Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Encyclopedia
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus
and published by Midway
in 2004. It is a direct continuation of Shadow Hearts
and the second official game in the Shadow Hearts series. The game features two DVD-ROM discs instead of the usual one, which provides, according to the publisher, over forty hours of gameplay.
The game is also known as . This is the name used within the game itself: the name "Shadow Hearts: Covenant" was used only on the American and European packaging and in advertising.
The story starts a year and a half after Shadow Hearts in the midst of World War I
. The heroes are drawn into an intriguing plot involving the demons of demonolatry, the chief advisor of the tsar
of Russia and a man from main character Yuri's past.
The release of Shadow Hearts: Covenant generated much more fanfare than its predecessor. As such, the series gained a much wider following in the United States. It was named IGN RPG Vault PS2 Game of the Year for 2004 http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/578/578465p3.html.
In Shadow Hearts: Covenant, players are able to customize the Judgment Ring to their own preferences with the introduction of two new Ring items: Hit Area Expand and Strike Expand, making the game easier or more challenging to the player, depending on what they want. Several ring types are also introduced to cater to the different players e.g. Practice Ring for beginners, Normal Ring for amateurs, Technical Ring for veterans and lastly, Auto Ring for gamers who simply are just too lazy to aim at the Judgment Ring. Players can also equip Ring Items that can have added effects to the character's physical attack e.g. Poison, Paralysis etc.
A worthy mention of the new battle mechanism would be the introduction of the Crest Magic system, in which players may equip Crests to certain characters to would allow them to cast different types of elemental magic. Along the journey, players collect new crests and gain access to more powerful magic. The crests may also be positioned in a key item called Solomon's Key; positioning the crests correctly will unlock new spells for each crest for a certain region. Most of the crests' names are derived from demonology
.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant also includes "Hit Classes" which are incorporated with the physical and magical attacks. These include: Standard, Hard Hit, High Angle and Knock Down. Depending on the "weight" of the opponent monster, you'll be able to do more damage when connecting a combo during battle. Conversely, if an attack with an inappropriate Hit Class is used to continue a combo, the end result is a missed attack, or rather, a Combo Break.
For example, a Standard hit will simply push an enemy behind while attacking. This allows for any other type of Hit Class attack to be connected to do a Combo. A High Angle and Knock Down combo attack is another similar example. However, say if a Knock Down attack is applied to an enemy who has a "Heavy" weight followed by a High Angle hit, it will most probably miss since the enemy is still Knocked Down at that moment when the combo attack is made.
Combo shortcuts are also introduced where players are able to assign physical/magical attacks onto the controller buttons. This reduces the time taken to create a Combo attack as one character can attack immediately after another with a simple press of the button. However, this makes the game more challenging as players have to decide quickly what kind of attack they should follow up next as the combo shortcut menu appears only for a short amount of time i.e. when the preceding character is in the midst of launching his/her attack.
The shop system has been improved since Shadow Hearts. The player no longer has to perform the Strike Rings from the lowest level to the required discount level. Instead points are given when a successful discount purchase is executed successfully. The points are accumulated and the player's shop discount rank is leveled up once the points reaches a certain value. As the discount rank increases, so does the percentage of discount the player can try for is also increased. This applies to raising the selling price of items the players wishes to sell as well.
has stubbornly refused to fall to the German advance at the beginning of World War I
thanks to the aid of a "demon
" which seems to defend it. Lieutenant Karin Koenig of the German army
is sent along with a person who claims to be an Inquistor
from the Vatican, Nicolas Conrad, to acquire a means of exorcising
this demon, the Holy Mistletoe. However, the 'Demon of Domremy' is actually the Harmonixer Yuri from the first Shadow Hearts. Nicolas casts the curse of the Mistletoe on Yuri, which causes him to lose his fusions and weakens him; in addition, this reveals that Nicolas is a member of the sorcerous faction called Sapientes Gladio who wishes to rule the world through dark magic.
