Reviewed: October 18, 2002
Reviewed by: Scott Shirhall
Publisher
THQ
Developer
Volition, Inc.
Released: September 17, 2002
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
7
8
9
9
8.0
Supported Features:
When I accepted the task of reviewing Summoner 2 I was sure that it wouldn't be that great because of its predecessor. Fortunately I was extremely surprised. The next episode in the Summoner saga has been completely retooled and hardly resembles the first Summoner game, and everything I thought was wrong with the first game has been fixed or improved. This game should appeal to many people and should definitely be given a chance by every RPG fan.
The story in Summoner 2 centers on Maia. Maia is presently the Queen of Halassar and is believed to be the Goddess Laharah reborn. The entire game focuses on Maia’s quest to fulfill the prophecy and prove that she is indeed Laharah. Along the way Maia runs across a plethora of colorful characters and enlists their help in fulfilling her prophecy.
The story is very deep and takes you through many strange and wonderful lands like the Prison of Indubal, Miridan's Pass, Munari City, Halassar and the Isle of Teomura. Each land is loaded with colorful characters, impressive backgrounds and tasks you must complete to fulfill Maia’s prophecy.
The characters in Summoner 2 drive the story. Characters are collected along the way as Maia attempts to fulfill her prophecy. The crew is an interesting bunch with no apparent connections and a lot of tension between them. The further you get into the game the more you will learn about the characters and their ties to each other. These brief character descriptions explain them the best.
Sangaril - Trained as a Munari assassin, Sangaril betrayed her clan to save Maia's life. Though an outsider in Halassar, Sangaril has proven to be a devoted friend and ally. Sangaril has mastered the art of making poison using the venom of aquatic creatures, and she can sneak behind opponents, backstabbing them for maximum damage.
Prince Neru - For centuries, the legend of Prince Neru has struck fear in the hearts of sea captains and coastal villagers. The stories say Neru is a demon, a god, or a kraken of the deep, but the truth is far less fanciful. A succession of pirate leaders have used the name, but the origins of the current prince are shrouded in mystery.
Morbazan - Though massive and strong, Morbazan fights with spells. He has made his fortune as a gladiator in the Munari City arena. Morbazan's origins are the topic of much speculation. According to rumor, Morbazan has the power to devour souls.
Taurgis - Taurgis is the younger brother of Maia's rival, King Azraman of Galdyr. Turning against his brother, Taurgis led Maia's armies to victory against Galdyr and won Halassar's independence. Taurgis mistrusts Sangaril, though she has proven her loyalty and worth on many occasions.
Iari - The mysterious gods known only as the Unseen devised this technological oddity. Iari fights with energy weapons integrated within her metallic exoskeleton, drawing power from special gems. The purpose for which she was designed is unknown.
Krobelus - This young missionary of Urath connived his way to the high priesthood of his order. Now the reigning Hierophant, Krobelus has launched a crusade against Halassar, leading the armies of Medeva across the world to destroy Maia's kingdom. He claims to possess a secret about Maia's prophecy.
You will also encounter other characters that play a part in the saga but these are the primary players.
The storyline is very complex and would take me many pages to explain entirely. I have logged over 20 hours on my quest to fulfill Maia’s prophecy and the entire picture is still not clear to me. Because of the complexity of the storyline I anticipate spending many more hours playing this game in order to solve this intricate puzzle.
The gameplay on Summoner 2 is a combination of those early text adventure games, like Zork and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and newer games like Tomb Raider. You get a third-person view of the character you control and the ability to interact with other characters and items throughout the game.
Summoner 2 offers the following features:
- Battle your enemies in real time with an all-new, party-driven combat system.
- Explore over 30 exotic and imaginative 3D locales, from the tropical isle of Teomura to the bizarre and dreamlike City of Masks.
- Fulfill Maia's prophecy through an impressive, character-driven story. Rule the Kingdom of Halassar and interact with hundreds of NPCs.
- Transform the "language of gods" into twelve powerful summons, from the Blood Juggernaut to the Blade of Sand.
- Control up to three characters at a time, and build your party from a roster of eight unique characters with specialized attacks and spells.
- Customize your characters using a flexible skill-point system. Learn to craft deadly poisons, cast a meteor storm, or devour your enemy's soul.
