Lost Kingdoms II
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| Lost Kingdoms II (America and Europe) Rune II (Japan) |
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| Developer(s) | From Software |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo GameCube |
| Release date |  May 23, 2003 May 21, 2003 June 6, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) ELSPA: 3+ CERO: All Ages |
| Media | 1 × GameCube Optical Disc |
Lost Kingdoms II is a video game developed by From Software and published by Activision in North America and Europe. It is the sequel to Lost Kingdoms. The Japanese version of this game is simply known as Rune II. Like its predecessor, the game is a card-based action RPG where battles are fought in real-time.
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[edit] Story
Generations after the events of Lost Kingdoms, Katia of Argwyll (the main character of the first game) is now remembered as a legendary queen. The heroine of this story is Tara Grimface, a reserved member of a guild of thieves, who is trying to find her way through a dangerous world. While she is an outcast even among her allies, they respect and fear her because she possesses a True Runestone that allows Tara to use powerful magic cards in battle.
[edit] Gameplay Elements
Like several recent RPGs, the first Lost Kingdoms experimented with using collectible card game mechanics in a traditional console RPG context. Its approach was unique in that the card-based combat system is real time, bringing something entirely new to CCG-based games.
Lost Kingdoms II changed the format of the single-player mode considerably, including removing random battles in favor of engaging enemy creatures during normal exploration as well as being able to revisit levels after they been completed initially. Along with a stronger focus on environment, exploration and interaction makes the second game closer to the "adventure" genre than its predecessor which was closer to an RPG.
[edit] Cards
Predictably, the new installment sees a number of new cards, though most of the original cards from the first game are retained. Many of the originals have their effects reworked in various ways. Notable changes in the card effects include giving each summon card two effects that the player may choose from upon use, and a new type of card that transforms the player into a creature.
A notable interface addition is the ability to pay double the cost for any card in exchange for enhanced effect. Also, certain card combinations can be combined to a single, generally highly potent effect.
A new element was also introduced into the game along with the original elements of fire, water, wood, earth and neutral. The new element, mechanical, is much like neutral as it has no weakness and strengths to other elements. The only difference between the two is that mechanical and neutral have separate "power" levels, which the player can increase by using cards of the same element repeatedly, but lowering all other elements slightly and the opposite element even further. The main villain of the game is a user of the mechanical element.