Karin and a weakened Yuri manage to escape with help from Domremy residents Blanca and Gepetto and make their way across Europe, gathering their strength and new some allies, Joachim and Lucia. The group also encounters two subordinates of Nicholas, Lenny Curtis and Veronica Vera, intermittently while seeking out a cure for Yuri. After some searching, they locate Roger Bacon
, from the previous title, who points the group to the real leader of Sapientes Gladio. Bacon's tip sends the group to Petrograd in an attempt to stop the dark wizard, Rasputin. They realize they must save the Russian royal family from his nefarious plot, while inadvertently recruiting Princess Anastasia Romanov into their fold. At first, Rasputin thwarts the groups efforts, so they seek out the former leader of Sapientes Gladio for advice. They meet the great sage, Jovis, who resides in Turkey among a small number of supporters who left Sapientes Gladio after Rasputin took control. Jovis allows Karin to enter Yuri's unconscious to free him of his internal binding, releasing his hidden power. Using Yuri's rediscovered abilities, Yuri and his group return to Russia and soundly defeat Rasputin, who had fused with the great demon Asmodeus
to obtain his dark power. Nicolas, or "Nicolai", reveals himself to be a bastard son of Czar Nicholas II, with sights on the Russian throne, who had hoped to use Rasputin's plot to gain rule over Russia. With Rasputin gone, he makes one last attempt to inflict evil on the world by opening a sealed door which releases malice. Although Nicolai is fused with another powerful demon, Astaroth
, he is defeated as well. Nevertheless, the door is opened and malice is released into the world. As Yuri and his group recover, Nicolai is taken by his ally, Japanese Envoy Kato, to Kato's homeland.
Due to malice being released, the war's brutality escalates. The group follows Kato and his agents to Japan in an attempt to find and destroy Nicolai, who still contains the demon Astaroth, once and for all. However, this leads the group to be in conflict against the Japanese government because Nicolai is under the custody of the Japanese government. With the Emigre Manuscript, Kato creates the Mutant Apes, powerful warriors who loyally follow his command. One of the Mutant Apes, Ouka, is created from DNA of his deceased lover, Yoshiko Kawashima, who died six months ago in the first Shadow Hearts. After Yuri's band stops the Japanese government from starting a war with Russia using the captured Nicolai and his powers, Nicolai himself escapes and intends to destroy the world. Yuri and Kato's groups both go after Nicolai, now completely corrupted by the demon Astaroth
. Although Astaroth is eventually defeated by Yuri, Nicolai causes the death of the Mutant Ape Ouka before he is finally destroyed.
Kato is completely devastated by the second death of his love, and after he kills Nicolai, decides the world is full of too much evil and suffering and must be destroyed. Using the magic of Emigre Manuscript, he begins a ritual that will transport him 100 years into the past, where he can use his power and foreknowledge to remake the present world according to his own desires. Believing that the future they want is the one that they create for themselves, Yuri and his friends and allies stop Kato from carrying out his apocalyptic plans.
Like its predecessor, Covenant has two endings, depending on a choice made by the player earlier in the game. In the "bad" ending, Yuri's personality and memories are erased by the Mistletoe's curse, and he lives out the rest of his life in Wales under the care of Roger Bacon. In the "good" ending, Masaji Kato tells Yuri that they must wish for the world they want to return to and that they can return there, they all pray and start to disappear one by one, Yuri stays and Alice narrates that she realizes he stayed and chose death because he didn't want to lose his soul and memories to the Mistletoe's curse. Yuri then dies and Alice narrates they will be together forever, showing the Yuri growing out of the tree in the Graveyard starting to rise out as Alice arrives, then credits start just as she pulls him out. Yuri then finds himself at the beginning of the first Shadow Hearts (Alice narrates that this is where he secretly prayed to be), yet he has his memories of the events after it (as evidenced by him referring to the train in past tense). In both endings Karin travels back in time to 1887 and meets Yuri's father Ben where it is revealed that she is actually Yuri's mother.
Of the two outcomes, it is unveiled in the Japanese Shadow Hearts: Covenant guidebook by the developers that the "good" ending is canon.
Returning from the first Shadow Hearts, Yuri settles in the town of Domremy after burying Alice Elliot in Zurich
, Switzerland
. He uses his Fusion form to scare invading soldiers away from the village, but runs into problems when Nicolai Conrad from the Vatican strikes him with the Holy Mistletoe, cursing him and diminishing his powers. He now travels with the party, hoping to regain his abilities and fight off the new evils infecting the world. His aloof and rude traits have been somewhat tempered by the loss of Alice, but are still there in many situations.
Yuri is one of the characters able to have five hit areas alongside Joachim and Kurando. Yuri has the highest SP (Sanity Points) in the party. His numerous transformations along with each of their unique stats and abilities make him incredibly balanced, allowing him to fulfill any position of the party (i.e.: physical fighter, magic-user, healer, etc.)
Karin Koenig ( in the Japanese version)
An officer in the German army and descendant of a long line of Bavarian nobility, Karin first encounters Yuri at the church in Domremy, when he saves her from an errant grenade. After accompanying Nicolai to obtain the Mistletoe and watching the ensuing events, Karin joins Yuri's side. In one of the endings it shows her causing a Predestination paradox
when she meets Yuri's father and sets in motion a series of events. Fiercely independent and well-mannered, she harbors a crush and later deep love for him, and sticks by him in any situation. She uses swords, especially rapier
s, in battle and obtains Sword Art power-up through the score of the Wagner opera Der Ring des Nibelungen
.
