All Age Gaming's Danny Yee takes a look at the JRPG developed by Korean developer Softmax. Is Magna Carta 2 the perfect stop gap before Final Fantasy 13? Find out after the jump.
The topic of why JRPGS have fallen from the mainstream in the West has become a popular one lately, with many sites and even developers discussing why the genre is failing over here and how it could be fixed.
Well, it looks like Magna Carta 2 sums up what many people believe is the problem with the majority of games in the JRPG genre. (Okay, it's a KRPG, but the point still stands.) Go to the source for the full review...
"It’s easy to see that video games make perfect gifts and the best time to shop for those lucky people on your receiving list would be now. With retailers preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday as Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaches, chances are, you’ve already seen some great offers. But let’s not decide on anything just yet. After all, what fun is it to gift-giving if that special gamer doesn’t enjoy it right?"
Molotov Cupcake of Spawn Kill reviews an Xbox 360 exclusive JRPG that's both classic and enjoyable to the right player. Check out the full article for her thoughts.
"Namco Bandai Games have today announced an exciting line-up of titles to be exhibited over three stands at the MCM Expo in Docklands Excel Arena over the weekend of the 24th-25th October. Amongst them will be the eagerly anticipated Massively Multi-player Online (MMO) game, Star Trek Online with Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World and Ghostbusters: The Video Game along with a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest winning streak on the imminent Tekken 6, set to launch on Microsof..."
Gametrailers recently reviewed the Xbox 360 exclusive RPG MagnaCarta 2. So is it worth checking out? Let's see...
"Scamco" are at it again with their rip-off Downloadable Content. This time it's Magna Carta II. According to Destructoid: "For 400 Microsoft Points, you can download a 'Bonus Pack' that includes three comedy cutscenes and twelve weapons for the game's six main characters."
And that's not even the worst deal. Apparently Namco is selling Japan the cutscenes separately for 320 Points each, and two of the weapons for 320 Points as well.
Ouch!
"On Fate/Unlimited Codes, 411mania writes:
In 2007, French-Bread posted an April Fools' Day joke in which the company announced that it was developing a 2D hand-drawn fighter based on Type Moon's Fate/stay night franchise. Since French-Bread was also responsible for the popular Melty Blood games, many fans were convinced that there was something to the joke, especially considering how good the fake screenshots were. Melty Blood itself was first revealed in an April Fools' Day joke, so there..."
"MagnaCarta II (360 Import)
Even though the title indicates that this is the second MagnaCarta game, it is actually the third in the series, the first being for the PC and the second for the PS2. Unfortunately, Atlus' release of the PS2 sequel a few years ago wasn't very well received - some were impressed with the visuals and a lot of people liked the story, but many found the combat system off and most agreed that the voicework was bad. Luckily, MagnaCarta II features a whole new cast of ..."
A new video for Namco Bandai's upcoming Magna Carta II demonstrates the battle system, but more specifically the chain combo and chain break aspects of the game. Every attack builds up a character's stamina meter. Once full, that character will need to temporarily rest and you can switch to one of the other two characters in your party. This prompts a chain combo. Once you pull off a chain combo, performing a special attack will reset the stamina gauges for the characters, allowing you to tak...
The first Magna Carta game wasn't much of a success, but the second installment seems to be getting positive reactions from gaming sites. So will Magna Carta II redeem the series? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here is the newest trailer...
Discuss in the Magna Carta II forum
There are new screenshots available for Namco Bandai's Softmax-developer KRPG, Magna Carta II for the Xbox 360.
The male protagonist, Juto, makes use of two fighting styles: one-handed swordplay, and dual-swords. Changing between the styles affect how each character plays in regards to his/her movement, skills, etc. Skills are obtained by expending skill points that are earned at levelup. Komono is used to customize your equipment, and there are different ways to obtain these in battle....
Magna Carta II as one of the quieter games at E3, so here are the gameplay videos that were revealed. Here's hoping that battle music is implimented into the game, because a JRPG ain't a JRPG without proper music...
Also, check out the Magna Carta II E3 Cinematic Trailer.
Discuss in the Magna Carta II forum
One of the lesser known games at E3 2009 was Magna Carta II, a 360 exclusive J-RPG.
While the graphics and character designs are pretty to look at, the voice-acting sure is cheesy...
Also, check out the Magna Carta II E3 Gameplay Videos.
Discuss in the Magna Carta II forum
Namco Bandai have recently confirmed that the RPG Magna Carta II will be coming to North America. It is currently an Xbox 360 exclusive and will be released in the West later in the year.
Discuss in the Magna Carta II forum
"As news continues to flow in from 1UP’s coverage of Microsoft’s Japan Spring 2009 Title Preview, it has been revealed that 31 titles were announced at the event, specifically focused on the Japanese region. With 1 million Xbox 360 consoles sold so far in Japan, Microsoft are doing a 1 million point promotion for the region.
Some stand out titles shown include Namco Bandai’s Magna Carta 2 which is due out in Japan on the 6th of August, Tekken 6 which has a tentative release of Fall ..."
"Atlus has always specialized in bringing off-the-wall, unique RPGs to America, so this game will likely be one to watch. In the mean time, let's wonder why the Xbox 360 has become the bastion for JRPG games this generation. With Final Fantasy, Star Ocean, and the Tales Of franchises in tow, alongside countless other JRPGs, there are few current-generation entries into the genre that don't hit the Xbox 360. Weird, isn't it? The 360 is basically a Suikoden, Persona, Wild Arms, and Breath of Fir..."
"As a representative video game developer of Korea, Softmax is currently engaged in development projects on various platforms (online, console, mobile); it has developed major titles such as Magna Carta: Tears of Blood (PS2 & PSP; 2004, 2006 release) and Magna Carta 2 (Xbox 360, under development). Softmax announced that it would develop a game that can be enjoyed by a broader audience as well as various social classes by entering the Nintendo platform this time..."
![Box shot of MagnaCarta 2 [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvUm9sZS1QbGF5aW5nL0ZhbnRhc3k=/magna_carta_ii_frontcover_small_eEDeujsJwRz5HSR.jpg)