Shining Soul II

"A fun game that greatly improves on its predecessor.."

One day, many ages ago, I bought the first Shining Soul after briefly playing the Japanese version when it first came out. The first game was average in its presentation, but I found it to be fun and very addicting. I knew I wanted to buy the sequel when it came out..

****GRAPHICS****
The graphics in the game are quite good, reminding me a bit of Secret of Mana or Seiken Densetsu 3 in the presentation. The environments range from a forest to the inside of a volcano. The environments and character models are very good, although some of the bosses look rather plain.

****GAMEPLAY****
Shining Soul II takes the aspects from the original and improves upon them a lot more. The original 4 classes are back and there are 4 more classes added to the mix: Ninja, Priestess, Brawler and Dark Wizard. These classes add a lot more depth to the game. The general formula of the game has been kept the same. Go to a dungeon, defeat boss, go back to town to sell and all other things associated with the town. This game is equally as addicting as the first, but there is something else there that makes this a lot more fun than the previous one.

One thing that I enjoy that was added is the usage of SP during charge attacks. Though it's a bit annoying at first, it gives a little more sense of strategy to the game.

****STORY****
The story in this sequel is a lot better than in the first one, but it still isn't anything special. Basically, darkness is returning to the peaceful world and it is your job to find its source and stop it. There is a bit of a twist at the end, but again, it's nothing special.

****SOUND & MUSIC****
The music in this good can range from spectacular to the opposite end of the spectrum. The music of the very first dungeon is very good, but some of the music in the dungeons later is somewhat dull. The sound effects are nothing too astounding, but they aren't too bad to add that extra effect to the game.

****DIFFICULTY & REPLAYABILITY****
This game is a lot more difficult than the first one, although the bosses are very, very easy (save one or two). The regular enemies are a lot tougher in this game, and I have died more in this game near the end than in the entirety of the first game.

As far as replayability is concerned, the 8 different classes offer a lot of different gameplay to check them out a bit at least. Also, although I have no experience with it, I hear the multiplayer is excellent.

If you want a game that will keep you occupied for a good while, then Shining Soul II is definitely worth buying.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/26/04