your stamina, you go into Overdrive. In Overdrive, your attacks are increased by 1.5, but once it ends, you go into Overheat, and you can't move for a few seconds, and then can't attack for a few more. So its dangerous. A button does normal attacks, B does "Signature Techniques" which are unique reaction abilities for each character, and X activates the skill you have selected. You can also chain overdrives between characters by switching leaders at just the right moment, and if done right, you can avoid the Overheat entirely. So far, it all seems to work well, though I haven't yet done battles with a fully controlled party, in the first part, I only controlled Juto, the main character, while Zephie and Argos were AI controlled Guests, but they were decently helpful even then.

Anyway, plot. Juto is an amnesiac who washed up on an island, he got taken under the wing of the local head of the guards and everyone's favorite older sister, Melissa (who's hot, of course, and voiced by Wendee Lee). There's a civil war going on, and the Exiled princess, who supports the Southern faction, comes to the island to retrieve an ancient magical weapon. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Northern forces show up, decimate the island kill Melissa and the princess, Zephie, her bodyguard Argo, and our plucky lead Juto are the only ones to escape.

And thats where I am now.

Oh yeah, and we met the leader of the Southern Faction, a Lord Alex. He is, again, shockingly, a total slimeball. Though what we've seen of the Northern faction is worse. Also, interestingly, Zephie is the one actually in charge of your group, she leads the "Counter-Sentinel Unit" an elite squad that fights these war machines known as Sentinels that the Northern faction has.

Also there's something up with Zephie, in the intro cinematic, during events that took place two years previously, she got stabbed through the stomach, and appeared to explode. But now she's fine. WTF?

[Johnny]

This thread reminds me - I bought the Japanese verion when it was on sale for £6 or so on Playasia about a year ago. Maybe I should start it someday :sweat:

[Gatts]

Gotta be better than the first, right?


The original Magna Carta is the only game I've ever sold back within twenty-four hours of purchase, and I think it might have even been within 5 or 6 hours.

I purchased the LE used for $10. So basically I paid $10 for the artbook. I see that M.C 2 is around that $10 for standard edition. I might buy it to see how it is.

[Fencedude]

Further comments in a bit, but now I'm really regretting looking up the JP cast. I think I'm going to cry:

Juto: Fukuyama Jun
Zephie: Hirano Aya
Rue: Kawasumi Ayako
Celestine: Kugimiya Rie

;_; I want so badly

Anyway, just met Celestine, she's uhh...more annoying than expected, but I think I'll find it in me to deal with it (http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/500228/) (Danbooru, etc etc).

[Mazinkaizer]

Magna Carta were among the games that i like the art work and character design more than the game itself (Kim Hyung Tae's art is amazing IMHO).

Watched my friend play the 1st game and it didn't look especial to me, plus the dub (no Japanese audio in the first game which i am referring to) didn't get me into the game at all.

If the 2nd game manages to find it's way to the PS3 (with JP audio) then i might give it a shot else the art book, which my friend was kind enough to sell me, is good enough for me.

[Fencedude]

Alright, 13 hours in, and I've got to say, this game is actually pretty damn good.

Its not exactly breaking any new ground narratively, but it does its job, the characters are decently interesting, the story is fairly exciting, and its moving at a brisk pace.

It is, of course, absolutely gorgeous. And Celestine, for all her being Stephanie Sheh at her squeakiest, and having a remarkably silly obsession, is pretty much ungodly hot. She's actually hotter in game than she is in the original art, which is saying something. During the conversation sequences I could just sit there and watch her breathe.

Anyway, the battle system encourages swapping characters around, and changing who your leader is at any given moment, and characters on standby recieve 70% EXP, which helps a lot.

Each character has two different "Styles", two different sets of weapons they can use. Juto can use one or two handed swords, for speed vs. power, Zephie uses rods for healing and buffing magic, or fans for offensive magic, Celestine uses Aromas for healing and buffing, a bow for offense, etc etc. The only real flaw is that given this, it should be easier to swap weapons than it is. But its a minor complaint.

Magic and Skills are activated using "Kan", which is built up by attacking. The physical attackers (Juto and Argo), build up Kan and can retain it, up to 10 at a time. Their Kan remains until they expend it using a skill, which use varying amounts, the stronger the skill, the more Kan it uses. The magical attackers (everyone else) use Kan from the environment. Each field area has a certain amount of inherent Kan for each of the four elements (Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning), ranging from 0~3, giving the magic users a base amount of Kan to always have access to in that area. Then as you use normal attacks, they generate additional Kan of their element, which sorta just floats around in the battlefield, it will remain there until someone uses a skill of that element, expending it. This Kan does not stick with your casters as you move around an area.

So yeah. I'm enjoying the game quite a bit, and its certainly much, much much better than the first one.

[Fencedude]

Past the 28 hour mark now, and onto the second disc. This game is just tons of fun.

Right now I'm grinding, not for EXP, but for money. Because I want to buy Seekers. Seekers are a Kamond (weapon enhancement crystals, basically) that provide +30% Skill Points on level up, and they stack. Since SP are the one real limited resource, you want as much as possible to upgrade your skills. Unfortunately you can only buy them in one place, at one specific time, and they cost 40,000 SID. But they stack, and most weapons can hold ~2, (while the uber DLC weapons can hold...many more). I'm going to buy 5 or 6, and those, plus the one I have from a quest, and a belt of skill, should be enough, I hope.

But anyway, the battle system is lots of fun, and I'm running around right now with Zephie as the lead (to do soul extraction), Celestine and Rue. Rue's my awesome ninja-loli-thunder-mage. She's terrific.

[Fencedude]

47 hours in, though I spent a significant amount of time grinding up levels, for no real reason, but I enjoy the battle system.

