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You, Me, and the Frozen Tuna

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 78 / 82
Date: October 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Until the release of Shadow Hearts II - Covenant, 2004 has been a very dry year for fantasy gamers. Not that there have ever been a really good year for the genre, Fantasy RPG games. Good fantasy of the class of the Final Fantasy series is difficult and costly to produce, and somply doesn't have the market share that other types of games command. Which is why Covenant is such a surprise.

The original Shadow Hearts was a strong, gothic game featuring Yuri and Alice as their adventures sprawled across Asia and Europe. A solid plot, interesting battle system and good art and animation made the game into a closet success. It wasn't as great as the FFX 10's and lacked the addictive play of the .hack series. But it was a game well worth playing.

Covenant, which picks up the story of Yuri after the death of Alice is an order of magnitude better. The plot, which fills two disks is full of intricate twists and turns as Yuri and a pretty German lieutenant (Karin) start a journey to find a new evil that is leading early 20th century Europe into war. These to gradually accumulate a glittering cast that includes Geppetto, his doll Cornelia, Joachim the vampire wrestler, a Russian princess, a white wolf and even more. The go from France to England and Russia and then back to Japan as well. In this huge geography the cast unearths layer after layer of evil. Each time the apparent cause is defeated another is found to be pulling the strings.

All of the characters come to life thanks to an excellent script and use of cut scene. Each gets to star, but Joachim steals the show with a genuinely funny performance. Pompous, perpetually showing of his muscles and still genuinely likeable, he has a knack for using things like frozen tuna and skyscrapers as weapons. And each time he discovers one we get a new comical cut scenes. But all of the characters have surprising wit and warmth, and each has their own panoply of accessories, special skills, and weapons. Most of the subplots of the game involve character improvement.

Art and animation are in keeping with the level of the plot. Hours of cut scenes, many remarkable settings, and a huge cast of villains and monsters keep your eyes on the scene, often desperately looking for the next magical item needed to advance the plot and clues to the next puzzle.

The fighting system uses a wheel with sensitive areas. You have to strike the areas to initiate an attack. It quickly becomes intuitive, and the player can tune the wheel to enable various feats and displays of skill. Expect your right thumb to get a serious workout.

This game comes in a very close second to the best of Final Fantasy. Certainly, if you like the one, you will like the other as well. I managed to get completely distracted by Covenant for something like 90 hours. You can finish in less, but the subplots are an important part of the game - winning is less important to me than taking the grand tour. If you've been waiting for something worth spending money on, this is it. Be warned, the dialog is a bit bawdy - definitely teen and up.

On replay -

I was surprised how well the game held up the second time through. this time I played through Shadow Hearts 1 and the through Covenant. Be warned, while the Japanese version does know that a completed first game was on the card, the US version doesn't seem to. In neither case does Covenant recognise that a player actually managed to get to the 'good' ending of SH1. Neither of these are biggies, though. On this time through I was in better control of the complex play system and managed to run a fairly logical game without a lot of backtracking.

Again I was struck by the high level of story telling, and by the amount of innuendo (and worse). This is a game that really is appealing to someone looking for a richer experience than other RPG's offer.

Must Play

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: October 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you've played the Original Shadow Hearts and thought it was good well here is your chance to take that game a step farther into the future. Convenant Focuses on about year since the end of the original and Alices' death. World War 1 has started and no big suprise there is some evil warlock working behidn the scenes with his own plans for world conquest. Covenant takes the best of the original and combines it with the new features such as the combo attacks and combo magic techniques. You even get all new fusion forms (wth the exception of Amon and Seraphic radiance are still available) but you ahve to earn these forms for Yuri is cursed by a holy misstloe and his soul is fading fast. Race against the hands of fate and time to save all of mankind from a horiffic end and fight the curse afflicting yuri. It doesn't stand up to Final Fantasy X but its the next best thing and I rank it at 5 stars and must play!

ENJOY!

