I was ready to enjoy this one less than I did the first, but honestly, I came out at the end of this game sobbing and just loving the time I spent with my buds and their blade buds.

The combat system is a little complicated and unnecessarily bloated but super rewarding once you're fully dialed into it. Some of the character designs are ridiculous and dated poorly almost instantly on release. Yet it feels like a labor of love, executed with the best of intentions, just like Rex's quest to Elysium, and once you're in the thick of this game, you're in.

I will admit that I fall for plots that spend more time developing friendships and foregoing the chosen one/fate plots more than anything, which is what this game delivers in spades. It's full of rote, soppy Shonen Jump-derived beats that just hit me like a truck, and while that might sound like a headache to some, I lapped it up by the time credits rolled. This is a PS2 game in the best possible way. I won't explain anymore what I mean about that for free LOL play this game though