Anyway, just entered the Sentinel Laboratories, in order to rescue the princess (what, you thought she'd make it through the game without getting kidnapped? Hah!). Between having seven Seekers (+30% Skill Points) and the Amulet of Skill (+50%), each level up nets people anywhere from 30 to 45 Skill Points, so I'm making good progress on their skills. Though I have to keep a close on on EXP levels and make sure to swap the kamonds around as needed.

The revelation about Juto was pretty much what I expected, but still fairly well done.

Thats pretty much what this game comes down to. Its not doing anything amazingly new, other than perhaps the battle system, to an extent, but it does it all very well. And I have no problem with cliches as long as they are executed competently.

[untoldsorrow]

47 hours in, though I spent a significant amount of time grinding up levels, for no real reason, but I enjoy the battle system.

Anyway, just entered the Sentinel Laboratories, in order to rescue the princess (what, you thought she'd make it through the game without getting kidnapped? Hah!). Between having seven Seekers (+30% Skill Points) and the Amulet of Skill (+50%), each level up nets people anywhere from 30 to 45 Skill Points, so I'm making good progress on their skills. Though I have to keep a close on on EXP levels and make sure to swap the kamonds around as needed.

The revelation about Juto was pretty much what I expected, but still fairly well done.

Thats pretty much what this game comes down to. Its not doing anything amazingly new, other than perhaps the battle system, to an extent, but it does it all very well. And I have no problem with cliches as long as they are executed competently.

I am about to start the game. I've had the game sealed for too long so I figured I would play it now. Any advice for the game as I start off?

[Fencedude]

I am about to start the game. I've had the game sealed for too long so I figured I would play it now. Any advice for the game as I start off?

Mmm...other than that if you want any chance at maxing out people's skill trees, you will need the DLC weapons (since they only have uncolored sockets) and a bunch of Seeker's. When you get a message about a certain person having a coming of age ceremony, make sure you have several hundred thousand SID, since her village during that event is the only time you can buy them.

This will make more sense later

[untoldsorrow]

I am about to start the game. I've had the game sealed for too long so I figured I would play it now. Any advice for the game as I start off?

Mmm...other than that if you want any chance at maxing out people's skill trees, you will need the DLC weapons (since they only have uncolored sockets) and a bunch of Seeker's. When you get a message about a certain person having a coming of age ceremony, make sure you have several hundred thousand SID, since her village during that event is the only time you can buy them.

This will make more sense later
So don't buy anything, gotcha! LOL. The DLC weapons, can they be used anytime they are d/led or there's a level requirement?

[Fencedude]

So don't buy anything, gotcha! LOL. The DLC weapons, can they be used anytime they are d/led or there's a level requirement?

The DLC weapons can be used more or less immediately, though using them normally will break the game's difficulty.

I only use them when I'm about to hit a levelup, to get the Skill Point bonus. Its not to hard to build up the cash when it gets close to the time to buy them, and you won't be there until around level 40 or so anyway. But you'll get one Seeker and a Pendant of Skill (+50%) fairly early, so you can swap those around to give a decent boost early on.

[untoldsorrow]

I only use them when I'm about to hit a levelup, to get the Skill Point bonus. Its not to hard to build up the cash when it gets close to the time to buy them, and you won't be there until around level 40 or so anyway. But you'll get one Seeker and a Pendant of Skill (+50%) fairly early, so you can swap those around to give a decent boost early on.

I've reach this point and only managed to buy 4 Seekers so I have 5 in total plus Pendant of Skill. I would have brought more if I hadn't spent a good fortune buying all the new weapons for the Weapons achievements. I just didn't feel like playing through a 2nd playthrough to get every weapon.

It is quite annoying having to spent your time watching the exp bar and then doing all the necessary stuff to equip the person with the seeker weapons.

So far the game is enjoyable. The females are super sexy, especially Melissa. The battle system could have been better but at least there's no slowdowns.

[Fencedude]

And done!

Final time was somewhere north of 75 hours, you can take the standard 10~15% off to account for times I had the game running but was doing something else.

Pretty good all in all. Not the ZOMG BEST RPG ever, but quite solid. The final battles weren't too hard, beat all the last bosses using Zephie/Rue/Celestine.

Didn't get the weapon achievements (no one told me you couldn't sell the weapons), and missed a quest or two somewhere, somehow. Also didn't manage to get the skills maxed out for Argo's Hammers, Juto's 1H swords or Crocell's fists, but all three girls got both their skill trees maxed. I could have done it, I just didn't feel like grinding the infinitely respawning enemies on La Strada to do it. Also didn't get 500 chain breaks.

I'm a little disappointed, I expected to have to go through an entire new game, with Zephie/Rue/Celestine using a costume changing mechanic in order to get the tease after the credits!

Did I mention Celestine was hot? Because she is. Very, very hot.

[untoldsorrow]

I'm a little disappointed, I expected to have to go through an entire new game, with Zephie/Rue/Celestine using a costume changing mechanic in order to get the tease after the credits!

Did I mention Celestine was hot? Because she is. Very, very hot.

Haha, I see you used a all female party. Celestine is hot but I also love Melissa.

I myself just got back from Belfort. The story could be better but its not bad. I also find the voice acting well done, with the voices matching all the characters.

[untoldsorrow]

Well, this sucks. I lost all but 6 of my achievements due playing the game offline. I just beat the game so its wonderful to see the achievement for beating the game but not anything else in between, story wise. I was playing the game offline for most of the game, when I went over to my friend's place and we happened to decide to play Gears of War 1 since we haven't played it yet. I decided to recover gamertag...big mistake...cost me all those achievements.

On a other note, I seemed to miss one quest, ended up with 99.1% so i guess I will replay the game to get all the stuff I lost.