How direct sequels should be done

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 42 / 43
Date: November 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Last year, we were treated to the first direct sequel to a major RPG, Final Fantasy X-2. The game picked up not long after the original ended, with Yuna searching for a way to be reunited with her departed love while uncovering a new and diabolical enemy. It's no surprise that Azure, in their direct sequel to the sleeper Shadow Hearts, took the same cue in this parody-ridden adventure of an RPG.

Covenant picks up 6 months after the events in Shadow Hearts, in 1915, where Yuri has found a somewhat peaceful life in the village of Domremy. Unsuccessful in their attempts to capture this quaint and seemingly peaceful village, the German army sends an elite lieutenant, Karin Koenig, and a cardinal from the Vatican to take care of the village, which is rumored to be protected by a demon. Quickly the plot weaves an intricate web and Karin and Yuri both find themselves at the mercy of a secret society looking to dominate all of Europe, and must work together to foil the plot. However, one would be very wrong to expect a straight-laced, standard experience. While similar to its predecessor, Azure and Nautilus build onto the atmosphere of Shadow Hearts with darker themes, more mature humor, and deeper characters than ever before. In fact, most of the characters return from Shadow Hearts and are presented in a completely different light. Azure takes full advantage of their opportunity to develop the characters of Shadow Hearts in a way that they couldn't within the 30 or so hours of the original. This game is a reflection of what Azure might have been able to do in the first place given better resources. It's also worth noting that this is probably the only RPG out there that acknowledges the existence of players over 18. While Final Fantasy is riddled with teen-angst plots clearly aimed at young male and female audiences, you won't see that here. Instead, you're given a mature, highly detailed story about love and loss, life and death, war and peace, all presented in a way that is not insulting to one's intelligence. Of course, teens will still enjoy this game as much as any adult, but it's nice not to feel like we've gotten too old to be playing this sort of game. It's also worth noting that this game does acknowledge both of Shadow Hearts' endings. I won't go into details as to how it does, though. If you only saw the good ending of Shadow Hearts, however, you'll want to see the 'bad' one before playing Covenant. Covenant also has two endings.

Of course, the plot is this game's only weak point. Not only is the basic plot stretched (something that is an apparent constant in sequels), with several climactic boss battles which only end in a new supervillain being crowned, it takes a lot of creative license with actual historical events (nothing Disney fans will have a problem with) as well as its own canon. It also relies strongly on an understanding of the characters of Shadow Hearts, which was a much more difficult game to play. Still, the plot in this game is one of the most beautiful ever written in its genre, with a very adult understanding of the world and a very adult sense of humor. Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a game that can be very serious without taking itself very seriously, which is quite rare in a comedy drama hybrid.

The gameplay has improved dramatically from its predecessor. Combat is, of course, still executed in the same general way it was in Shadow Hearts -- a condition turn-based (CTB) system. While the Judgment Ring remains (a system which required the player to press a button as an indicator passed through a colored section of a ring), those frustrated with Shadow Hearts' will find relief here. Ring customization is a new feature in the game, which allows you to change the number of hit areas, the size of hit areas, or eliminate the ring altogether and play as any other RPG. Using this system, characters can hit up to five times per turn and cause devastating damage. Also added to the combat system is a combo system, which links several characters together and executes their turns together, allowing for additional damage with each successful hit. The only limit is the player's ability to hit those areas on the ring. The lottery also makes its return, but beyond that and shops, one is almost never required to use the Judgment Ring outside of battle. And even then, it isn't really required, just a neat addition for those able to master the system. This game is completely playable to even the initiate RPG gamer, though it maintains a unique challenge for veterans. Exploration is sometimes difficult, the levels large and labyrinthine, and often requiring the completion of different puzzles to proceed. Once you've been through an area once, the intimidating size becomes less of an issue and each area is easily navigable for the completist trying to get every item in the game. Backtracking is rarely necessary for anyone else, however. Also of note is the fact that the battles are random, which shouldn't bother most who are used to the Final Fantasy formula, but may get on the nerves of those who prefer the Chrono and Grandia series, where you can see your enemies and avoid them if you want.

