Legaia 2: Duel Saga - PS2

Also known as: Legaia II: Duel Saga

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Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Adventure: Role Playing
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Prokion Soft. Co.: SCEI
Publishers: Eidos (GB)
Released: 11 Oct 2002 (GB)
Ratings: 11+
Accessories: Memory Card
Features: Vibration Function Compatible

Summary

Sony's Legend of Legaia, released in all its role-playing glory in 2000, was one of the company's better attempts to rival the legend that is Final Fantasy. Two years on, and under the auspices of Eidos , its sequel, Legaia 2: Duel Saga has been unleashed for an eager community of elf, wizard and troll wannabes.

Once again there's a small village under attack by a mysterious force of evil, and once again you play the unwitting hero, Lang, charged with the task of bringing peace to a land shrouded in evil light. It's unoriginal for an RPG, but compelling nonetheless.

Legaia 2 has a fairly slow beginning and eases gamers into a new fighting style that ultimately rewards players through agility and timing rather than the ability to scroll through myriad menus and inventories. Called the Tactical Arts System, or TAS, players are able to direct specific attacks at the enemy more quickly and, hopefully, more accurately. Unfortunately, the same is true of the villains in the game, but combat is carefully balanced, and victories will be down to your own level of skill. Failing that, you can always bring a dose of elemental or curative magic into play. That should sort your enemies out good and proper.

As you progress through the seemingly endless game world, you will undoubtedly stumble across a variety of items and tools that can be used to forge stronger, more powerful weapons.

Gameplay is extended further by a plethora of side-missions and mini-games that include throwing darts, slot machines and roulette. More often than not, you will be rewarded with items that will prove extremely valuable to the greater quest.

Legaia 2 as whole, like its underrated predecessor, is a finely balanced blend of action and storytelling that would shame most other games in the Japan-centric genre. Excellent.