A unique RPG experience and nice story. Something for everyone here.
The story here is good. Nothing too exciting, but nothing too bland either. As the main character Lang, you discover a destiny that he was born with, by being a Mystic. The Mystics are basically people with two souls, a human one, and one from the Earth itself. They can wield extraodinary power, as their Earth soul is manifested as an Origin. The alignemnt (good or evil) of the Origin is totally dependent on the human. As Lang's town's lifesoure, the Aqualith, is stolen by another Mystic, he starts on a cross-world quest to get it back. Bit by bit, his identity and purpose as a Mystic is unvield, much to Lang's confusion. But after meeting up with other Mystics, whom join his fighting party, and returning the Aqualith to his town, he sees that his quest is just beginning. The Aqualith is just one small peice of the puzzle, and so he is off to save the world. The story does have its humorous points, as Lang's partner Kazan is an old sake-drinking perv. As the story progresses, Lang develops as a Mystic and becomes stronger and stronger.
As most fans of the first game were glad to hear, the customizable fighting system is back. The system hasn't really changed much. There is still the bar at the bottom that can take in a certain amount of attack commands. This of course grows as your level does. Other than the normal attacks, a character can perform special moves called Arts. Most require AP (attack points) to use. There are different degrees of Arts: Normal, Super, Hyper, Variable, and Mystic. Normal Arts do not require any AP to use, in fact, they increase your AP by a set amount. Super Arts are the next level, and are generally more advanced techniques. Hyper Arts are very damaging arts that cannot be learned by random combinations (or even the correct combination for you faq readers). They must be learned from scrolls found in-game. Some Hyper Arts can be taken to the next level by using them in combat often. Variable Arts are pretty cool. This is an Art that is perfrom simultaneously with another party member. The attack is devastating to say the least, and it's awesome to look at too. Each character has two Variable Arts, let's say A and B. If character one does Variable Art A, then character two must do Variable Art B. The converse works too. And finally, the Mystic Arts are those that the character calls upon their Origin for a combination attack. These are spectacular both graphically and damage-wise. The characters can also call on their Origins in battle using MP. Depending on the origin, they can heal, attack enemies, or strengthen the party.
The world is of course made up of areas or towns. The game's are pretty diverse. There's the town that you grow up in that's at the end of a desert canyon. The castle of snotty royalty. The forest that you get ever-so-lost in. The same could be said for the sewer. Harbor towns and snow towns are in the mix as well. So the game offers a nice change of scenery everywhere you go. Each town also has it's unique vegetables or meats, ingredients you can use to cook meals that temporarily either increase or decrease your stats, or both.
Character customization is pretty good. The standard armor and weapon changes are here. I have found though, that the only difference you see in combat is the weapon that the character uses. The look of their armor stays the same no matter what. This is minor though. Accessories are nice too, as they give you extra abilities or status effects. Not all effects are good though, such as Charisma Down, or Max MP Down. But some are cost and rewards at the same time. You can level up accessories, and as they grow, they give you new abilities. And you can also combine accessories, eventually being able to create some great items. Weapons and armor are also customizable, with materials you find in the game. I find this particular option great, as gold isn't always handy, and sometimes, the weapons or armor are better than those you can find at the shops.
Though not breath-taking, the music in this game is nice. It's clear, and appropriate to the area or town that you are currently in. I wish there was more voice-acting though. The only voices you will hear are those of the character's victory line. Sometimes reading just takes away from the experience. But this is common for most RPGs. The graphics are great, as they are smooth and colorful. The cutscenes are pretty and the animations are the standard.
Though the battle system may be the only innovative thing, this game has some good stuff going for it. I know it's no Final Fantasy, but it is a good game. I find it strangely addicting. If you're willing to try something new, I would reccomend Legaia 2.