Sep 28, 2011
Improves upon its predecessor and remasters it, to boot.
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Pros:
+Gorgeous graphics from environments to character models
+Animation is superb both in combat and cutscenes with great effects
+WKC2 comes with a completely remastered edition of its predecessor
+New combat system is a lot of fun and fixes many issues in WKC
+Filled to the brim with content, prepare for hundreds of hours of gameplay
+Decent story wraps up the series nicely
+Minor things added that make menu navigation much more user friendly
+Harder difficulty is great and demands more than just hit n’ heal tactics
+Online is addicting and fun with a great set-up
+Hundreds of quests to partake in on your own or with up to 5 friends
+Tons of customizable options for you and your knight
+Thousands of items, weapons and gear to craft and collect
Cons:
-Huge time investment required, but that goes without saying to be honest
-Harder difficulty may drive some away, but its rewarding
-At times dialogue feels forced, but voice acting isn’t horrible
-Some areas are recycled, but the game was meant to be, and is, one huge title
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When the first White Knight Chronicles came out, it caught my eye because it was a Level-5 RPG that incorporated features from many of their previous, and very well done, titles. Aside from that, I’m a huge fan of their work. That said, little did I realize I would invest over a thousand hours into the original game, in which only around 80 of those hours were spent in the single player portion of it. With the latest, and last, entry in the series, White Knight Chronicles 2 brings it into its own and builds upon the foundations laid in the original title. While it addresses many issues found in the first game, Level-5 also took into consideration many things the fans were concerned with or just not happy about and becomes a very solid RPG for anyone that likes the series or RPGs in general.
The story of WKC2 continues a few years after the first left off. And, never fear, if you haven’t experienced the original game, a remastered version of it is included on the same disc (I‘ll be selling this point a lot throughout the review). The plot follows Leonard, and his friends, some of which who are able to transform into powerful knights, weapons of war from a time long passed that the story is generally centered upon. An ancient civilization, led by a resurrected emperor seeks to gain the knights’ power once more and conquer the world. Overall the story is fairly cliché, a bit predictable at times and only has a few twists and turns, but its still a fun ride and far from being bad. However, some dialogue was both written and delivered very well, but at times felt forced. By the end there were characters I cared about, hated and loved.
Many of these characters return in the sequel, both in my party and in relation to, which was great after playing the first game and getting so close to many different characters. Overall, for it being a two game series, it ties up many loose ends nicely and left me content with the how events transpired.
In relation to its predecessor, this is where WKC2 really comes into its own. WKC already had a really fun battle system, but many fans felt it was just too slow, at times. WKC2 speeds things up while keeping a great balance between player classes and enemy conflicts as not to make most boss battles last mere minutes. Battles become tests of will, skill and endurance, while introducing many new abilities for the 8 classes. That being said, there are no new classes, however, as mentioned, there are many new abilities that change the dynamics of each class. And, there are new weapons in each class, like hammers in the overall axe class, for instance, that change how abilities work entirely.
Each class is a lot of fun. Some are still slightly less than useful, or don’t pump out the damage like other classes, but each have their own feel to them and at least a couple will appeal to each player. Furthermore, for better or worse, depending on your outlook, individual stats don’t fuel the attack of each class anymore. No longer does the Vitality stat bolster both Defense and the Attack of a spear user, for instance. Strength now is the main determinant in damage output for all melee classes, while Intelligence is tied to magic users. I see this as an improvement, since people will no longer wear the exact same thing, just for stats, near endgame.
Also new to WKC2, players are able to get their very own Incorruptus, or knight, and customize it how they wish from paint jobs to armor, skills to weapons. Guilds are also in the works, and will hopefully be released soon, which can hold hundreds of members, and will allow players to visit a pre-made town with an assortment of services. And, in online quests, you’re now able to bring NPCs from your party, so you’ll never have to quest alone or rely upon finding others to quest with online.
As for new things in the single player experience, there are bounties and errands. The former has you hunt down a particular boss enemy and rewards you for your efforts with experience, money, guild points and equipment. Meanwhile, the latter involves talking to various NPCs strewn throughout the game’s many areas, completing tasks for them that may involve talking to other NPCs or giving them items and, in return, you’re rewarded guild points or equipment. I found this new feature particularly rewarding, as it got you talking to and learning about many NPCs you’d otherwise run right passed and not give a second thought. Many characters begin to form relationships and personalities, no longer being mere background scenery in a given area.
The online Geonet interface remains largely the same, which was well organized to begin with. Players who import their WKC avatar will be able to continue developing their player skills and georama, among other things. Meanwhile all adventure logs and the friends list will remain intact during the transfer. For those that import from the International Edition, however, many bonuses will be revealed going into WKC2.
The game’s presentation is by and large like its predecessor with the same menus and interfaces. This comes as no surprise, however, as WKC was meant to be one large game, to begin with, but Level-5 split it in two, due to time constraints. So, in a way, WKC2 is like a very, very big expansion to the first game, while still including its predecessor in its entirety. The predecessor has been remastered, however, so the first game gets all the upgrades of the second. This includes the updated battle system, but also the complete graphical overhaul the second title saw. Character models are a bit less anime in style, and a bit more realistic, while environments look absolutely gorgeous (I’m lookin’ at you, Lost Forest). Many are rehashed from WKC:IE, of course, but they still look beautiful.
Cutscenes also look gorgeous, whether FMV or the in-game engine is utilized, and are much more action packed. When knights are involved, for example, the climax of the action doesn’t peak at merely crossing swords and much more happens in terms of fights. Some action sequences are just plain epic in scope, while other evoke a lot more emotion. And, I think this is something many people – namely critics – will overlook.
There are, however, many palette swaps for enemies, but this is a minor gripe. Especially considering you approach most of the larger enemy palette swaps in different ways where strategy is concerned. Many dungeons are recycled, as well, but again, this is a minor gripe when you consider WKC:IE is included and, alongside WKC2 on the same disc, makes it feel like one huge game.
If you love leveling, grinding and the like, you’ll get a lot out of WKC2, however if you’re just a fan of RPGs, you’ll still enjoy this game. Not only are you getting one 50+ hour RPG in the form of WKC2, you’re also getting a completely remastered version of the original game with all of WKC2’s bells n’ whistles, which will net you another 50+ hours. That alone makes this game more than worth it, as the single player alone will last 100+ hours. Online is an entirely different story, as you’ll be able to team up with 2-5 friends and take on hundreds of quests of ranging difficulty, in an effort to collect materials and forge armor, weapons and items numbering in the thousands. Not to mention the impending release of DLC in the form of even more equipment, weapons and quests.
Overall, I found WKC2 to be a vast improvement over the original, while retaining all that made it good. I got over 1500 hours out of WKC:IE before I burnt out on it, and continuing on in WKC2 has relit my fire. The improved difficulty calls for more strategy among classes, rather than relying on mindless hit n’ heal tactics, while knights add a whole new dynamic to some fights. And, between the side quests and online quests, which number in the hundreds, equipment and items, which number in the thousands and playtime this game offers, which is… let‘s just say a lot, you’re bound to get your money’s worth out of this RPG series.
RATING: 8.5/10
This review is based upon completing the single player campaign, in its entirety, in roughly 70 hours, while playing 15 hours online. And, I haven’t even scratched the surface…
Developer: Level-5
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Platform: PS3
# of Players: 1-6
Online: Yes
Trophies: 25 Offline/0 Online
Install: Yes; 4.2GB