Sometimes, each game in an RPG series can be taken as a single experience. You won't need to have played through the previous game to understand what is going on in the sequel. Take Final Fantasy for example: When I load up Final Fantasy 12 sometime next year, I won't be worrying about what is going on with Tidus and friends, I'll be playing a new game.
Some games, though, take the direct sequel approach. This is where a recent release from Atlus comes into play. Earlier in the year, Digital Devil Saga was released. It was one of the better RPGs to appear on the Playstation 2 since Final Fantasy X. The character designs were very different, monsters looked neat and the game actually presented a challenge with a neat battle system.
Well … where Digital Devil Saga ended, Digital Devil Saga 2 begins. After the fight for the Junkyard the first time around - a fight that the Embryons (the characters you controlled in the original) won - you now ascend to "Nirvana." Nirvana, though, isn't what the Embryons expected - a black sun, people turned to stone and forced underground, and other fun stuff that shouldn't happen in a Nirvana happens here.
The story this time around is even more enjoyable than the first. Your party's characters still feel real and continue to develop in a satisfying way. The continuation of the story from the first time around still drops some hints as to the events of the first game, but actually having played through the first game does have benefits storywise.
Also, playing through the first game has benefits to the gameplay. If you beat the first game, (and, unlike me, remembered to keep your save game on your memory card instead of trying to make space!) you'll get some boosts to your characters. Also, I've heard from some sources that, if you made the right dialog choices in parts of the first game, you'll get a chance to get a character in your party that you couldn't get the first time around. Note to self: never delete RPG game saves.
Picking up and playing the first game, I was impressed by the different character design. These weren't your traditional armor-wearing, sword wielding fantasy type characters - they were demons. And, while the same character designs carried over, they're still just as satisfying.
Monster designs are also fun - floating demonic horses, tiny pixies and some strange troll thing with a scimitar that rubs its head to cast magic are just a few of the many different monsters you'll face in just the first hour or two you play. The first boss you end up facing is absolutely huge, too.
Oh, I didn't mention yet - that boss is super hard. Beating him isn't going to be easy. You're not going to come into this fight, press X repeatedly and hope to win. You do that, and the boss is just going to laugh while destroying you in seconds. Oddly enough, this was one of my favorite parts of the game - spending the time to figure out the strategy down for taking down the boss, and then doing it, made me feel like I had accomplished something - not like taking down a boss in one of the many other RPGs out there that just feels like a roadbump.
For these super hard bosses, you'll need to develop your characters. DDS2 borrows some from FFX's sphere grid for this installment, and it works well. While it isn't identical to the grid, it is similar enough that those who played FFX will draw comparisons between the two games' character development methods. There are some changes made to the system here that make it different enough to not be a simple copy/paste job.
The graphics and animation are just as good as the rest of the game. The graphical style from the first game is brought over to DDS2 and it looks just as good this time around as it did the first. Each of your characters animates differently based on the type of attack they do - and if they do a critical hit, you'll see another, much cooler animation. The anime-type graphical style for this game fits well with the universe the game is set in.
2005 has been a good year for RPGs. The first DDS game released earlier in the year, DDS2 released, and many other RPGs have made this the year for the RPG fan. DDS2 comes out at or near the top oif the pack in this regard, and would easily be my pick for RPG of the year. The character designs and development, the connection with the first game in the series and the fun battle system make it a treat to play. And, while the battles will challenge you, they won't make you want to throw your controller at a wall - you'll enjoy the challenge of learning your enemy's weakness and exploiting it. I definitely recommend purchasing this game - you won't regret it.
Hi. My name is Brian. I am a video game addict.
Of course, I actually do things other than game. Currently, I’m a full time college student at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where I am majoring in Mass Communications with a Journalism focus.
I’ve served as Managing Editor on my school’s paper and also written various editorials. I pride myself on my academics and work hard towards earning good grades – a few years of hard work will be worth it in the long run.
I’ve been gaming ever since my parents bought me an NES in 1985 (I was born in 1981). My favorite game of all time is probably the original Legend of Zelda but my currently played favorite game is a tossup between Madden 2005 and MVP 2005.
While I play a lot of sports games (which happens when you live with two baseball players), I also enjoy RPGs and RTSes. The first I’m actually good at and the second I’m not. I am also known to play the occasional FPS but will rarely make it all the way through one.
I’m also not a competitive gamer. I definitely prefer games that include co-op modes along with the normal competitive modes. Some of my favorite games in that regard are Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for the Game Cube and Fianl Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
