| MagnaCarta II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Softmax |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Hyung-tae Kim (character) |
| Series | Magna Carta |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| 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 video 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]
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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]
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.
Long ago, the Great Carta War left the continent of Lanzheim a barren ruin. To save his land, the great hero Strauss sacrificed himself to the flying warship La Strada, spreading enough Kan—a powerful form of energy—to turn Lanzheim into a paradise.For 1100 years, the land was home to many races who 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, 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 stamp out 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 marched toward the capital. However, they did not know that Schuenzeit was waiting for them there, with an army of "living" mechanical weapons known as Sentinals at his command. What followed was absolute slaughter.
With no way to fight back against the Sentinals, the Southern Forces were forced to retreat 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. However, they were finally intercepted by the ruthless Northern Forces general: Elgar "The Regicide". Rue tried to defend the Princess, but was quickly defeated. Elgar raised his sword to deal the finishing blow to Rue...
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 |
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."
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