Karin does not really have a weakness nor strength. She is a balanced fighter between physical and magical, but is more toward the former.
Once a renowned showman and puppeteer known throughout Europe, Gepetto retired to the quiet village of Domremy only to become mixed up in the affairs of Yuri and Nicolai. He offers good advice, but also has a bit of a lecherous side. He uses his beautiful puppet Cornelia (named for his late daughter) to fight and channel his magic-based Marionette skills. Gepetto has the highest magic stat in the party in exchange for a weak physical and special defense. Cornelia can obtain new dresses which give her different elemental attributes by collecting Stud Cards.
Blanca ( in the Japanese version)
A white wolf, and unofficial guardian of Domremy, he joins Yuri after his young owner Jeanne is killed by Sapientes Gladio. Loyal and wise, Blanca encounters other wolves throughout the world which he can fight in Wolf Bouts to raise the power of his Manifestation skills.
Blanca's balanced between physical and magical attributes (though more toward the latter) like Karin along with a high speed potential.
After briefly appearing in the original game taunting his brother Keith, Joachim is found as the protector of the French village of Le Havre. Joachim is both a vampire and a trained wrestler who joins the party when he succeeds in defeating the mayor, who has been pestering Granny Lot for her store. He uses several forms to fight in battle, which change depending on his Joachythms. His regular form is most frequently seen; "Invisible" form lowers his chance of being targeted; "Golden Bat" form greatly raises his physical strength but eliminates his magic abilities and halves his hit point capacity, and his super hero form, "Grand Papillon" (which is French for "Butterfly"), is a powered-up version of his regular form.
Joachim has the highest physical damage potential (even exceeding Yuri), but the trade-off is his slow speed, weak magic defense, and random transformations. He is also able to equip five hit areas.
A master fortune-teller as popular for her beauty as her abilities, Lucia is sent by her mistress, Carla, with the party to train her abilities. She is short-sighted, flighty, and tends to speak without thinking. Her Tarot Cards ability is risky, while her Aroma Therapy is an incredibly versatile supportive ability.
Princess Anastasia Romanov
( in the Japanese version)(Russian: Анастасия Николаевна Романова)
The fourth daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Anastasia is outgoing, inquisitive and does whatever she wants (such as sneaking out from her castle at night and stealing snacks). However, Anastasia is the only one in her family who is suspicious of her father's adviser, Grigori Rasputin
. When he frames Yuri and the party for controlling Anastasia and forcing her to attempt murder on her little brother Alexei, she joins forces with Yuri to stop Rasputin. Anastasia can use her Snapshot ability to get information on enemies and in some cases learn their abilities. She also possesses a magical stat that can rival Gepetto.
The samurai bodyguard of the Kawashimas, Kurando, as suggested by his master, , decides to join with Yuri and party after rescuing Yoshiko, Naniwa's adopted daughter. It was told in the game that Kurando's mother, Saki, is the sister of Yuri's father which makes Kurando and Yuri cousins. Kurando is the only other character in the party unable to use crest magic, however, like Yuri he is capable of fusing into demons. He has a maximum of 5 hit areas. His second form grants him a competitive strength and unrivaled speed that not even Yuri or Blanca can match. Kurando has two fusion forms; Tsukiyomi and Jutendouji
, with the latter being stronger.
, cutscenes, voices, the way the Judgment Ring worked, and the cast of characters. Game critics have also smiled upon Shadow Hearts: Covenant much more than the original, and a general consensus seems to be that the game is an overall improvement on the first.
An interesting bit of trivia, is that, when this game was in its early stages of development, Aruze "leaked" that the story revolved around only Nicolai, Karin and other yet-to-be-named allies. Yuri was unmentioned and Shadow Hearts 2 was believed to be absent and this game a separate story. However, once the game was released, many players and fans were surprised and delighted to see that Yuri had made his return as the main focus of this game.
Changes also include some new music tracks, a slightly bigger Judgment Ring, and support for the PlayStation 2 HDD.
and Yasunori Mitsuda
returned to compose the music for Shadow Hearts II but this time they were joined by Kenji Ito
. The three of them collabarated together for the joint composition of the Final Boss Battle Theme The 3 Karma ~ Decisive Battle.
The OST
(Original Soundtrack) of Shadow Hearts II was released as two Compact Disc
s under the name of Shadow Hearts II Original Soundtracks by Team Entertainment
in Japan
on March 24, 2004.
The ending theme, titled GETSURENKA ~ Ending sung by Mio Isayama, was composed by Yoshitaka Hirota and the lyrics were written by Kumiko Hasegawa.
The music tracks exclusive to the Director's Cut version of the game were later released in Japan on the Shadow Hearts Special Sound CD which was included as part of the Shadow Hearts: From the New World Premium Box.
