Reviewed: July 29, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox

Publisher
Square Enix

Developer
Racjin

Released: July 12, 2005
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen

8
8
9
7
8.4

Supported Features:

Based upon my experience with that game I was a little skeptic going into FullMetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir and my initial opinion was a little dim after the first 45 minutes, but after things got going it became apparent that this was a truly fun and rewarding experience that I couldn’t put down. In fact the first time I sat down to play this game I didn’t get up until I was seven 7 hours into it (which is more than halfway through).

FullMetal Alchemist 2 isn’t a sequel that follows the story of the first game, but a game that stands entirely on its own, with a completely new story that follows the TV series and includes many upgraded features such as:

• Thirty minutes of original animation created exclusively for the game
• Fully voiced event and movie sequences featuring actors from the top-rated anime series
• Cameo appearances by the anime’s fan favorites
• Greatly improved modeling and animation bring Ed and Al to life like never before
• Cel-shaded graphics enhance the Elric Brothers’ adventure with stunning visuals
• Transmutable weapons from the previous title return, plus an arsenal of new weapons and items
• Brand-new alchemy attacks and a customizable combo system make for improved gameplay
• Enhanced artificial intelligence allows Alphonse to automatically adjust to the situation and attack accordingly
• Features the hit song “Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc-en-Ciel

Now the two are bound by one common goal, to find a way to return their bodies to the way they were. In doing so Ed decides to become a State Alchemist. The job takes him to many places where he and his brother continue their search for a way to return things to the way they were.

Like most of you know, the main character is Edward while the secondary character is Alphonse. You have direct control of Ed while Al can be commanded by you to do certain things. For example, you can tell Al to throw you up onto a high ledge, to pick up a certain weapon, to command certain artillery or to simply attack the enemies. Killing an enemy gives that character experience points.

On top of the experience points and the stat upgrades that occur automatically, you are given additional stat points which can be distributed to Ed or Al at your discretion. It’s great having some control over how your characters power up and the fact that there are set stat points makes things balanced no matter how you distribute them. Having control is important and the brand new combo combat system does just that.

This combo system is similar to the one in FullMetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, but it’s been beefed up considerably. You fight using a combo system that implements the square, circle, and triangle buttons. By using simple, easy to remember combinations of those three buttons you can inflict a lot of damage and some pretty neat effects. This is what makes the gameplay so much fun, and trust me when I say it’s about 50% better than the original. You can even perform foot sweeps, slide and high kicks when approaching the enemies.

The boss battles are always well done and I found one to be very difficult. Even so, the boss fights are designed in a way that they are challenging and creative. It took me several tries to beat one of the bosses, but after I figured out the routine and what I needed to do to win it was still challenging yet feasible.

The level designs are authentic to the anime and although most them are relatively narrow you never feel like they are. I never got lost or turned around once the entire way through the game. That’s mainly due to the simple, yet well done map on the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Overall, the graphics are very nice and so is the frame rate which never slows down. Furthermore the load times are minimal, generally taking 2-5 seconds. I really liked the cell shaded style for the game and it in reality complemented the anime.

Sound effects and background music are also right in line with the quality of the rest of the game. Subtle effects like echoes in big rooms and the clanging of weapons to the alchemy sound effects are extremely well done. The background music fit’s the theme of the story and game perfectly and is always playing at just the right moments in the game. You hardly ever hear the story being acted out with background music.

Overall the sound in the game is extremely well done and the voice acting is totally professional. The only downside is the lack of Dolby Pro-logic II sound.

The story has always been the strong point of the FullMetal Alchemist series and the game is no different offering up one of the most memorable in a long time. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a story so much, but I might be a little bias since I’m a fan. I admit, the game is an easy play-through and the boss fights are the only areas of difficulty. So if you are looking challenging gameplay I’d look else where. The boss battles are where the gameplay really becomes fun!

FullMetal Alchemist 2 is filled with additional content that can be unlocked. The first time you play through the game you will unlock all the cutscenes and the second time through you’ll have to find somewhat hidden screenshots (60+). I tried to play through the game twice back to back, but since the story was so fresh in my mind I became a little tired of it. However it is a game that I will eventually play through again and one that I hope fans of the anime get to enjoy.

FullMetal Alchemist 2 is extremely fun to play with fast-paced fights and a great combo system that puts the first game to shame. This latest installment is a huge step in the right direction for the series and one that other anime-inspired games should follow.