The game's graphics are a complete overhaul from Shadow Hearts, which is very welcome considering SH's often poor, inanimate appearance. The cinematics are largely comparable to what Square has been doing since FFX, as are the in-game graphics. The excessive blood of SH has been all but removed, which not only adds to the realism of this game, but was enough to lower its rating to that of Teen. Fans of the first shouldn't be disheartened by the game's rating. Everything that made Shadow Hearts such an amazing experience returns here, and is much improved.

All in all, I'd have to recommend this game to anyone who likes RPGs, though I believe a complete appreciation of the game requires you to play Shadow Hearts beforehand. Then again, Shadow Hearts is a sequel to Koudelka, a game I hadn't played, and that fact didn't hinder my appreciation of it. If you don't mind having the plot of the first spoiled, or don't plan on playing the first at all, don't hesitate to buy this game.

Best RPG of the Year!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is ione great game. You don't necessarily have to play the first one to enjoy the second one. I've played the first Shadow Hearts, and this is by far the best sequel for any game that I have ever played! The storyline, graphics, music, game play all rival or surpass that of any Final Fantasy series. The game is also coded in Dolby ProLogic II so if you have a nice home theatre system like I do, you'll be amazed at the movies... it's such a high quality production in terms of both visual and auditorial experience. Do yourself a favor this holiday and buy this game and enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

Surprisingly entertaining

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After having been disappointed by Final Fantasy X-2, I did not expect the sequel to Shadow Hearts to surpass the original. As entertaining as the original was, SH:C might be one of the best RPG I have played, competiting only with Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII for the top position. Like most RPG fans, the most important aspect of an RPG game for me is the story and the character development. If the characters are trite or the story boring, no amount of interesting gameplay can redeem it. In this case, not only was the gameplay excellent and innovative, but the character development was surprisingly deep and the story engaging, humorous, and dramatic. The music was perfect for the various scenes, and the sidequests, while unnecessary to complete the game, were extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend this game to mature fans of RPGs.

Never played the first one

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: January 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I never played the first Shadow Hearts, and I can tell you that I was completely impressed with Covenant. I love the innovative battle system, and the in-game variety.

The story is entirely refreshing. I find it compelling that the plot centers around secret societies, not unlike the Illuminati of the real world-- well, except of course, for the wild ability to unleash evil over the entire planet (using the power of souls, gods, magical power and other junk like that). The cast of characters is well done. The voice acting is exceptional. Yuri is very believable, but I get extremely annoyed every time I hear Lucia talk. Also, the little innuendos, and bits of humor are very well placed within the story line. It's semi-adult humor and I got quite a few kicks from it.

I'm a fairly avid Final Fantasy fan, and I'd say this game is highly competitive in the fantasy genre. In fact, I've been playing FF online, and this console game sort of ripped me away from the cyber world of Vana'diel.

I'd recommend this game to any RPG fan, regardless of whether they've played the first one or not.

The light at the end of the tunnel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As another dry year for RPGs closed, especially with the lack of good material for Square Enix, one game stands out as a shining beacon: Shadow Hearts II: Covenant. I had never even heard of the series until the day I bought the game, but I was incredibly glad I did. Not only was each of the characters interesting in their own way, but the overall plot of the game was facinating. It was a lot of fun playing in real areas of the world against historical figures such as Rasputin. The battle system was brilliant, much better than those being created today for games like Xenosaga II. To top that off, most of the minigames were quite fun and the rewards were well worth it. This game is of medium length (30 - 40 hrs.) You will really get involved in the story and just have a great time. Unlike most RPGs, this game doesn't get old, and has great replay value. Enjoy!