Sacnoth
Sacnoth was a small Japanese based video games developer.Sacnoth’s high profile games include Koudelka for the PlayStation, the three Shadow Hearts games for the PlayStation 2, and Faselei! for the Neo Geo Pocket Color...
and published by Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
in 2004. It is a direct continuation of Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts (video game)
is a console role-playing game developed by Sacnoth and published by Aruze Corp in Japan and in the United States and Europe by Midway in 2001. It is the first official game in the Shadow Hearts series and is the sequel to Koudelka. Shadow Hearts follows the adventures of Yuri Hyuga, a Harmonixer...
and the second official game in the Shadow Hearts series. The game features two DVD-ROM discs instead of the usual one, which provides, according to the publisher, over forty hours of gameplay.
The game is also known as . This is the name used within the game itself: the name "Shadow Hearts: Covenant" was used only on the American and European packaging and in advertising.
The story starts a year and a half after Shadow Hearts in the midst of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The heroes are drawn into an intriguing plot involving the demons of demonolatry, the chief advisor of the tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
of Russia and a man from main character Yuri's past.
The release of Shadow Hearts: Covenant generated much more fanfare than its predecessor. As such, the series gained a much wider following in the United States. It was named IGN RPG Vault PS2 Game of the Year for 2004 http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/578/578465p3.html.
Gameplay
The Judgment Ring from Shadow Hearts returns with many modifications and improvements. Also, battle has been greatly expanded by different types of attacks as well as combo attacks. An element of physics has been added to battles as well, which links to the types of combo attacks which can be performed.In Shadow Hearts: Covenant, players are able to customize the Judgment Ring to their own preferences with the introduction of two new Ring items: Hit Area Expand and Strike Expand, making the game easier or more challenging to the player, depending on what they want. Several ring types are also introduced to cater to the different players e.g. Practice Ring for beginners, Normal Ring for amateurs, Technical Ring for veterans and lastly, Auto Ring for gamers who simply are just too lazy to aim at the Judgment Ring. Players can also equip Ring Items that can have added effects to the character's physical attack e.g. Poison, Paralysis etc.
A worthy mention of the new battle mechanism would be the introduction of the Crest Magic system, in which players may equip Crests to certain characters to would allow them to cast different types of elemental magic. Along the journey, players collect new crests and gain access to more powerful magic. The crests may also be positioned in a key item called Solomon's Key; positioning the crests correctly will unlock new spells for each crest for a certain region. Most of the crests' names are derived from demonology
Demonology
Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. It is the branch of theology relating to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent...
.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant also includes "Hit Classes" which are incorporated with the physical and magical attacks. These include: Standard, Hard Hit, High Angle and Knock Down. Depending on the "weight" of the opponent monster, you'll be able to do more damage when connecting a combo during battle. Conversely, if an attack with an inappropriate Hit Class is used to continue a combo, the end result is a missed attack, or rather, a Combo Break.
For example, a Standard hit will simply push an enemy behind while attacking. This allows for any other type of Hit Class attack to be connected to do a Combo. A High Angle and Knock Down combo attack is another similar example. However, say if a Knock Down attack is applied to an enemy who has a "Heavy" weight followed by a High Angle hit, it will most probably miss since the enemy is still Knocked Down at that moment when the combo attack is made.
Combo shortcuts are also introduced where players are able to assign physical/magical attacks onto the controller buttons. This reduces the time taken to create a Combo attack as one character can attack immediately after another with a simple press of the button. However, this makes the game more challenging as players have to decide quickly what kind of attack they should follow up next as the combo shortcut menu appears only for a short amount of time i.e. when the preceding character is in the midst of launching his/her attack.
The shop system has been improved since Shadow Hearts. The player no longer has to perform the Strike Rings from the lowest level to the required discount level. Instead points are given when a successful discount purchase is executed successfully. The points are accumulated and the player's shop discount rank is leveled up once the points reaches a certain value. As the discount rank increases, so does the percentage of discount the player can try for is also increased. This applies to raising the selling price of items the players wishes to sell as well.
Plot
The town of DomremyDomrémy-la-Pucelle
Domrémy-la-Pucelle is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.The village, originally named Domrémy, is the birthplace of Joan of Arc. It has since been renamed Domrémy-la-Pucelle after Joan's nickname, la Pucelle d'Orléans .-Geography:Domrémy is positioned along the...
has stubbornly refused to fall to the German advance at the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
thanks to the aid of a "demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
" which seems to defend it. Lieutenant Karin Koenig of the German army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
is sent along with a person who claims to be an Inquistor
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
from the Vatican, Nicolas Conrad, to acquire a means of exorcising
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
this demon, the Holy Mistletoe. However, the 'Demon of Domremy' is actually the Harmonixer Yuri from the first Shadow Hearts. Nicolas casts the curse of the Mistletoe on Yuri, which causes him to lose his fusions and weakens him; in addition, this reveals that Nicolas is a member of the sorcerous faction called Sapientes Gladio who wishes to rule the world through dark magic.
