White Knight Chronicles II

White Knight Chronicles II (白騎士物語 -光と闇の覚醒-, Shirokishi Monogatari: Hikari to Yami no Kakusei, lit. White Knight Story: Light and Darkness' Awakening) is a video game developed by Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan and Europe as well as D3 Publisher in North America for the PlayStation 3. The game is a direct sequel to the 2008 title White Knight Chronicles and was announced at TGS 2009.^[2] The game was released in Japan on July 8, 2010, in PAL regions in June 2011, and in North America on September 13, 2011. On June 18, 2013, the server for the game was shut down by D3Publisher and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

The game allows the player to transfer their character from White Knight Chronicles along with money, equipment and guild ranks. The game also contains a remastered version of the original White Knight Chronicles.^[3] D3 Publisher confirmed to the U.S PlayStation blog that players would receive additional content that's exclusive to the U.S. This content ranged from a fully localized version of the Japanese game and many others.^[4]

Gameplay

White Knight Chronicles II is like its predecessor, a role-playing video game presented in a third-person perspective. However, some changes to improve game play in all aspects have been made, such as new battle system mechanics, more combos, new armor and weapons to make, new enemies and new dungeons.

Georama

The Georama system, an online mode that lets the player create their own town, is back with various changes. Now players can play with their friends online in quests of up to 6 characters.

Story

The games begins with a prologue in Faria, where the Farian general Scardigne is trying to get the Farian Princess Miu out of the city safely due to a civil war. They manage to escape the city but are pursued. The game then cuts to where Princess Cisna has summoned Leonard, Eldore and Yulie, she tells them that they need to go to Faria and speak with Father Yggdra. The group goes to Faria where they encounter Scardigne and Miu and save them from Ban Nanazels forces. The group then learns that the Yshrenian Empire supported Ban Nanazel. They travel back into the city and fight and defeat Ban Nanazel and save Father Yggdra who Ban Nanazel was attempting to destroy. Father Yggdra was once a person but when he became a tree he also became the only protector of the Moon Maiden, the final incorruptus from the war between Yshrenia and Athwani. For their reward, Father Yggdra gives them a book to go in the past, which they use to travel to the day the Yshrenians attacked Balandor castle. They attempt to save the Archduke of Faria (Miu's grandfather) but fail. However, he gives them an insignia, which upon coming back they learn from Father Yggdra that they need to get three of. Knowing this they head to Greede. Once there, they learn that Greede's citizens are being poisoned by a purple mist. Once, they find Caesar their old friend and current ruler of Greede they learn that a black dragon is causing the mist. They once again travel to the past where they learn they need a lance to defeat the dragon. Once they retrieve the lance and defeat the dragon, they learn that the desert town of Albana was taken over by Yshrenia. Leonard and co manage to oust the Yshrenians. As reward, the Avatar is awarded with a mysterious stone. This stone technically allows the Avatar to become the sixth pact maker and bestow the ability to summon an incorruptus of their own also able to modify their knight to become equal to the other five. With Albana safe once again Leonard and party decide it time to go against the now reborn Yshrenian army that has resided on a volcanic island in earnest of spreading once more. Back at balandor things have gotten worse as Grazel and Shapur in their knight forms alongside their army have begun attacking the city in hopes of weakening them. Leonard knowing this and the fact he cannot use his knight no longer without having part of himself damaged, still goes against them to a point as him to become unconscious. Yulie believes the help of the Moon Maiden hidden inside Father Yggdra will help but requires the Ark of the knight to become it's pact maker. Searching through the tunnels she eventually finds it and becomes the soul of the last knight and appears before the battlefield in earnest using her bow to destroy all the enemy ships and damage the Sun King and Black Knight with help. Defeated the team regroup and begin to set for the Redhorn Isle, location of the Magi and Yshrenian army. Knowing they cannot use there knights unless desperate for they must save their strength for Grazel and Shapur they reside in the flying ship whilst the army of Balandor sails alongside the Windwalkers who pay their debt in the war. On the ship Queen Cisna prepares all of balandor for attack, although in battle a majority of the balandor knights are destroyed it is by the help of Faria that they are able to turn the tides and begin winning the new war. Grazel sees this beginning of failure in the war as a chance to test the new weapon, The Hand of God, a large island cannon powered by the volcano and magic combined. Aware of the destruction it can produce Cisna asks Leonard and co to land on the island and destroy its power supply before they can make land to assist. After succeeding at this Grazel traps the group with a large lava monster, Brimmflame, which once defeated begins to release the remaining volcanic substance upon the island forcing a retreat from both the new Yshrenian army and the Balandor/Faria alliance. Frustrated, Grazel with High Priest Ledom and Shapur appear before the island on there true base of operations, Garmatha Fortress, a large floating castle that begins to head for Balandor with the plan of destroying it since all guards are on the battlefield. However, this is halted thanks to the Demithor, the beast the Free City of Greede rides upon, which turns itself to frozen stone to pause the Garmatha. With this advantage Leonard and friends instantly head for the fortress in hopes of finishing what started all those millennia ago. Once, fought past all guards and creatures in league with the Magi and Yshrenian army they finally reach Grazel alongside Ledom and Shapur. Ledom reveals to be a fellow time traveler similar to Eldore who plans to join the knights to bring forth his former Lord and Master, Emperor Madoras, from the past to establish a new empire and finish of Queen Cisna who carries the spirit of Queen Mureas of the Athwan Empire. Grazel, knowing this believed to be the reincarnation of the Emperor only to be betrayed by Ledom to reveals that Leonard is actually the true reincarnation, becoming apparent as the five souls of the knights join in Leonard, revealing Madoras. Without the knights, the Emperor becomes the most powerful until the party weaken him to a point at which Cisna with the soul of Queen Mureas uses her power to separate both Leonard and Madoras, causing the Emperor to disperse in the air. With Yeshrenia defeated everyone returns to Balandor as the fortress begins to crumble under itself and into the ocean. Although defeated it is apparent Madoras survived the ordeal and resides in the rift readying himself to return in his own form without need of another's body.

Reception

White Knight Chronicles II has received mixed reviews. It received an aggregated score of 60.47% on GameRankings^[5] and 60/100 on Metacritic.^[6] Famitsu has awarded the game a 33/40, with the reviewers criticizing the story but praising the updated gameplay features.^[7] The game sold 107,655 on its first day in sales ^[12] and 162,289 in the first week,^[13] which was below expectations, given first-week sales of the first game. GameTrailers was less positive and gave it a 5.7/10.^[10] GameSpot gave it a 6.5/10, praising the improvements to combat and the multiplayer, but criticized the single player.^[9] Game Informer gave it a 3.5/10, saying "Where the game falls depressingly short is in Level-5 ignoring the many valid criticisms of the first game and churning out a cookie-cutter sequel that is even more of a rehash than the average yearly sports title or shooter franchise."^[8]

References

External links

• SCEI official website (Japanese)
• Level-5 official website (Japanese)