Choosing the characters and their tendencies is a crucial part of the gameplay. As characters progress through the game they earn skill points, which can be used to power up their specific abilities. The most important options are the AI settings. Here you can determine how your support team acts when they are not under your control. You have Melee, Support, Healer, Caster and Healer/Caster. By having the correct mix in your party it can help you achieve victory even when you are outnumbered.
All of the skills are selected by a myriad of menus that are easily accessed, even while in the heat of battle. There are numerous spells, abilities and magical scrolls to use against your enemies. The abilities are earned when you gain experience points and the scrolls and potions can be bought by seeking out various dealers located in different lands. I do recommend stocking up on healing potions whenever you can because you will need them as the game progresses.
The fighting action in Summoner 2 is very simple. As you gain experience points you can power up your players attributes. When certain attributes are increased you are given new battle moves. These vary by character and can be viewed easily on the skills menu. Probably the best aspect of the fighting portion of the game is the fact that Maia can become a summon. There are four summons that Maia can become after finding the correct rune stones. The summons are Blood, Tree, Sand and Eye. The summons are very powerful and can help you get out of a seemingly hopeless situation.
The gameplay is very simple and straightforward to master. The hardest part is remembering all of your skills, potions and scrolls and when to use them. Once you master these you will be well on your way to helping Maia fulfill her prophecy.
The graphics in Summoner 2 are better than average. While not superb, they are very well done and add much to the overall experience of the game. The characters and lands are imaginative and original. The lighting and shadowing in the various lands help set the mood in this fantasy world.
One glitch that detracts from the overall experience is the camera angles. Often during fights you will be unable to see your character through the hordes of combatants. This can be very frustrating when you are vastly outnumbered and are attempting to protect yourself from slaughter. Though the camera can be moved during combat it is often hard to find a good time to do this while still protecting yourself.
Overall the graphics add to the gaming experience and are much better than the original Summoner. With a slight improvement any follow-up should be a gem.
The music in Summoner 2 is superb with a score that ranges from eerie to dramatic and always seems in synch with what is happening during the game. The background music is symphonic in nature and relies heavily on dramatic percussion and cymbals. It is a pure joy to have such quality mood setting music accompany you during you arduous quest.
The characters in this game are voiced very well and exude a personality to each individual. From the sometimes sweet, sometimes demanding tones of Maia to the commanding tones of Taurgus you will immediately bond with the major characters in this tale.
The battle sounds are impressive from the clanking of metal swords to the mystical sounds of magic spells being used. In the heat of battle it is amazing to hear the numerous sounds emanating from the ensuing melee.
The only criticism that I could come up with regarding the sound is the lack of verbal dialogue with some of the peripheral characters in the game. This really isn’t worth mentioning because there are so many characters that it would be virtually impossible to voice all of the potential interactions but some of these characters prove to be vital to your quest and it would be helpful if they were voiced so that you could anticipate their importance.
Summoner 2 is massive and you often have to go back to places you have already been in order to help Maia fulfill her prophecy. Even when you are finished with the game you can always go back and try to solve pieces of the puzzle that weren’t obvious until you got farther into the game.
There are many times when you will find out that you missed something the first time around and you need to start over to gain that particular piece of the puzzle. I recommend saving your game often and in different slots in case you need to go back and gather some valuable piece to this massive puzzle.
Summoner 2 will hold your interest for many hours and is well worth the price you pay for it. The incredible depth of the story, characters and puzzles that need to be completed will surely cause you to go back and run through this one again.
With its quality gameplay and graphics Summoner 2 is an excellent game. The storyline and engaging characters will draw you into this very complex fantasy saga. Maia’s travels throughout various lands of wonder that are filled with colorful characters and villains will keep you captivated for endless hours. The skillfully crafted worlds and superb music will add immensely to the overall experience and the complex puzzles that need to be solved will test your wits. The interaction with the multitude of characters and extras keep the game interesting and unpredictable.
When all of the variables are added up, Summoner 2 is a definite buy for any RPG player and a good rental candidate for any other PS2 gamer. I am mainly a sports gamer and first person shooter fan but I am very grateful that I was able to play this surprise hit. The staff at THQ and Volition deserve a pat on the back and a hearty “Well done”. I really can’t wait to see what they do with Summoner 3.