Karin and a weakened Yuri manage to escape with help from Domremy residents Blanca and Gepetto and make their way across Europe, gathering their strength and new some allies, Joachim and Lucia. The group also encounters two subordinates of Nicholas, Lenny Curtis and Veronica Vera, intermittently while seeking out a cure for Yuri. After some searching, they locate Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon, O.F.M. , also known as Doctor Mirabilis , was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical methods...
, from the previous title, who points the group to the real leader of Sapientes Gladio. Bacon's tip sends the group to Petrograd in an attempt to stop the dark wizard, Rasputin. They realize they must save the Russian royal family from his nefarious plot, while inadvertently recruiting Princess Anastasia Romanov into their fold. At first, Rasputin thwarts the groups efforts, so they seek out the former leader of Sapientes Gladio for advice. They meet the great sage, Jovis, who resides in Turkey among a small number of supporters who left Sapientes Gladio after Rasputin took control. Jovis allows Karin to enter Yuri's unconscious to free him of his internal binding, releasing his hidden power. Using Yuri's rediscovered abilities, Yuri and his group return to Russia and soundly defeat Rasputin, who had fused with the great demon Asmodeus
Asmodeus
Asmodeus may refer to:* Asmodai, a demon-like figure of the Talmud and Book of Tobit* Asmodeus , Austrian black-metal band*Asmodeus , the name of several characters in Marvel Comics*Asmodeus...
to obtain his dark power. Nicolas, or "Nicolai", reveals himself to be a bastard son of Czar Nicholas II, with sights on the Russian throne, who had hoped to use Rasputin's plot to gain rule over Russia. With Rasputin gone, he makes one last attempt to inflict evil on the world by opening a sealed door which releases malice. Although Nicolai is fused with another powerful demon, Astaroth
Astaroth
Astaroth , in demonology, is a Crowned Prince of Hell. He is a male figure named after the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth.-Background:...
, he is defeated as well. Nevertheless, the door is opened and malice is released into the world. As Yuri and his group recover, Nicolai is taken by his ally, Japanese Envoy Kato, to Kato's homeland.
Due to malice being released, the war's brutality escalates. The group follows Kato and his agents to Japan in an attempt to find and destroy Nicolai, who still contains the demon Astaroth, once and for all. However, this leads the group to be in conflict against the Japanese government because Nicolai is under the custody of the Japanese government. With the Emigre Manuscript, Kato creates the Mutant Apes, powerful warriors who loyally follow his command. One of the Mutant Apes, Ouka, is created from DNA of his deceased lover, Yoshiko Kawashima, who died six months ago in the first Shadow Hearts. After Yuri's band stops the Japanese government from starting a war with Russia using the captured Nicolai and his powers, Nicolai himself escapes and intends to destroy the world. Yuri and Kato's groups both go after Nicolai, now completely corrupted by the demon Astaroth
Astaroth
Astaroth , in demonology, is a Crowned Prince of Hell. He is a male figure named after the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth.-Background:...
. Although Astaroth is eventually defeated by Yuri, Nicolai causes the death of the Mutant Ape Ouka before he is finally destroyed.
Kato is completely devastated by the second death of his love, and after he kills Nicolai, decides the world is full of too much evil and suffering and must be destroyed. Using the magic of Emigre Manuscript, he begins a ritual that will transport him 100 years into the past, where he can use his power and foreknowledge to remake the present world according to his own desires. Believing that the future they want is the one that they create for themselves, Yuri and his friends and allies stop Kato from carrying out his apocalyptic plans.
Like its predecessor, Covenant has two endings, depending on a choice made by the player earlier in the game. In the "bad" ending, Yuri's personality and memories are erased by the Mistletoe's curse, and he lives out the rest of his life in Wales under the care of Roger Bacon. In the "good" ending, Masaji Kato tells Yuri that they must wish for the world they want to return to and that they can return there, they all pray and start to disappear one by one, Yuri stays and Alice narrates that she realizes he stayed and chose death because he didn't want to lose his soul and memories to the Mistletoe's curse. Yuri then dies and Alice narrates they will be together forever, showing the Yuri growing out of the tree in the Graveyard starting to rise out as Alice arrives, then credits start just as she pulls him out. Yuri then finds himself at the beginning of the first Shadow Hearts (Alice narrates that this is where he secretly prayed to be), yet he has his memories of the events after it (as evidenced by him referring to the train in past tense). In both endings Karin travels back in time to 1887 and meets Yuri's father Ben where it is revealed that she is actually Yuri's mother.
