Well That Was Nice - A Magna Carta 2 Review

After the veritable RPG factory that was the PS2 it is strange to be talking about such a game on the Xbox 360; but this is the future, and things ain't what they used to be. What sets a game like Magna Carta 2 apart from the current trend in RPG's - that is, the western RPG - is that it is undoubtedly old school in its formula. For all intents and purposes it is, dare I say it, a JRPG, despite its South Korean development house. This game employs the same tried and true formula we've seen over the years from titles such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Legend of Dragoon and many, many others. That said, if you have played a JRPG before then you will feel right at home with Magna Carta 2.

The story begins with the young and hapless Juto, who is coping with a textbook case of amnesia with the help of the sisterly Melissa on the scenic Highwind Island. After some perfunctory introductions to their characters, a tutorial on how the fighting system will work, and other hijinks between Juto and Melissa, a sudden invasion of this once peaceful island begins. Here we are introduced to the the two warring factions in the game - the Northern Forces and the Southern Forces. Without giving too much away in terms of plot, it would seem that the Northern Forces are creating powerful warriors called Sentinels which require something called a Kamond, a physical manifestation of the game world's version of magic, and have suspicions that Highwind Island houses such a thing. This is where the Southern Forces (the good guys) step in, with princess and soon-to-be close friend to our hero Juto, in tow. Before we know it Juto is swept up in an epic story of power, greed, love, and intrigue. I will admit that, although the plot is very familiar, it tells an interesting story and takes a couple unexpected turns that guaranteed I would stick around for the ending.

Combat can also be a high point in the game, though it is carrying its own bevy of flaws. The player's party consists of three members that can be switched on the fly with any of the three reserve members. Once a party of three is chosen, the player is then able to fight as any one of the members at the touch of a button; which can be fun as well as annoying. Take this scenario for instance: I hit the A button a number of times to pull off a combo move with Juto as his "Overdrive Meter" fills up. Once the meter is in the red I can then hit X to pull off a special move, and once this is done Juto cannot move for a number of seconds. So I now switch to Zephie and use her until her meter is in the red, meanwhile Juto's meter is seen going back to normal below Zephie's. If I can successfully pull off a combo and/or use a special attack, putting her into overdrive as Juto's meter refreshes, then her meter will refresh instantly and she is free to attack once again - this is what the game calls a "Chain Attack". Sound confusing? It can be, and I didn't fully grasp this concept until about twenty hours into the game. Perhaps I wasn't paying proper attention, but even after I understood what to do, actually pulling off these combos effectively was not always possible. There were times I would have all three characters in overdrive, walking around dumbly waiting to attack while getting smacked by various large implements of war. My teammates' pathfinding AI was also a big problem at times, as I would finish off a combo with one character, and switch to another to find them twenty yards away running into a rock. Not only was my party unnecessarily split up, but now my party member actually in battle is left to drool on himself while I guide everyone over to save his skin. Granted this doesn't happen a lot, and when things are working as they should combat is actually great fun, but there were more than a handful of occasions I found myself shaking my head in amazement.

There are also certain graphical flaws, which may just be inherent to its use of the Unreal engine. Texture pop-in is commonplace, but when everything is painted in properly things look very nice. There is also a nifty, dreamy blur in the distance, which likely also serves to boost the framerate in certain cases due to the large playing fields scattered between the many narrow trails. Thankfully, the world is fairly fun to explore, as treasure chests are a common find and the scenery varies from lush, green forests to barren, lava-scarred terrain. The music, however, left little impression on me and more often than not was forgotten behind the sounds of battle.

I have my gripes with Magna Carta 2, but in the end none of them detracted too much from my overall enjoyment. The story begins as a rehash of familiar conventions, but ends up being quite a gripping tale that brought forth unexpected feelings of ambivalence in me. The combat, when it works, is rewarding and addicting, drawing you back into the field for just one more level before calling it a day. And the attractive fantasy world of Lanzheim, while at times seemingly empty except for enemies, is a satisfying romp. I have been neglecting this thinning genre of RPG lately, and playing Magna Carta 2 was like trying on an old pair of "footie" pajamas and realizing they still fit comfortably. I can't say I desire another immediate playthrough of it, but I would definitely purchase another entry in the series. Here's to hoping that the next Magna Carta is a more-polished gem of JRPG goodness.