If Legacy of Great Intention had its merits in its simplicity, Shining Force II does everything to top the original. It looks much more polished, sprites and battle animations are simply gorgeous, it has a better UI, it sounds incredibly well for Genesis standards and the world is much more expanded, with loads of secrets and a greater focus on exploration thanks to the world map being as wide as it is. There'll be mostly two big continents you'll explore and time and time again you'll be able to revisit villages and places, something the original couldn't in part because of its more linear approach to storytelling.
Alas, the game is wide and offers more content. If Shining Force I had a great chemistry between map design and encounters, Shining Force II offers 40 different scripted battles, of which you'll probably remember half. Off the top of my head, I remember the infamous Harpy Pool, the Kraken battle really sticks out for difficulty, but then comes the chessboard encounter, the temple fight or the glass panel battle right before the end. Everything else doesn't feel as memorable simply because they feel like random encounters; you'll walk through the map and then the screen will flash, just for a battle with demons to begin. Some battles do repeat themselves as well, going back to places in the overworld means that the half an hour encounters may just trigger again and again over stacks of woods and grass. Whenever that happened I would just sigh, save the game and let future me handle the fight with a fresher mind and perspective.
I would love to give more credit to this game, because it's got good looks and great performance, but it feels just less interesting than the original due to the flaws compounding what feels like half the game. The greatest flaw for me though might just be the script and the story: while the original was innocuous enough with its simple premise and conversation pieces, the sequel (which by the way doesn't connect to the original if not in passing dialogue) just. doesn't. stop. ever. talking. Characters expose, give you crap, directions and it's just a mindless amount of walking around a dispersing world, with random encounters by the way, and most just ... flies right over my head. It doesn't need to be this painful, generic as it is, even if it's just a fetch quest let it be so without over exposing and mindlessly filling the game with dialogue or characters that would seem important but then never appear again. Take the starting team, Sara, Chester and Jaha. For a good two hours the trio talks and helps the player immersing, but once the game kicks off for real they NEVER talk, again, like until the very end. Oh and what a peculiar thing the ending is. No spoilers, but let's just say that people love this game for the gameplay and not the riveting conclusion.
So what gives? I like Shining Force II a lot, it might just be Shining Force but better. I think the first game is more nuanced in some aspects and straightforward in others, offering a similar experience but half the struggle. It is a personal preference, so let it be known that I have no intention of dying on this hill. And who knows, maybe I'll change perspective once I'm done with the classic Camelot games. I have some games I want to play through like Shining the Holy Ark and Beyond the Beyond before playing the third installment of Shining Force. That's a long queue of games, but this approach is what is making me appreciate a lot more the Golden Sun series, and in retrospective this hobby of mine. I also am clinically obligated to play SRPGs.
Please don't look up the ending to this game. Even with context it's painful. Half the people in here haven't said a word since fifty hours prior. Thank you for reading and have a good night.
Alas, the game is wide and offers more content. If Shining Force I had a great chemistry between map design and encounters, Shining Force II offers 40 different scripted battles, of which you'll probably remember half. Off the top of my head, I remember the infamous Harpy Pool, the Kraken battle really sticks out for difficulty, but then comes the chessboard encounter, the temple fight or the glass panel battle right before the end. Everything else doesn't feel as memorable simply because they feel like random encounters; you'll walk through the map and then the screen will flash, just for a battle with demons to begin. Some battles do repeat themselves as well, going back to places in the overworld means that the half an hour encounters may just trigger again and again over stacks of woods and grass. Whenever that happened I would just sigh, save the game and let future me handle the fight with a fresher mind and perspective.
I would love to give more credit to this game, because it's got good looks and great performance, but it feels just less interesting than the original due to the flaws compounding what feels like half the game. The greatest flaw for me though might just be the script and the story: while the original was innocuous enough with its simple premise and conversation pieces, the sequel (which by the way doesn't connect to the original if not in passing dialogue) just. doesn't. stop. ever. talking. Characters expose, give you crap, directions and it's just a mindless amount of walking around a dispersing world, with random encounters by the way, and most just ... flies right over my head. It doesn't need to be this painful, generic as it is, even if it's just a fetch quest let it be so without over exposing and mindlessly filling the game with dialogue or characters that would seem important but then never appear again. Take the starting team, Sara, Chester and Jaha. For a good two hours the trio talks and helps the player immersing, but once the game kicks off for real they NEVER talk, again, like until the very end. Oh and what a peculiar thing the ending is. No spoilers, but let's just say that people love this game for the gameplay and not the riveting conclusion.
So what gives? I like Shining Force II a lot, it might just be Shining Force but better. I think the first game is more nuanced in some aspects and straightforward in others, offering a similar experience but half the struggle. It is a personal preference, so let it be known that I have no intention of dying on this hill. And who knows, maybe I'll change perspective once I'm done with the classic Camelot games. I have some games I want to play through like Shining the Holy Ark and Beyond the Beyond before playing the third installment of Shining Force. That's a long queue of games, but this approach is what is making me appreciate a lot more the Golden Sun series, and in retrospective this hobby of mine. I also am clinically obligated to play SRPGs.
Please don't look up the ending to this game. Even with context it's painful. Half the people in here haven't said a word since fifty hours prior. Thank you for reading and have a good night.