MagnaCarta II
Encyclopedia
MagnaCarta II is a video game developed by South Korean developer Softmax
and published by Banpresto
exclusively for Xbox 360
. It is a follow-up to the role-playing games Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche
released on Windows
and Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata
released on the PlayStation 2
. It was released in Japan on August 6, 2009 and in North America on October 13, 2009. This marks the series' first entry onto a seventh generation console
. The game was officially unveiled in the April 2009 edition of Famitsu
magazine.
In the game, players earn Kamonds by defeating monsters that can be used to power-up weapons (by using the Kamond Board that comes with all weapons) and create new items. Kamonds are vessels for condensing and containing Kan, the formless power that exists in the world. Kamonds filled with Kan are used to improve weapons, strengthen characters, and craft new accessories. Kamonds are usually obtained by defeating monsters or Sentinels, but can also be found in treasure chests or as rewards for finishing quests. At Kamond Shops, players can craft to turn Kamonds into new accessories. Recipes and money are needed to craft with Kamonds. Recipes are earned as rewards for completing certain quests.
The game is said to deliver 40 hours of gameplay.
January 1449 on the Lanzheim Calendar. Queen Ibrin of Lanzheim was assassinated by her Prime Minister, Schuenzeit. He imprisoned the queen's only daughter, Princess Rzephillda, then usurped the royal throne. One by one, he had all who opposed him put to death. During this, Rzephillda, with help from her friend bodyguard Rue, somehow managed to escape. They fled south to the city of Abazet, and joined forces with its ruler, Count Alex. They formed the Southern Forces Army under the banner of "liberation", and rose up against Schuenzeit's Northern Forces Army, composed of soldiers of the Lanzheim Army.
Schuenzeit soon launched an exhaustive campaign to eliminate the Southern Forces, resulting in the start of the Lanzheim Civil War. At first, the South—fighting to see the restoration of the throne—fought fiercely, and forced the Northern Forces Army back to their capital at Belfort. In triumph, the Southern Forces Army set forth toward the capital. However, they did not know that Schuenzeit was waiting for them there, with an army of "living" weapons known as Sentinals at his command. What followed was absolute slaughter.
With no way to fight back against the Sentinals, the Southern Forces wer eforced to retreat back to Abazet. Princess Rzephillda, or Zephie to her comrades, founded the elite Counter-Sentinel Unit and took to the battlefield herself. However, this brought little change to the odds; in desperation, Zephie sent Rue to Belfort to discover how Sentinals are made. Rue found what she was looking for, but was discovered by the Northern Forces in the process. Zephie set out to Belfort to save Rue.
Upon reunion, Zephie and Rue made their way back to Abazet, evading the enemies' persistent attempts to track them. But at last, they found standing in their path the ruthless Northern Forces general: Elgar "The Regicide". Rue drew her weapons to defend the Princess, but the difference in power was obvious. Elgar raised his sword to deal the finishing blow to Rue...
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
(Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch
(English)
Zephie (Female | Wind Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Leader): The game's heroine, Rzephillda Grena Berlinette (or Zephie to her friends) is the rightful heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lanzheim, which was stolen by the usurper Schuenzeit. She now leads the Counter-Sentinel Unit, a special unit of the Southern Forces Army, in hope of one day retrieving her throne and restoring peace to the empire. The hardships she has experienced, such as her mother's assassination and her subsequent imprisonment, have lent her an unusually cool and unshakable demeanor for a girl her age. The reason she represses her true emotions is for the sake of the many complicated roles she plays.
Voiced by: Aya Hirano
(Japanese), Michelle Ruff
(English)
Rue (Female | Lightning Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): Her full name is Siara Rue Tessia, but after she became Zephie's bodyguard she started calling herself "Rue". She is older and more mature than her childish appearance would suggest - the exact opposite of Celestine. Having trained from a young age to be Zephie's bodyguard, she has learned to repress her emotions and to always act in a level-headed manner. Clever, cunning, and fearless, her training has given her a black and white view of the world. As a result, she dislikes breaking rules and promises, and has a hard time seeing things from another person's perspective. She is currently trying to improve this aspect of herself.
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
(Japanese), Kate Higgins
(English)
Crocell Reeden (Male | Fire Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): A young fire wizard in the Counter-Sentinel Unit, Crocell may look like a cute little boy, but he has a rude way of speaking, and he's not afraid to speak out about anything he doesn't like. He has a hard time getting close to people or being honest with himself, but he's very good at pushing other people's buttons—a trait that often leads him into conflict with the short-tempered Juto. He lost his family and aristocracy in the war, and hates the Northern Forces Army because of it.
Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama
(Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal
(English)
Argo Kindu (Male | Warrior | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): A warrior of the long-lived Trewa race, Argo has a massive body as hard as a rock. Level-headed, patient, and responsible, he often plays the role of mediator during arguments. A very responsible person, he's usually slow to anger—though if he does lose his temper, he becomes like an unstoppable inferno. He possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Lanzheim, and seems far wiser and more knowledgeable than other Trewa of the same age.
Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu
(Japanese), Jamieson Price
(English)
Celestine Roaa (Female | Ice Wizard | Archer): A lively, high-spirited Mare girl. The Mare people look just like humans, but their lifespan is a little under 40 years. They reach physical maturity at the age of 10, and remain young-looking until they die. Psychologically speaking, though, they mature at the same rate as humans do, so even though Celestine's has the body of an adult, her mind is still that of a 12-year-old girl. As such, she always speaks her mind, and expresses her true feelings without hesitation—with Celestine, what you see is what you get.
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya
(Japanese), Stephanie Sheh
(English)
Schuenzeit Baren (Male | Supreme Commander of the Northern Forces Army): The main antagonist of the game. Formerly the Prime Minister of Lanzheim, he assassinated Queen Ibrin and usurped her throne three years prior to the game's main events. Grave and solemn, his very presence demands deference from those around him. Even when he seems to be acting at ease, his peculiar charisma makes it impossible for others to drop their guard. Cool-headed and crafty, there is no limit to the cruelty he is capable of if it helps him achieve his goals. He is said to be a peerless swordsman, but no one has ever seen him in action.
Voiced by: Jōji Nakata (Japanese), Steve Blum (English)
The weapons and base stats are as follows:
score of 68. IGN
criticized the battle system stating, "this feels almost archaic and could have been run on a PS1, enemy AI is almost non-existent and character abilities are generic." Robert Townslend of Game Informer
said, "While the story starts off having the potential to be great, it quickly degrades into the same old story of a young man with no memories saving a kingdom. This has only been done thousands of times in other games." Annette Gonzalez of Game Informer was more positive citing that "Battles are intuitive and addicting, although awkward camera angles can sometimes hinder combat", and praising the voice cast, saying the fully voiced dialogue is a "vast improvement over Tears of Blood."
Softmax
Softmax is a Korean developer and publisher of game entertainment, computer and video games. They are best known for their War of Genesis series, Magna Carta series, and MMORPG Talesweaver. It is currently enlisted in the Korea Stock Exchange ....
and published by Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
exclusively for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is a follow-up to the role-playing games Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche
Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche
Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche is a CRPG released in 2001 in South Korea by Softmax, and is the predecessor to the PlayStation 2 title, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood. It is the first installment in the Magna Carta series...
released on Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata
Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata
Magna Carta: Crimson Stigmata is a PlayStation 2 RPG released in 2004 in South Korea by Softmax, and in Japan by Banpresto. It is the sequel to the 2001 CRPG, Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche, and the second installment in the Magna Carta series...
released on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. It was released in Japan on August 6, 2009 and in North America on October 13, 2009. This marks the series' first entry onto a seventh generation console
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
. The game was officially unveiled in the April 2009 edition of Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine.
Gameplay
The game's battle system mixes strategic turn-based and real-time elements. There is a free-roaming camera throughout the game. When an encounter with an enemy occurs during field movement or an event, the player has the option of switching from Movement Mode, during which the controlled character can move freely, to Combat Mode, during which the character draws his or her weapon. This gives the player an opportunity to attack. There is no loading screen when entering a fight; all battles take place in the field. During a battle, players can switch control of party members and customize AI for the computer-controlled characters. The player controls up to three "active" party members, with three more "inactive" members waiting in the wings. The player can switch out inactive members during battle.In the game, players earn Kamonds by defeating monsters that can be used to power-up weapons (by using the Kamond Board that comes with all weapons) and create new items. Kamonds are vessels for condensing and containing Kan, the formless power that exists in the world. Kamonds filled with Kan are used to improve weapons, strengthen characters, and craft new accessories. Kamonds are usually obtained by defeating monsters or Sentinels, but can also be found in treasure chests or as rewards for finishing quests. At Kamond Shops, players can craft to turn Kamonds into new accessories. Recipes and money are needed to craft with Kamonds. Recipes are earned as rewards for completing certain quests.
The game is said to deliver 40 hours of gameplay.
