Shining Soul II
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| Shining Soul II | |
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| Developer(s) | Sega, Grasshopper Manufacture |
| Publisher(s) | JP Sega NA Atlus EU THQ |
| Series | Shining |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release date | JP July 24th 2003 NA 2004 EU 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single Player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E OFLC: G8+ |
| Media | 128-megabit cartridge |
Shining Soul II is an action role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It was developed by Sega and published by Sega in 2003 (Japan), Atlus (2004, America) and THQ (2004, Europe), as the sequel to Shining Soul and part of the Shining series. It features eight playable characters and several dungeons to explore. The game supports multiplayer via link cable as well as single player.
Shining Soul II is a dungeon crawling hack and slash, and plays similarly to other notable titles Diablo, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.
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[edit] Gameplay
The game features eight character classes which can be improved up to level 200. Each is customisable with a variety of weapons, spells, support abilities, and attributes. Different classes who can use the same weapons attack differently with them. For example, the Warrior's spear attack is a thrust, while the Archer throws his spear over a distance. Each usable spell in the game has its own spellbook, and only classes with that spell on their skills list can use the spellbook to cast the spell.
- Warrior - A well balanced melee class. Default name: Eric (Alex in Japanese)
- Archer - Attacks from afar using bows and spears, and summons forest creatures. Default name: Rwinn (Luin in Japanese)
- Sorceress - Uses a variety of offensive elemental spells from a distance. Default name: Premiera (Pamela in Japanese)
- Dragonute - The slowest but toughest melee class. Default name: Tyroth (Tiros in Japanese)
- Priestess - Specializes in healing and support spells. Default name: Prim
- Dark Wizard - Uses Dark elemental spells. Default name: Armand (Bloodstar in Japanese)
- Brawler - The most powerful and quick offensive melee class, but suffers from low defense. Default name: Zachs (Sachs in Japanese)
- Ninja - A swift medium-ranged class using a mix of spells and physical attacks. Default name: Raizen
- ??? - A Dark Wizard similar to Armand; secret character who becomes available after beating the game once. Has no default name
Each character is able to equip up to three weapons and three items for use, and switch between them at any time. You can get 3 extra slots for either by equipping the Backpack or Knapsack. Attacks are performed by tapping the attack button, or holding to charge a more powerful attack. Beyond regular equipment, a "Soul" item can also be equipped; it is charged by defeating enemies, and unleashed to inflict massive damage on nearby enemies. They come in various elemental types and levels of effectiveness. They are graded on the roman numerals I,II,III,IV and V. V being the strongest and taking the longest to charge up.
Characters also have resistances to a number of elements: Fire, Ice, Thunder, Light, Dark and Poison. These can be raised by equipment, but also through endurance: by taking damage of a particular elemental kind, they can increase their resistance to it, but being killed by an attack of that type will decrease the resistance level by a point.
[edit] Story
Long ago, the warriors of Light defeated Darkness, but in time, the story became just an old legend. For many years, the world was at peace, but eventually disaster drew near. Thick, mysterious clouds formed overhead, blocking out the sun, but not releasing a drop of rain.
The people were tormented by drought for years. Then, monsters began to appear, and people's hearts filled with despair. King Marcel, the ruler of Klantol, feared for his people's welfare. And so, he announced a grand tournament at the colosseum to find a mighty hero that could protect the country and vanquish the wandering monsters.
"…heroes who have inherited the Power of Light, save this world from being engulfed in Darkness!"
[edit] Multiplayer mode
Multiplayer in this game is very similar to Diablo's. You run around the dungeon and attack all the monsters in sight, you can drop items for your friend or even throw them to your friend (some of these mechanics are used in single player mode). You can only move on when everyone has passed the exit point of that floor, and if someone dies, the other players can continue, or wait if they prefer. Opening the inventory window doesn't pause the game (in singleplayer or multiplayer) so one person can reorganize their inventory without fuss. Some classes are more useful in multiplayer, such as the priestess or archer.
[edit] Notes
There are several Easter eggs found in this game. Traditional Shining mascot Yogurt is hidden in one of the stages. There are a number of dungeons from the original Shining Soul hidden in the game. It is possible to find various classic Sega artifacts as well, including past consoles, which can be used as items for communication. The American version also has a number of special character names that can be used to start characters with various bonuses, including increased stats and resistances. Finally, the Master Sword is an unlockable item in the game, and can be used in battle.
[edit] External links
- Shining Soul II at MobyGames
- GameFAQ's Shining Soul 2 page - Release data, FAQ's, reviews and message board
- RPGClassic's Walkthrough
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