Of the two outcomes, it is unveiled in the Japanese Shadow Hearts: Covenant guidebook by the developers that the "good" ending is canon.
Playable characters
Yuri Volte Hyuga ( in the Japanese version)- Age: 25
- Nationality: Japanese
- Special Ability: Fusion
- Weapon: Knuckle mounted Claws
- Class: Darkness/Changeable
- Special Accessory: Flare Brooch, halves SP consumption during fusion.
Returning from the first Shadow Hearts, Yuri settles in the town of Domremy after burying Alice Elliot in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He uses his Fusion form to scare invading soldiers away from the village, but runs into problems when Nicolai Conrad from the Vatican strikes him with the Holy Mistletoe, cursing him and diminishing his powers. He now travels with the party, hoping to regain his abilities and fight off the new evils infecting the world. His aloof and rude traits have been somewhat tempered by the loss of Alice, but are still there in many situations.
Yuri is one of the characters able to have five hit areas alongside Joachim and Kurando. Yuri has the highest SP (Sanity Points) in the party. His numerous transformations along with each of their unique stats and abilities make him incredibly balanced, allowing him to fulfill any position of the party (i.e.: physical fighter, magic-user, healer, etc.)
Karin Koenig ( in the Japanese version)
- Age: 25
- Nationality: German
- Special Ability: Sword Arts
- Weapon: Sabres
- Class: Fire
- Special Accessory: Anne's Cross, prevents Status/Ring abnormalities, restores HP.
An officer in the German army and descendant of a long line of Bavarian nobility, Karin first encounters Yuri at the church in Domremy, when he saves her from an errant grenade. After accompanying Nicolai to obtain the Mistletoe and watching the ensuing events, Karin joins Yuri's side. In one of the endings it shows her causing a Predestination paradox
Predestination paradox
A predestination paradox is a paradox of time travel that is often used as a convention in science fiction. It exists when a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" or "predates" them to travel back in time...
when she meets Yuri's father and sets in motion a series of events. Fiercely independent and well-mannered, she harbors a crush and later deep love for him, and sticks by him in any situation. She uses swords, especially rapier
Rapier
A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
s, in battle and obtains Sword Art power-up through the score of the Wagner opera Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
.
Karin does not really have a weakness nor strength. She is a balanced fighter between physical and magical, but is more toward the former.
- Age: 60+
- Nationality: French
- Special Ability: Marionette
- Weapon: Strings
- Class: Changeable
- Special Accessory: Silver Chair, allies protect Gepetto from incoming blows.
Once a renowned showman and puppeteer known throughout Europe, Gepetto retired to the quiet village of Domremy only to become mixed up in the affairs of Yuri and Nicolai. He offers good advice, but also has a bit of a lecherous side. He uses his beautiful puppet Cornelia (named for his late daughter) to fight and channel his magic-based Marionette skills. Gepetto has the highest magic stat in the party in exchange for a weak physical and special defense. Cornelia can obtain new dresses which give her different elemental attributes by collecting Stud Cards.
Blanca ( in the Japanese version)
- Age: 2
- Nationality: French
- Special Ability: Manifestations
- Weapon: Whetstones
- Class: Wind
- Special Accessory: Colorful Comb, agility up during crisis.
A white wolf, and unofficial guardian of Domremy, he joins Yuri after his young owner Jeanne is killed by Sapientes Gladio. Loyal and wise, Blanca encounters other wolves throughout the world which he can fight in Wolf Bouts to raise the power of his Manifestation skills.
Blanca's balanced between physical and magical attributes (though more toward the latter) like Karin along with a high speed potential.
- Age: 400+
- Nationality: Romanian (Transylvania)
- Special Ability: Muscle Arts, Joachythms
- Weapon: Anything he finds, be it boxes, pillars, statues, etc.
- Class: Earth
- Special Accessory: Gold/Prism/Electro Band, makes it easier for Joachim to turn in to Golden Bat/Invisible/Grand Papillon
After briefly appearing in the original game taunting his brother Keith, Joachim is found as the protector of the French village of Le Havre. Joachim is both a vampire and a trained wrestler who joins the party when he succeeds in defeating the mayor, who has been pestering Granny Lot for her store. He uses several forms to fight in battle, which change depending on his Joachythms. His regular form is most frequently seen; "Invisible" form lowers his chance of being targeted; "Golden Bat" form greatly raises his physical strength but eliminates his magic abilities and halves his hit point capacity, and his super hero form, "Grand Papillon" (which is French for "Butterfly"), is a powered-up version of his regular form.
Joachim has the highest physical damage potential (even exceeding Yuri), but the trade-off is his slow speed, weak magic defense, and random transformations. He is also able to equip five hit areas.
