A very good game in a three-part saga, I decided to write a little review about it. I want more people to play this marvelous RPG... since it seems that almost no one has done so. :/
This is the second installment of the trilogy, but you do not need to play the first to understand what's going on. All you truly need to know is that Yuri (the main character) fell in love with Alice, who died to save him in the bad ending of the first Shadow Hearts.
The game's relatively easy to get a hold of, but good luck finding the first one. :/
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Game Title: Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Console: PS2
Game Genre: RPG
Estimated Game Time: 40-50 hours... provided you don't get lost. :/
Producer: Midway
This game can be tentatively compared to Xenosaga; if you're interested in rather interesting storylines, can put up with rather frequent cutscenes, and want to have a few chuckles at the characters' expense, this is a pretty good game to pick up.
The game takes place in 1915, amidst WW1; a nice plus for any history buffs out there. ^_^
After being almost slain by the Mistletoe curse, which renders Yuri's powers virtually useless, he and several other must battle their way to try to find a cure to his curse, as well as fight the group that assailed them from the beginning. Having killed a god in the first game, Yuri has rightfully earned the name of Godslayer... but, with his powers stripped from him and his soul rotting away, perhaps that name will die with him as time goes on...
The game mixes in a multitude of different points of view, shedding light on each character's views, history, and motivation as the story goes on; from the mischevous Princess Anastasia of Russia to the estranged, rather unintelligent vampire wrestler Joachim, the characters are all unique in their own right. Because each of the characters have their own respective sidequests (all of which are relatively difficult to find, with the exception of Blanca's Wolf Bouts and Joachim's spars with his estranged, half-naked wrestling teacher. o.o''), it is difficult to obtain everything with the first playthrough.
The gameplay is rather simple, but never boring; using the Judgement Ring, you control how your character attacks. The needle goes around the ring, requiring the player to simply push a button to select where on the indicators it strikes-- often, character attacks require two or three presses in one ring. It's all about timing; with time, you learn your characters' unique ring styles, from Gepetto's one attack area to Yuri's potential five. Combos are easy to pull off and the enemy's attack patterns easy to spot, with the overhead indicator serving as a handy guide to when your opponents will strike.
The Judgement Ring can be customized with items, allowing you to strike more, make the strike ranges bigger, add status effects to your attacks, and so on... and, when you visit a store, the Judgement Ring also allows you to get discounts on merchandise. Any guys out there will be rather surprised (or disgusted) to find that the male tailor requres 'Stud Cards' in order to sew dresses that unlock Cornelia's powers... and even more so once they find out that said Stud Cards are pictures of half-naked men, used to get his 'creative juices' flowing. o.o''
Yup. Gay tailors for the win. XD
Crests, when equipped, act sort of like Materia; they teach a character magic, level up as you do, but also have another benefit; when placed in the Solomon's Key, the names of the sealed demons within the crests can gain more power than they had prior to their proper return. This adds yet another layer of gameplay, and spans over the entire game... yet another incentive to collect everything possible.
The humor aspect of the game is... well, amusing, surprisingly. ^_^ I'll let you play the game to figure out that aspect. Or, click the video below. It makes more sense if you've played the game, though. :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoAxNZ2ven8Of the cons of this game, the plot gets rather... stupid... once the game moves from Europe to Japan. >.<'' The character interactions still make the game worth it, though, even in those trying times.
Also, the maps are HUGE... and, if you're not lucky, you'll end up looking around in the same place for hours on end. In my first playthrough, I went through the mines in Paris, only to find myself lost in a repititious, subterranean hell for five hours. >.<'' On the second playthrough, I got through in ten minutes. ^^'' I hope you're lucky. That's all I've got to say on that matter.
The game will cost you $20, anywhere you go, whether you buy it new or used. ^_^ Try it, and have fun. :P
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Edit: One more thing. Most things involving Joachim will have an accompanying "WTF?" moment. ^^'' Just warning you. :P