MagnaCarta II

MagnaCarta II
Developer(s)	Softmax
Publisher(s)	JP Banpresto NA Namco Bandai Games EU Atari
Designer(s)	Hyung-tae Kim (character)
Series	Magna Carta
Engine	Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s)	Xbox 360
Release date(s)	JP August 6, 2009[1] NA October 13, 2009[2] EU October 16, 2009[3]
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	CERO: B ESRB: T
Media/distribution	DVD-ROM

MagnaCarta II (마그나카르타 2 Mageunakareuta 2, マグナカルタ2 Magunakaruta 2) is a video game developed by South Korean developer Softmax and published by Banpresto exclusively for Xbox 360. It is a follow-up to the role-playing games Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche released on Windows and Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata released on the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan on August 6, 2009 and in North America on October 13, 2009. This marks the series' first entry onto a seventh generation console. The game was officially unveiled in the April 2009 edition of Famitsu magazine.^[4]

Gameplay

The game's battle system mixes strategic turn-based and real-time elements. There is a free-roaming camera throughout the game. When an encounter with an enemy occurs during field movement or an event, the player has the option of switching from Movement Mode, during which the controlled character can move freely, to Combat Mode, during which the character draws his or her weapon. This gives the player an opportunity to attack. There is no loading screen when entering a fight; all battles take place in the field. During a battle, players can switch control of party members and customize AI for the computer-controlled characters. The player controls up to three "active" party members, with three more "inactive" members waiting in the wings. The player can switch out inactive members during battle.

In the game, players earn Kamonds by defeating monsters that can be used to power-up weapons (by using the Kamond Board that comes with all weapons) and create new items. Kamonds are vessels for condensing and containing Kan, the formless power that exists in the world. Kamonds filled with Kan are used to improve weapons, strengthen characters, and craft new accessories. Kamonds are usually obtained by defeating monsters or Sentinels, but can also be found in treasure chests or as rewards for finishing quests. At Kamond Shops, players can craft to turn Kamonds into new accessories. Recipes and money are needed to craft with Kamonds. Recipes are earned as rewards for completing certain quests.

The game is said to deliver 40 hours of gameplay.^[5]

Synopsis

MagnaCarta II follows a story set in war-torn Lanzheim, involving a male character named Juto, who cannot remember his past. The game contains character designs by Korean artist Hyung-Tae Kim, who has done the same for the previous installments, and will include fully voiced CGI cut-scenes to deliver parts of its narrative.

Prologue

Long ago, the Great Carta War left the continent of Lanzheim a barren ruin. Over the course of 1100 years, the land was restored to its former glory. Its many races lived in peace and harmony. But the shadows of war are now closing in once again.

January 1449 on the Lanzheim Calendar. Queen Ibrin of Lanzheim was assassinated by her Prime Minister, Schuenzeit. He imprisoned the queen's only daughter, Princess Rzephillda, then usurped the royal throne. One by one, he had all who opposed him put to death. During this, Rzephillda, with help from her friend bodyguard Rue, somehow managed to escape. They fled south to the city of Abazet, and joined forces with its ruler, Count Alex. They formed the Southern Forces Army under the banner of "liberation", and rose up against Schuenzeit's Northern Forces Army, composed of soldiers of the Lanzheim Army.

Schuenzeit soon launched an exhaustive campaign to eliminate the Southern Forces, resulting in the start of the Lanzheim Civil War. At first, the South—fighting to see the restoration of the throne—fought fiercely, and forced the Northern Forces Army back to their capital at Belfort. In triumph, the Southern Forces Army set forth toward the capital. However, they did not know that Schuenzeit was waiting for them there, with an army of "living" weapons known as Sentinals at his command. What followed was absolute slaughter.

With no way to fight back against the Sentinals, the Southern Forces wer eforced to retreat back to Abazet. Princess Rzephillda, or Zephie to her comrades, founded the elite Counter-Sentinel Unit and took to the battlefield herself. However, this brought little change to the odds; in desperation, Zephie sent Rue to Belfort to discover how Sentinals are made. Rue found what she was looking for, but was discovered by the Northern Forces in the process. Zephie set out to Belfort to save Rue.

Upon reunion, Zephie and Rue made their way back to Abazet, evading the enemies' persistent attempts to track them. But at last, they found standing in their path the ruthless Northern Forces general: Elgar "The Regicide". Rue drew her weapons to defend the Princess, but the difference in power was obvious. Elgar raised his sword to deal the finishing blow to Rue...

