Well, I beat it like 2 days ago, and finally decided to get the review up. So, strap yourselves in people.
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OPENING STATEMENTS: Luminous Arc 2 is a Strategy RPG, just like the one before it. Basically that means that it's a Final Fantasy Tactics clone. But, there are a few key gameplay differences that set it apart, which will be glossed over when I cover gameplay. From an aesthetic perspective it outdoes the first game, but not by that much. The menus and options look sharper, and are easier to navigate. It has a bit more VA than the original, as well. But, do all these improvements make for a better game? Let's find out.
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GAMEPLAY: This is the same tried and true gameplay, you've seen if FFT, Disgaea, Luminous Arc 1 and every other SRPG out there. You take turns moving your characters around a board in a grid pattern. The turns are organized in order of speed, so faster characters move first. Actually, if a character's speed is high enough, he/she/it could end up taking two turns before one of your characters makes another one. It even goes so far as to give them two consecutive moves, if the difference in speed is high enough. This is apparent in a lot of boss fights, making the game significantly harder. This was kept from the first game, however, but now you can see the turn order at the top of the screen allowing for more strategy. Making the game harder still, is the fact that each character can only take two items into battle, instead of using from your collective stash. Differences from the first game continue with the Engagement system, which grants Roland (the hero) the elemental powers and attributes of the witch he's engaged to. When engaging, a nice little graphic will pop up of one of the witches in a wedding dress, which can break the tension of the fight, and that's always welcome. Flash Drive attacks do significantly greater damage this time around, which is necessary considering the choice they made for the bosses. Bosses have a ton more HP this time around. The final boss from LA1 had 999 HP, whereas the final boss in LA2 has 7000. Lengthwise, I'm not really sure if this game is longer or not. In terms of chapters it is, 25 in LA1 to 30 in LA2. However, you were around Lv. 50 or higher by the the final boss in LA1, and now you'll only be in the mid-thirties in LA2. That, and level ups are easier to come by in LA2. In the first game, when you leveled up, your exp. restarted at 0, even if you just had 98 and just killed the boss. around 65 of those exp. points would have gone to waste. In LA2, the exp. carries over. So, for example, if you got 18 exp. points when you had 95, then you would level up and start with 13 points instead of 0. Also, level ups don't fully heal you anymore, balancing it out somewhat. But, as far as gameplay goes, it's a tried and tested method, but with a lot of variety thrown in to make it it's own.
(9.5/10)
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STORY: The story in LA2 is actually better than most would think. How ever much I loved the story in LA1, I think this one tops it. You're never really sure who the big baddie is in LA2, the one pulling the strings. As soon as you think you've figured it out, the game switches antagonists on you. This keeps boss fights from getting stale, which is a fantastic thing. But, from the story perspective, it just keeps you hooked. There were multiple times in the game where I couldn't pull away, wanting so badly to know what came next. I even stayed up unknowingly to 6 in the morning, just because I wanted to keep playing. If a game can do that with it's story, then it needs to be commended. I won't describe the story of detail, because if I go much father than the first few chapters, spoilers are inevitable. But, it starts out with the Shadow Frost Witch breaking off from the Magic Association and starting a war with it, with the assistance of the Beast Fiends, which emerged 16 years prior to the start of the game. Roland is a Knight in training, and through a strange twist of events is able to engage with witches and cast magic. That's as far as I can go as far as spoilers will allow. If it weren't for this game taking one plot twist from Star Wars, then it may have gotten a perfect score from me.
(9.5/10)
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VOICE ACTING: The voice acting in LA2 takes some getting used to. Maybe it's because of the grating voices of some characters, or maybe it's the script. There are also weird word choices that come up in game. The best example would be when one character says "Say goodbye to life", when using a healing item. Hardly seems appropriate, right? That's because when the characters attack or do mostly anything, they say something, taken from a pool of speech. IT would have been nice to see specific VA for specific acting. But I digress. You will eventually get used to the voice actors, and it will help you get a feel for the characters. Most of my remaining gripes remain with the script. It's not bad, just has a few questionable and embarrassing choices of words. But, overall, it's nice to see, as you will get used to it, and it will help characterize the characters. Speaking of which...
(7/10)
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CHARACTERS: ...here we are. Characters in LA2 are fairly shallow, I won't lie. They're basically you're JRPG stock characters, just with new faces and larger breasts. Oh, a quick thing to touch upon. The witches in LA2 are more modestly sized, with only two being fantastically well-endowed. Don't be mistaken, they're still there for the others, and still larger than most normal women with that type of figure and no surgery. Except for the 12 year old witch, which is nice to see. At least the Japanese still have some modesty. But I digress again. Every character in LA2 is pretty much cloned from LA1. Roland is Alph, Rasche is Leon, Rina is Cecille, Althea is Lucia, Fatima is Vanessa, Dia is Claire, and Kaph is Nikolai. I could go on, but I think that's enough. But, don't get me wrong, this doesn't make them unenjoyable. Although they're copy-pasted, they all have little nuances that make them their own; their own motives for what they do, different form what their LA1 counterparts would do. However, enjoyable as they are, it would have been nice to see more original characters, like Pip and Karen.
(7.5/10)
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BOSSES: In short, they're good. They're believable, and they all have different motives than what you think. They are all fleshed out well in game, given their own backstories. As for in game, they are brutal. They have ungodly amounts of HP (obscure joke referring to the first game, ha ha ha.), and are as powerful as you would expect. But, what makes them even harder is the amount of lackeys they have. There was one fight I had where the boss got 4 fresh units in every three turns, so if you didn't finish him quickly, the regulars would rush you, and you would be overwhelmed. I can't really say much more, because bosses are just more powerful enemies. However, they are well characterized, and that goes far.
(8.5/10)
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CLOSING COMMENTS: It's good, that's all you really need to know, and well worth your 40 dollars. The gameplay is the same as always, but with a few improvements and quirks to make it it's own. The Story is phenomenal and will draw you in. The VA will take time to get used to, and the script could have used work. The characters are the same from the first game, but have little nuances and their own motives, and marginally different personalities. The bosses are hard and well rounded, and will provide a challenge. And all that brings me to my final score:
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Luminous Arc 2 (9/10)
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So, should you buy it? Absolutely. Absolutely if you're a fan of SRPGs, JRPGs, or RPGs in general. However, for first timers, it could pose a considerable challenge. However, for SRPG vets, it's not as hard as I made it sound, really. But it's still definitely worth $40.