Grown Up RPG.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I loved Shadow Hearts, and was very excited when the sequel was announced. Finally I have played it, and I have to say I'm impressed. First of all, the graphics have been vastly improved, ditching the static backgrounds in favour of fully realised 3-D locations (albeit with fixed viewpoints, like Final Fantasy X), and improving on the character models too. In fact, the improvements put the first game to shame, and make it look positively primitive. Everything else has been retained, and in most cases, tweaked for the better. In many ways, Covenant follows the well-established RPG pattern, with a drawn out story involving much duplicity and world travel, many side-missions and secret locations (which, like in the first game, you may only stumble across by chance if you address the right character at the right time), a series of stand alone challenges or "pit-fights" for the completists, and so on. Where Covenant distances itself from the crowd is with the adult nature of a lot of the material, and the continuation of some rather twisted themes carried over from the first game. Re-appearing here are the "graveyard" that exists in the hero's unconscious mind, his ability to morph into various monsters, along with some very fruity dialogue, plus a really sarcastic approach to the usually ponderous aspects of some RPG's that actually made me laugh out loud once or twice (example - meeting the "Ring Soul"...you'll see what I mean). There are even quizzes and memory games on offer throught this adventure just to keep the variety up. And, once again, the musical soundtrack is very impressive, and this time there is a lot of well acted voice-over dialogue, which was sorely missing from the first game.

Plus of course, there's the game's unique slant on battles, involving the Judgement Ring. Newcomers need to know that battle success depends on lightening reflex button pressing everytime this little beauty appears on the screen, and even though the general battle action is turn based, if you don't press in time with onscreen prompts for each turn, you won't get much out of the game. What's more, the game now introduces a new concept of combos, by which means you can choose the order of turns for your characters and have them carry out a chained attack, at the risk of leaving themselves more vunerable to enemy attacks (launching a combo requires that the characters all stand next to each other, which means the enemy can do a ranged area attack that hits everybody at once). The success of a combo requires even more lightning fast button jabbing than normal attacks, and if you mess up, you lose the linking and the turn usually passes straight to the enemy. But the effects can be well worth it, as a successful combo adds accumulated damage for each hit landed, plus a 4-person combo gives you the choice of a super-strong bonus attack as the last move. Suffice to say that in boss battles, you will definitely be combo-ing, and it can be really satisfying to see the massive damage you dish out for pulling off a perfect run.

It's actually far easier to play in practise than it might appear described in writing, so don't get put off if all the above sounds a bit involved. As in the majority of RPGs, there are multiple playable characters, and they all have personal skills and strengths that you can have fun with during battles. As an aside, make sure you fully explore the in-game "Help" section, as it is an exhaustive guide to every option, function and upgrade available (of which there are many). The central cast of eight characters is very colourful to say the least, for example one of them is the Russian princess Anastasia Romanov!! This continues the Shadow Hearts tradition of taking real historical events and twisting them to fit it's own fanciful storyline (you'll also meet the famous Rasputin, but his contribution to the plot goes quite far beyond what appears in most history books!).

As for any drawbacks I would probably have to mention that nearly every dungeon is a labyrinth which can cause unnecessary frustration after the fourth of fifth lap trying to find the way out each time. Plus again, the game is not really that difficult. If you do all or most of the side missions you will be almost invincible once you reach the final boss. However, the side missions are nicely themed so that each member of the party gets to take a "starring role" for once, which means that you will have played as all the characters at some point instead of just sticking to your favourites. And there aren't mulitiple endings this time, well, technically there are two, but you won't have any trouble recognising the point when you make the all important choice. Thats a plus in my book, as I hate being penalised with a bad game ending for missing something even though I worked hard!

Newcomers to the series will have to wrestle with the minor trouble of several references to the first game, as Shadow Hearts Covenant is rare among RPG's in that it directly relates to the events of it's precursor. However, this isn't really much of a handicap, just more of a treat for those of us who played the first one. My ideal advice for newcomers is to grab both and work through the first one (it should be fairly cheap to buy now), as a starter before enjoying the second.