Synopsis
MagnaCarta II follows a story set in war-torn Lanzheim, involving a male character named Juto, who cannot remember his past. The game contains character designs by Korean artist Hyung-Tae Kim, who has done the same for the previous installments, and will include fully voiced CGI cut-scenes to deliver parts of its narrative.Prologue
Long ago, the Great Carta War left the continent of Lanzheim a barren ruin. Over the course of 1100 years, the land was restored to its former glory. Its many races lived in peace and harmony. But the shadows of war are now closing in once again.January 1449 on the Lanzheim Calendar. Queen Ibrin of Lanzheim was assassinated by her Prime Minister, Schuenzeit. He imprisoned the queen's only daughter, Princess Rzephillda, then usurped the royal throne. One by one, he had all who opposed him put to death. During this, Rzephillda, with help from her friend bodyguard Rue, somehow managed to escape. They fled south to the city of Abazet, and joined forces with its ruler, Count Alex. They formed the Southern Forces Army under the banner of "liberation", and rose up against Schuenzeit's Northern Forces Army, composed of soldiers of the Lanzheim Army.
Schuenzeit soon launched an exhaustive campaign to eliminate the Southern Forces, resulting in the start of the Lanzheim Civil War. At first, the South—fighting to see the restoration of the throne—fought fiercely, and forced the Northern Forces Army back to their capital at Belfort. In triumph, the Southern Forces Army set forth toward the capital. However, they did not know that Schuenzeit was waiting for them there, with an army of "living" weapons known as Sentinals at his command. What followed was absolute slaughter.
With no way to fight back against the Sentinals, the Southern Forces wer eforced to retreat back to Abazet. Princess Rzephillda, or Zephie to her comrades, founded the elite Counter-Sentinel Unit and took to the battlefield herself. However, this brought little change to the odds; in desperation, Zephie sent Rue to Belfort to discover how Sentinals are made. Rue found what she was looking for, but was discovered by the Northern Forces in the process. Zephie set out to Belfort to save Rue.
Upon reunion, Zephie and Rue made their way back to Abazet, evading the enemies' persistent attempts to track them. But at last, they found standing in their path the ruthless Northern Forces general: Elgar "The Regicide". Rue drew her weapons to defend the Princess, but the difference in power was obvious. Elgar raised his sword to deal the finishing blow to Rue...
Characters
Juto (Male | Swordsman | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): The young protagonist of the game. Juto is an amnesiac. With no knowledge of his past, he settled down into a normal life on Highwind Island, until his life was turned upside-down by the war. Melissa, who gave him the name Juto, has been like a big sister to him ever since he came to Highwind Island. Juto is very outgoing and can be very childish at times, particularly when it comes to taking orders from others.Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
Jun Fukuyama
is a voice actor. He was previously represented by Aoni Production and Production Baobab, and is now represented by . In 2007, he won the first Seiyu Awards for the best actor in leading role as Lelouch Lamperouge in Code Geass...
(Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch
Johnny Yong Bosch
Johnny Yong Bosch is an American actor, voice actor, martial artist, and musician.He may be best known for portraying Adam Park in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and being the English voice of Ichigo Kurosaki in the hit anime series Bleach, Vash the Stampede in Trigun and Lelouch Lamperouge in Code...
(English)
Zephie (Female | Wind Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Leader): The game's heroine, Rzephillda Grena Berlinette (or Zephie to her friends) is the rightful heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lanzheim, which was stolen by the usurper Schuenzeit. She now leads the Counter-Sentinel Unit, a special unit of the Southern Forces Army, in hope of one day retrieving her throne and restoring peace to the empire. The hardships she has experienced, such as her mother's assassination and her subsequent imprisonment, have lent her an unusually cool and unshakable demeanor for a girl her age. The reason she represses her true emotions is for the sake of the many complicated roles she plays.
Voiced by: Aya Hirano
Aya Hirano
from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career, and for her singing career,...
(Japanese), Michelle Ruff
Michelle Ruff
Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
(English)
Rue (Female | Lightning Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): Her full name is Siara Rue Tessia, but after she became Zephie's bodyguard she started calling herself "Rue". She is older and more mature than her childish appearance would suggest - the exact opposite of Celestine. Having trained from a young age to be Zephie's bodyguard, she has learned to repress her emotions and to always act in a level-headed manner. Clever, cunning, and fearless, her training has given her a black and white view of the world. As a result, she dislikes breaking rules and promises, and has a hard time seeing things from another person's perspective. She is currently trying to improve this aspect of herself.
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
Ayako Kawasumi
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "" and "". She is a skilled pianist, having practiced the piano since childhood....
(Japanese), Kate Higgins
Kate Higgins
Catherine Davis "Kate" Higgins is an American voice actress, singer, and jazz pianist. She was born in Charlottesville, Virginia grew up in Auburn, Alabama, and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is best known as the English voice of Sakura Haruno on the hit anime series Naruto, Talho Yūki from...