Plot

Characters

Juto (Male | Swordsman | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member)

The young protagonist of the game. Juto is an amnesiac. With no knowledge of his past, he settled down into a normal life on Highwind Island, until his life was turned upside-down by the war. Melissa, who gave him the name Juto, has been like a big sister to him ever since he came to Highwind Island. Juto is very outgoing and can be very childish at times, particularly when it comes to taking orders from others.
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

Zephie (Female | Wind Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Leader)

The game's heroine, Rzephillda Grena Berlinette (or Zephie to her friends) is the rightful heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lanzheim, which was stolen by the usurper Schuenzeit. She now leads the Counter-Sentinel Unit, a special unit of the Southern Forces Army, in hope of one day retrieving her throne and restoring peace to the empire. The hardships she has experienced, such as her mother's assassination and her subsequent imprisonment, have lent her an unusually cool and unshakable demeanor for a girl her age. The reason she represses her true emotions is for the sake of the many complicated roles she plays.
Voiced by: Aya Hirano (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

Rue (Female | Lightning Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member)

Her full name is Siara Rue Tessia, but after she became Zephie's bodyguard she started calling herself "Rue". She is older and more mature than her childish appearance would suggest - the exact opposite of Celestine. Having trained from a young age to be Zephie's bodyguard, she has learned to repress her emotions and to always act in a level-headed manner. Clever, cunning, and fearless, her training has given her a black and white view of the world. As a result, she dislikes breaking rules and promises, and has a hard time seeing things from another person's perspective. She is currently trying to improve this aspect of herself.
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Crocell Reeden (Male | Fire Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member)

A young fire wizard in the Counter-Sentinel Unit, Crocell may look like a cute little boy, but he has a rude way of speaking, and he's not afraid to speak out about anything he doesn't like. He has a hard time getting close to people or being honest with himself, but he's very good at pushing other people's buttons—a trait that often leads him into conflict with the short-tempered Juto. He lost his family and aristocracy in the war, and hates the Northern Forces Army because of it.
Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama (Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal (English)

Argo Kindu (Male | Warrior | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member)

A warrior of the long-lived Trewa race, Argo has a massive body as hard as a rock. Level-headed, patient, and responsible, he often plays the role of mediator during arguments. A very responsible person, he's usually slow to anger—though if he does lose his temper, he becomes like an unstoppable inferno. He possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Lanzheim, and seems far wiser and more knowledgeable than other Trewa of the same age.
Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu (Japanese), Jamieson Price (English)

Celestine Roaa (Female | Ice Wizard | Archer)

A lively, high-spirited Mare girl. The Mare people look just like humans, but their lifespan is a little under 40 years. They reach physical maturity at the age of 10, and remain young-looking until they die. Psychologically speaking, though, they mature at the same rate as humans do, so even though Celestine's has the body of an adult, her mind is still that of a 12-year-old girl. As such, she always speaks her mind, and expresses her true feelings without hesitation—with Celestine, what you see is what you get.
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Schuenzeit Baren (Male | Supreme Commander of the Northern Forces Army)

The main antagonist of the game. Formerly the Prime Minister of Lanzheim, he assassinated Queen Ibrin and usurped her throne three years prior to the game's main events. Grave and solemn, his very presence demands deference from those around him. Even when he seems to be acting at ease, his peculiar charisma makes it impossible for others to drop their guard. Cool-headed and crafty, there is no limit to the cruelty he is capable of if it helps him achieve his goals. He is said to be a peerless swordsman, but no one has ever seen him in action.
Voiced by: Jōji Nakata (Japanese), Steve Blum (English)

Magna Carta 2 Bonus Pack

This expansion adds three bonus cutscenes (viewable through the Main Menu, under "Extras"). It also gives the player 12 powerful weapons, two for each of the main characters, upon loading his or her save profile. The weapons and base stats are as follows:

Weapon	Argo	Celestine	Crocell	Juto	Rue	Zephie
First Weapon	1,000t Hammer Atk:260 Rst:40	Sweet Banana Sprt:220 STA Rec:45	Hot Blood Rocket Sprt:260	Fluorescent Sword Atk:250 Def:55	Emperor of Lightning Atk:270	Berry Sweets Sprt:210 STA:50
Second Weapon	Red Moon Hatchet Atk:290	Rabbit Bow Sprt:260	Boxer's Soul Atk:270	Midnight Sun Sword Atk:270	Ruby Bloom Sprt:260	Sweet Candy Sprt:270

Reception

The game received generally middling reviews from critics, earning an aggregate Metacritic score of 68. IGN criticized the battle system stating, "this feels almost archaic and could have been run on a PS1, enemy AI is almost non-existent and character abilities are generic." Robert Townslend of Game Informer said, "While the story starts off having the potential to be great, it quickly degrades into the same old story of a young man with no memories saving a kingdom. This has only been done thousands of times in other games." Annette Gonzalez of Game Informer was more positive citing that "Battles are intuitive and addicting, although awkward camera angles can sometimes hinder combat", and praising the voice cast, saying the fully voiced dialogue is a "vast improvement over Tears of Blood."

References

1. ^ "Magna Carta 2, major RPG by Korean makers, trailer revealed" (in Japanese). 2009-04-21. http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1223622_1124.html. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
2. ^ Spencer (July 24, 2009). "Magnacarta 2 Liberated This October". Siliconera.com. http://www.siliconera.com/2009/07/24/magnacarta-2-liberated-this-october/. Retrieved 2009-07-24. 
3. ^ "Magna Carta 2 (Xbox 360)". http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magna-Carta-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002FL4R5G. 
4. ^ "Magna Carta II revealed in latest Famitsu". Scrawlfx. http://scrawlfx.com/2009/04/magna-carta-ii-revealed-in-latest-famitsu. Retrieved 2009-04-18. 
5. ^ "Magnacarta 2 Goes Gold: New Screenshots". http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/21096/Magnacarta-2-Goes-Gold-New-Screenshots/. 

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Official website (North America)
• Official website (Europe)