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Magna Carta
RPG players rejoice. For
those who are hankering for some role playing goodness on the PS2, Magna
Carta has hit the scene with a gameplay experience that will take you
over the 35 hour mark, making it very good value for money and quite a
good game to boot.
Playing the role of Callintz, you are part of a
mercenary group known as the Tears of Blood waging war against their
enemy, the Yason. The game is well carried out through battles and some
impressive CGI movies that harkens me back to the majesty of the Final
Fantasy series.
The title intersperses magic and science, with your
abilities being enhanced along the way with the experiences that you
have. A menagerie of fantastic supporting characters enhances the
overall gameplay, with a host that your character will identify with and
actually care about.
The game is pretty linear with no free roaming
involved whilst the title drives you ever onward to wherever it is that
you are headed next. Straying from the path will result in a character
telling you to get back on with the game, sort of like a friendly
invisible wall, unlike a racing game where you just have to bounce
magically back onto the track. It does get annoying though at times.
Bizarre creatures and even more bizarre characters
pervade the gameworld that you live in. Themes are pretty heavy handed
in the game and there are many plot twists and turns that you will have
to deal with in your quest to work out what is right and wrong in the
world of Efferia. Betrayal plays a large role in the title and
ultimately Callintz must choose who is right and wrong and whether the
war is just.
Graphically the title is nice enough to look at
though paling next to the CG movies that propel you along. At times some
of the colours are a little muted and washed out, but for the most part
all is fine. Magna Carta does have some problems with the in game camera
at times that does not allow you to fully enjoy some of the odd
countryside and its denizens. The score soundtrack is great and the
overall sounds of the title certainly do it justice.
Battles are quite stilted with a series of buttons
that need to be pressed in order to attack. Depending on the timing of
your button pressing will determine the sort of attack that you can
undertake. Even when travelling with a party, you will control one
character for the battle and when in a leadership position, a leadership
gauge must be filled for characters to attack on your behalf. The less
trust in your group, the harder it will be to get the others to stand up
for you in battle. It’s a neat approach but make sure that you are good
to everyone in your group or you might have some waiting to do before
attacking as a united party.
This is a good game, that with a bit more
development would have been a great game. It’s certainly worth the price
of entry and considering how long it will take you to get through, will
ensure it will keep you busy for quite some time. |
