Let me preface this post by saying this is in no way intended to kiss Dincrest's ass.... with that said, let me also state his ass deserves a smooch for that stellar review!
Why do I say stellar? Well because someone FINALLY gave a fair review of the title.... and let me explain myself further, I say "fair" because some other reviews I've read have left me wondering if the authors even played the game or simply derived their entire opinion based on the fact that "Idea Factory" and "Compile Hearts" were on the box.... and that is of course if it even got reviewed.... some major publications have yet to even touch it (if I'm not mistaken "Game Informer" didn't even review it..).
Now with all that said I simply want to highlight some of the finer points of the majesty that is Dincrest's symphomy of truth amidst a score of bias and lies.....
Enter Record of Agarest War 2. Forget about its fanservice, its silly limited edition pack-ins, and the poor reputation preceding it thanks to prior Agarest War games. Slough off that nonsense, open your mind, and give the game a shot. Perhaps you will then see as I do that Record of Agarest War 2 is actually a decent JRPG capable of standing up on its own merits without any need for gimmicks and baubles.
I feel like everyone should read that.... like it should be on the back of the freakin' box-LoL
plot direction is sometimes vague and there are a few occasions where it is far too easy to skip over vital plot points and events. For example, had I not been severely underleveled for a certain boss fight, I would not have revisited a previously completed area, stumbling upon a major chunk of plot and a key playable character!
Couldn't agree more.... as far as the games problem go, this was the biggest IMO... I actually had a similar experiences more then once and I am not yet through the title.
Despite reminding me of Valkyrie Profile, I actually found myself approaching battles like a Megami Tensei game where the key to victory lies in exploiting enemy weaknesses with various party members' strengths. Therefore, the swap-out command during battles will become your greatest ally. It is best to select the right party for the situation rather than play favorites.
Proof that (unlike other reviews floating around on the internet) Dincrest actually played through the title!! I love the (many) review authors who wrote this off as a "button masher"..... Mashing will get you NOWHERE after endeavoring a good leg into the first generation..... forget about anything beyond that.
This leads me to the best part of Agarest 2 – the music! Seriously, the music in this game is excellent across the board. Idea Factory's soundtracks can be hit or miss, but this one nailed it. I enjoyed the rocking combat music (particularly the Gai Desert battle theme), the standard opening vocal song, the "dance pop" vocal song following the prologue, the other "Easter egg" vocal songs peppered throughout the game, the shimmering save/load music, all of it.
... the biggest tragedy here is that the game didn't come with a soundtrack!... To make matters worse, I can't find it available to buy either... This needs to be on my MP3 player to jog to damnit...
it shows that Idea Factory has the potential to create good stuff.
My favorite line on the review and an appropriate way to close...
So with all that, kudos Dincrest! I have never had a "favorite game review author" but I now do :)
