Vandal Hearts II

"Lovely underrated game"

It was a great day when Konami produced this game. Of course, as any good game, it has flaws, but its positive aspects tower over any form of negativity.

I will now break down the categories that will hopefully give you better insight into the game.

- Graphics -

This game has solid graphics. Nothing fancy like the new Final Fantasies, but this game is older. The character sprites (the people you see on the screen) are really well done, as are the portraits (the face pictures that appear in the dialogue). Simple background don't distract your eyes from the beautifully-made scenery.

9/10

- Sound -

Okay, so this is one of the drawbacks. The songs are fitting in the game, but they're nothing really special. I would have expected a better soundtrack for such a great game, but it's still okay.

4/10

- Difficulty -

Sadly, another drawback. After you learn the battle system and get used to the dual-turn feature, the game really loses most difficulty. There are some tough battles, of course, but the majority is just average or plain easy.

6/10

- Story -

As someone who enjoys literature, from fantasy books to newspapers, I can honestly say that this game truly has one of the better stories in any RPG. You feel for the characters in their moments of hopelessness, joy, and even apathy. Really well-written with a pleasingly low number of typos and mis-translations.

Character development in this game is done really well. Events involving the main character in the beginning of the game mold his personality that you see later. Other characters are also noticeably affected by the world they live in, too.

10/10

- Systems -

Battle System:
In this game, you and one of your enemies perform their turns at the same time. For example, you choose one characters and select where to move them and select what they will do when they get there. At the same time, one computer-controlled opponent does the same. This system makes it easy to set up strategies in which you lure the enemy into a trap and surround them.

Technique (Skill) System:
Almost every technique has a technique set onto it. Once you equip the weapon and gain enough proficiency points, the technique on the weapon will become active right away. After the battle, you can switch the technique onto a better weapon of the same type (sword techniques stay on swords, ax techniques stay on axes, et cetera), or leave the learned technique on that weapon. Each weapon has a set number of techniques that can be stored on it, and that varies between each weapon. Some techniques (for example, a fire-based attack) cannot be put onto some weapons (you can't have the fire attack on an ice-type sword).

Level-Up System:
When you gain a level, you probably won't notice a direct change in your stats. Instead, the max amount of a certain stat increases with each level, but you have to equip the right kinds of equipment in order to see a difference. In short, unless you have some really advanced items equipped, going up ten levels at a time won't help you in battles.

- Gameplay -

This game is fun to play. With multiple endings and almost boundless possibilities for weapon and skill combinations, you'll want to play this game again after you beat it.

As you progress through the game, new weapons with new techniques on them become available, and when you see enemies using a weapon you don't have, you can't help but wonder when you will have access to the new sword, ax, or whatever the weapon may be.

10/10

- Comments -

Though this really is a great game, a few items could have made it better.

For example, a more defined class or job system would be beneficial, but since there are different types of armor and weapons, you can regulate a system for yourself.

Something else I dislike about this game is the gory spurts of blood that accompany an attack with a weapon in the cut-scenes. The game starts with a cut-scene, and ten seconds later, a few people have already been drained of their blood. I agree that in some games the violence is too subtle, but this has gone too far.

- Conclusion -

Despite its drawbacks, this really is a great game. You'll be able to feel like you're part of the story. Definitely worth buying, if you can find it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/09/02, Updated 04/09/02