Best RPG of '04

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Last year did not see too many great games until the final 4 months. During that time we saw some some great FPSs (Halo 2, Half Life 2), a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto saga, a new Metal Gear Solid and two really good rpgs, Nocturne and Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

Covenant is a direct sequel to Shadow Hearts 1. While you don't have to play SH1 to understand the story to SH2, it really helps because it explains the backstory of the main character Yuri and why he is who he is and why the world is at the stage its at. What's interesting about the story is that, for those who have played SH1, everything you know from the first game changes. Motives are more fully revealed and twisted, people who you thought were evil were actually trying to do something good and some characters make surprising returns.

The story is so good, in fact, that it has become my favorite RPG that I've seen in ages. Not only is it good but it is emotional and actually has a heart. I don't want to ruin too much of the plot because it really is a thrilling story; however, there are moments of emotion that hark back to days of FFVII and the death of that pivotal character. Along with the story, the characters are some of the most unique ones ever seen in an rpg. From the puppet master who has to find "stud cards" to give to tailors so they will make him new outfits for his dolls, to a vampire wrestler with the unfortunate name 'The Grand Papillon' (The Great Butterfly), they range the gamut from hillariously absurd to strikingly original.

Also back from the first game is the Judgement Ring. This is part of the reason a lot of people were turned off by the first game. In fact, while the first game was a chore to play at times because of the wheel, the Judgement Ring makes the combat in Covenant fun. The wheel is now customizable so that you can increase the number of attacks, make the target areas smaller or larger to deal more damage. It's pretty easy yet complex and fun.

The graphics was another sore spot for the original especially since it came out mere weeks after the release of the beautiful Final Fantasy X. Yet here in Covenant the graphics have had a major overhaul so that it is just as good as FFX. Fully voice dialogue helps move the story along and excellent voice actors round out the aural qualities. It's like the developers realized they needed to step up their game to compete. And compete they should because this game has a whole package.

A third game is in the works right now and I am anxious to see what new twists will enter the picture of what's becoming a historical fantasy saga. For those looking for a unique and very good rpg, I would whole-heartedly recommend this game. My only complaint for the game is that it seemed toned down from the first Shadow Hearts which received a Mature rating. This game still has some tongue in cheek and darkly humorous moments, it is restrained in a way the first game was not. But that is a minor quibble. This game is excellent. I cannot think of a reason those who love rpgs should not play it.

A must buy.

A nice way to spend 40+ hours

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

ShadowHearts 2 is easily one of the better Playstation 2 RPGS. Not that I speak from a lot of experience, but I do know what I like and Shadowhearts has it!

Here is a quick run down-

- Graphics- Good I guess, they seemed great to me, but too be honest, all games now have "great" graphics to me ( I grew up in the days of the Intellivision and Atari).

- Gameplay- very fun, and quite easy (Until the final battle). The "ring" style form of battle is easy to catch on to, and adds a nice element of skill to the game.

- The mazes - while they can get a bit repetitive they aren't endlessly long like some games. As you progress into a new cave/maze/challenge expect about 1 hour worth of exploring before you reach the main boss.

- Game length - it took me almost 43 hours to beat the game... and that (I feel) is a pretty quick time.... I didn't do a lot of "Extra" exploring.

- Extras- There is a nice variety of weapon add-ons as you progress through the game. While it isn't up to the level of Baldurs Gate, it does add to the game play.

- Cut Scenes- Shadowhearts 2 plays like it is a movie, which adds a little extra interest, but some of the cut scenes can last over 10 minutes! At some point I just want to get back to the hacking.

- The game is rated "Teen" but I am not really sure why. Often times you wonder why a game is rated "M", but the opposite is at play here... you wonder how the game could only be rated "T".

- The game has many dark elements to it... and I have to admit I wasn't overly keen playing as a evil demon... but I got over it.

All-in-All Shadowhearts is a VERY engrossing and addicting game. There is plenty to keep even the most experienced gamers busy for hours! I would also recommend the Dark Cloud (and Kingdom Hearts) to anyone who enjoys it (and vice versa).

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