Category: Adventure
Release Year: 2002
Trailer Runtime: 0 minutes, 22 seconds
Description: Summoner 2 keeps all that was good in its predecessor and far surpasses it. On a purely technical level, the load times between scenes are faster, camera angles are consistently more flexible in the 3-D environment, and the battle reactions are cleaner and more responsive. But it’s the story that’s really blossomed. The swashbuckling goddess-queen Maia is more likable than dour Joseph from the first Summoner. (Her various outfits and weapons sure are cooler, at least.) There’s more humor in the story, and it manages to strike its serious notes without sounding ridiculously overdramatic. The voice actors sound like they’re really enjoying their roles too, and it was fun (for a change) to listen to the spoken sections. The storyline moves you along smoothly, and the bosses, while tricky, never seem insurmountable. Rather than just some big fight at the end, the goal of Summoner 2 seems to be to help Maia seek her destiny while being the most adored and accomplished–plus best outfitted–queen-goddess-swordsperson she can be. –Garland Withers Pros: Vast gameplay with plenty of fun optional quests Well-organized quest and lore indexes for easy reference Lots of fighting styles and combination moves Flexible saving system allows you to back up your game easily Cons: Occasional camera angle problems (but fewer than the first Summoner!) Easy to miss out on one-time chances at optional quests while following storyline Many long stretches that must be traversed again and again
