Skip Shining Soul and pick up this one.
Review 205
Released: April 20, 2004
Publisher: Atlus Co.
Developer: Grasshopper
Game Genre: Action Role-Playing
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
ESRB Description: Alcohol Reference, Animated Violence
Story: 30%
Gameplay: 40%
Graphics: 20%
Durability: 10%
Story (7/10)
Shining Soul II has a much better and more engaging storyline than its predecessor, but it is still nothing unique. Once again, you choose a fighter whose goal is to defeat Dark Dragon. This time, however, you have much more than four choices, and the fighter you choose is more unique.
Gameplay (8/10)
Everything about Shining Soul II is better than the first, but the gameplay is the most drastic difference. The main reason is (finally) having more than one character fighting at once. There is a very unique item system added too, where you can throw an item at a teammate for them to use it.
The hacking and slashing is improved as well, thanks to a better AI system. The only downside (albeit a big one) is the save system. You cannot save and continue playing in the middle of a dungeon. Saving the game means suspending the game and returning to the title screen. When you reload the save, it is deleted and you cannot load from that spot. Not only are the dungeons long, they have story elements that you'll have to sit through over and over again if you keep losing. Also, dying is not the only way to lose. For example, there is one area of the second dungeon in which you overhear two mummies talking about a key hidden under a gravestone. They move the grave to make sure the key is still there. If you are just a split second too late in rushing into the fray and defeating them, they push the gravestone back and you'll have to restart the dungeon.
Graphics (8/10)
Similar to Shining Soul, but a bit smoother and with greater resolution.
Durability (7/10)
Previous Reviews
Shining Soul (3.9/10)
Overall Score (7.6/10)
Rounded Score (7.5/10)
Final Thoughts:
Skip Shining Soul, and pick up this one.