I wanted to like Vandal Hearts II so much more than it would allow me to. The same negatives forced me to give the game a mixed review and a marginal recommendation. Its just the nagging negatives that eventually drew me away from it. I would even go as so far as it say that it dominated my attention for a while. In the end, I was rather involved with Vandal Hearts II in the time that I played it. Discrepancies like that often undermine the credibility of the story, which is unfortunate since a rich story deserves a rich presentation to match. The graphics, being overly cartoonish at times, often look inappropriate and a little demented when portraying vicious war atrocities. Lastly, the graphic presentation is clearly behind the times and inadequate in fleshing out the amazingly complex tale of political and personal intrigue. New weapons and spells breath a bit of life into the combat later, but even that effect begins to wear thin since it still pretty much feels the same as before. On top of that, the battles, which simply dominate the entire gameplay, gets very repetitive after dozens and dozens of confrontations. Don't expect the computer to behave naturally in the least. Still, not to be ignored is how frustratingly difficult (though sometimes rewarding) it can be to anticipate the computers tactics, which are often overly meticulous and mechanical. The battle system does have some positives in the way of strategic elements and can be enjoyable at times. One of the games characters, Yuri, even makes rather scathing remarks against religion and its control over the masses.ĭisappointingly, the rest of the game isn't up to the task of matching the innovative storyline. This is a game that doesn't just blindly put forth corruption as some sort of universal evil, but rather explains its origins and motivations through lusting for power or misguided religious fundamentalism. Never has a game been so frank in its depiction of the plight of the poor in stark contrast to the rich and noble upper classes. Aside from the violence, Vandal Hearts II also does an excellent job of bringing believable social, political, and religious elements to the plot. All the commonly associated war horrors, in the form of executions, torture, rape, and pillaging, is all openly conveyed (though not vividly depicted) throughout the games story sequences (that take place in-between battles). Vandal Hearts II's tale is focused on the lives of a group of characters and deals with all the harsh realities of war. Vandal Hearts II is slapped with a mature rating and its not hard to see why after being exposed to a few minutes of the story. I often praised RPGs for having great stories and characters, but with Vandal Hearts II, it is truly a step above the rest even when compared those from the mother of console RPG developers, SquareSoft. In terms of positives, Vandal Hearts II has one that is grossly underwritten in Dales review the story. Sadly, Vandal Hearts II is not one of those games. Very often, I come across a game that, despite its flaws, will make me focus more on its positives and allow me to recommend it wholeheartedly.
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