- Age: 28
- Nationality: Italian
- Special Ability: Tarot Cards, Aroma Therapy
- Weapon: Fans
- Class: Darkness
- Special Accessory: Seven Stars, tarot results are always special.
A master fortune-teller as popular for her beauty as her abilities, Lucia is sent by her mistress, Carla, with the party to train her abilities. She is short-sighted, flighty, and tends to speak without thinking. Her Tarot Cards ability is risky, while her Aroma Therapy is an incredibly versatile supportive ability.
Princess Anastasia Romanov
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna....
( in the Japanese version)(Russian: Анастасия Николаевна Романова)
- Age: 14
- Nationality: Russian
- Special Ability: Snapshot, Albums
- Weapon: Mechanical Eggs
- Class: Water
- Special Accessory: Panoramic Lens, allows Snapshot to hit all enemies at once.
The fourth daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Anastasia is outgoing, inquisitive and does whatever she wants (such as sneaking out from her castle at night and stealing snacks). However, Anastasia is the only one in her family who is suspicious of her father's adviser, Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
. When he frames Yuri and the party for controlling Anastasia and forcing her to attempt murder on her little brother Alexei, she joins forces with Yuri to stop Rasputin. Anastasia can use her Snapshot ability to get information on enemies and in some cases learn their abilities. She also possesses a magical stat that can rival Gepetto.
- Age: 17
- Nationality: Japanese
- Special Ability: Demon Morph
- Weapon: Katana
- Class: Light
- Special Accessory: Flare Brooch, halves SP consumption during fusion.
The samurai bodyguard of the Kawashimas, Kurando, as suggested by his master, , decides to join with Yuri and party after rescuing Yoshiko, Naniwa's adopted daughter. It was told in the game that Kurando's mother, Saki, is the sister of Yuri's father which makes Kurando and Yuri cousins. Kurando is the only other character in the party unable to use crest magic, however, like Yuri he is capable of fusing into demons. He has a maximum of 5 hit areas. His second form grants him a competitive strength and unrivaled speed that not even Yuri or Blanca can match. Kurando has two fusion forms; Tsukiyomi and Jutendouji
Shuten-doji
is a gigantic ruler of the Oni, creatures of Japanese folklore.In popular culture:, a character in the anime Ronin Warriors* Shutendouji, a character in the anime Otogizoshi, a manga by Go Nagai...
, with the latter being stronger.
Villains
: A member of the secret society Sapientes Gladio, Nicolas desires to take over the throne of Russia with the help of his master, Rasputin. It is revealed at numerous points throughout the game that Nicolai harbors romantic feelings for Karin. Nicolai fuses himself with the fallen angel, Astaroth, eventually losing control and having his body taken over by the demon. Nicolai is killed by Kato after murdering Kato's love interest, Ouka. (Nicolai Conrad is a playable character early on in the game.)- Lenny Curtis ( in the Japanese version): A high-ranking member of Sapientes Gladio under Nicolai, Lenny is strong and stubborn, but also somewhat slow and, as later revealed, soft-hearted. He causes many problems for the party early in the game, but seems to repent after the problems in Russia are settled. He appears in Shadow Hearts: From the New WorldShadow Hearts: From The New Worldis a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus and published by XSEED Games in 2005. It is the third official game in the Shadow Hearts series....
as Johnny's butler.- Lenny Curtis is a playable character in the Director's Cut.
- Grigori RasputinGrigori RasputinGrigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
: The leader of Sapientes Gladio, Rasputin wishes to use the influence he has gained in Russia to eventually take over the world. He has made a pact with the demon Asmodeus to achieve these ends. After his plan to usurp the throne of Russia is foiled, he allows Asmodeus to take over his body and mind and tries to destroy the world. Rasputin is ultimately defeated by Yuri and dies, but not before informing Yuri of the true power of the Mistletoe's curse and Nicolai's plan to release Malice.
- The sadistic subordinate and lover to Rasputin. She enjoys torturing her victims and will do anything in her power to help Rasputin achieve his goals.
- An officer in the Japanese army, Kato seems to have been promoted following the death of his superior officer, Yoshiko Kawashima, in Shadow HeartsShadow Heartsis a series of role playing games for the PlayStation 2. The original Shadow Hearts was developed by Sacnoth and released by Midway in the United States on December 11, 2001. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant , was also made by the same group, although Sacnoth reformed itself into a company...