(English)
Crocell Reeden (Male | Fire Wizard | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): A young fire wizard in the Counter-Sentinel Unit, Crocell may look like a cute little boy, but he has a rude way of speaking, and he's not afraid to speak out about anything he doesn't like. He has a hard time getting close to people or being honest with himself, but he's very good at pushing other people's buttons—a trait that often leads him into conflict with the short-tempered Juto. He lost his family and aristocracy in the war, and hates the Northern Forces Army because of it.
Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama
Noriaki Sugiyama
is a Japanese voice actor and television actor best known for his roles as Sasuke Uchiha in Naruto, Uryū Ishida in Bleach, Shirō Emiya in Fate/Stay Night, and England in Axis Powers Hetalia....
(Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
(English)
Argo Kindu (Male | Warrior | Counter-Sentinel Unit Member): A warrior of the long-lived Trewa race, Argo has a massive body as hard as a rock. Level-headed, patient, and responsible, he often plays the role of mediator during arguments. A very responsible person, he's usually slow to anger—though if he does lose his temper, he becomes like an unstoppable inferno. He possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Lanzheim, and seems far wiser and more knowledgeable than other Trewa of the same age.
Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu
Ryotaro Okiayu
is a Japanese voice actor, who was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and raised in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. He has been active since 1989, and is currently affiliated with Aoni Production....
(Japanese), Jamieson Price
Jamieson Price
Jamieson Kent Price is an American voice actor.Price was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is most well known for his deep and booming voice and can be heard in numerous anime shows and video games. He is also known as Taylor Henry and James Lyon...
(English)
Celestine Roaa (Female | Ice Wizard | Archer): A lively, high-spirited Mare girl. The Mare people look just like humans, but their lifespan is a little under 40 years. They reach physical maturity at the age of 10, and remain young-looking until they die. Psychologically speaking, though, they mature at the same rate as humans do, so even though Celestine's has the body of an adult, her mind is still that of a 12-year-old girl. As such, she always speaks her mind, and expresses her true feelings without hesitation—with Celestine, what you see is what you get.
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya
Rie Kugimiya
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with I'm Enterprise.Kugimiya's most famous roles include Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Happy in Fairy Tail, Kagura in Gintama, Nagi Sanzenin in Hayate no Gotoku!, Shana in Shakugan no Shana, Louise in Zero no Tsukaima, Taiga Aisaka in Toradora!, and...
(Japanese), Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
(English)
Schuenzeit Baren (Male | Supreme Commander of the Northern Forces Army): The main antagonist of the game. Formerly the Prime Minister of Lanzheim, he assassinated Queen Ibrin and usurped her throne three years prior to the game's main events. Grave and solemn, his very presence demands deference from those around him. Even when he seems to be acting at ease, his peculiar charisma makes it impossible for others to drop their guard. Cool-headed and crafty, there is no limit to the cruelty he is capable of if it helps him achieve his goals. He is said to be a peerless swordsman, but no one has ever seen him in action.
Voiced by: Jōji Nakata (Japanese), Steve Blum (English)
Magna Carta 2 Bonus Pack
This expansion adds three bonus cutscenes (viewable through the Main Menu, under "Extras"). It also gives the player 12 powerful weapons, two for each of the main characters, upon loading his or her save profile.The weapons and base stats are as follows:
| Weapon | Argo | Celestine | Crocell | Juto | Rue | Zephie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Weapon | 1,000t Hammer Atk:260 Rst:40 |
Sweet Banana Sprt:220 STA Rec:45 |
Hot Blood Rocket Sprt:260 |
Fluorescent Sword Atk:250 Def:55 |
Emperor of Lightning Atk:270 |
Berry Sweets Sprt:210 STA:50 |
| Second Weapon | Red Moon Hatchet Atk:290 |
Rabbit Bow Sprt:260 |
Boxer's Soul Atk:270 |
Midnight Sun Sword Atk:270 |
Ruby Bloom Sprt:260 |
Sweet Candy Sprt:270 |
Reception
The game received generally middling reviews from critics, earning an aggregate MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
score of 68. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
criticized the battle system stating, "this feels almost archaic and could have been run on a PS1, enemy AI is almost non-existent and character abilities are generic." Robert Townslend of Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
said, "While the story starts off having the potential to be great, it quickly degrades into the same old story of a young man with no memories saving a kingdom. This has only been done thousands of times in other games." Annette Gonzalez of Game Informer was more positive citing that "Battles are intuitive and addicting, although awkward camera angles can sometimes hinder combat", and praising the voice cast, saying the fully voiced dialogue is a "vast improvement over Tears of Blood."