. He seeks to form an alliance that will allow Russia and Japan to become allies and win the war against China. He negotiates with Sapientes Gladio and receives the Emigre Manuscript in exchange for Japan's promise of support. With the help of the Japanese government and the Emigre Manuscript, he creates three special agents, the Mutant Apes, to assist him in his endeavours. After Ouka, one of the Mutant Apes, is killed by Nicholai, Kato decides to reverse time to one hundred years ago and create a whole new world, destroying the current one. To do so, he uses the Emigre Manuscript to summon the power of ancient Japanese gods and later turns into SusanooSusanoo, also known as is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Yomi.-Myths:In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when...
, the final boss in the game, to battle Yuri. Yuri defeats Kato to stop his apocalyptic plans.
- Raiden: "Hear no evil" of the Mutant Apes. In life, he was a soldier in the Japanese army killed in the war with China. Given a second chance by Kato by becoming the first Mutant Ape, Raiden's size gives him great strength, and the battery on his back enables him to fight with powerful electrical charges.
- Hien: "Speak no evil" of the Mutant Apes, and second to be created, Hien has amazing agility and cunning; combined with the special blades wielded to his arms, he is a formidable opponent. Like Raiden, Hien is a deceased soldier.
- Ouka: "See no evil" of the Mutant Apes, the most refined and advanced, and the most human, lacking the machinery of her older counterparts, Ouka is nonetheless as fierce and dangerous of a warrior as Raiden and Hien. Unlike Hien and Raiden, Ouka is a clone, and has no memories of the past. She is cloned from Kato's deceased love, Yoshiko Kawashima.
- Ouka, Hien, and Raiden are initially playable characters and become enemies later in the game.
Other characters
: The owner of Blanca and friend of Yuri, Jeanne is murdered by Sapientes Gladio after witnessing Yuri being cursed with the Mistletoe. Her spirit takes up residence in Yuri's subconscious, where she attempts to guide him to happiness and fulfillment.- Pierre Magimel ( in the Japanese version): A tailorTailorA tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
, Pierre custom makes special costumes for Gepetto's puppet, Cornelia. However, he only takes a collectible called a Stud Card in payment, which usually feature muscular, near naked men holding strategically placed props.
- Gerard Magimel ( in the Japanese version): Pierre's brother, Gerard runs a traveling item shop from his truck. Eager to make a sale, the two seem to have the ability to travel literally anywhere, and appear in the most unlikely and secretive of places.
- Joachim's teacher, Gama is a renowned wrestler and the world champion. He can be found in SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and the Imperial Capital, ready to teach Joachim his skills. He is the last thing standing between Joachim and the vampire's ultimate power, courtesy of a little event known as the Man Festival.
- Thomas Edward Lawrence ( in the Japanese version): First encountered in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Thomas is a mysterious man and an old acquaintance of Carla's who turns out to be a British spy investigating Sapientes Gladio. He offers information for the group on Sapientes Gladio's activities. It is revealed near the end of the game that he wishes to marry Lucia.
- The mistress of Lucia, Carla is an accomplished fortune-teller herself. In her younger, more beautiful days she was once a member of Sapientes Gladio, but she fled when she realized just how violent the group was. She offers assistance, information, and healing to the party.
- A famous magician who is over seven-hundred years old. Once again, Roger is drawn into Yuri's affairs when he is kidnapped by Lenny. After he is freed, he provides information and transportation to the party, the latter in the form of the Bacon Jet.
- A clockmaker in Petrograd. He is like an uncle to Anastasia. Edgar gives Anastasia the camera that helps her acquire extra abilities, as well as the egg she uses in battle. He also assists the party in the latter half of the story.
- Jovis Abraham: A former archbishop of the Eastern Orthodox church and the founder of the true Sapientes Gladio, Jovis split with it when Rasputin corrupted its purpose, fleeing into seclusion. Now living in Goreme Valley, he agrees to help the party to put a stop to Rasputin's evil plans.
- The late Simon, residing as a spirit in Yuri's soul, reveals that the events of the last game were a misguided attempt to stop Sapientes Gladio and Rasputin. Simon helps Yuri make a pact with the demon Amon.
- Yoshiko Kawashima: The adopted daughter of Naniwa KawashimaNaniwa KawashimaNaniwa Kawashima , a member of the Japanese spy network in Manchuria and close friend of to Shanqi, the 10th of hereditary Prince Su of the Manchu imperial family, who had inherited the allegiance of the tribes of Inner Mongolia...
and named for her older "sister", Yoshiko is actually a Chinese princess spirited into hiding. Yoshiko inadvertently causes trouble for the party when she is kidnapped from under Kurando's nose shortly after they arrive in Japan. She develops a certain affection for Blanca. She has the same name as Special Agent Kato's former love, who was killed in Japan during the previous gameShadow Heartsis a series of role playing games for the PlayStation 2. The original Shadow Hearts was developed by Sacnoth and released by Midway in the United States on December 11, 2001. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant , was also made by the same group, although Sacnoth reformed itself into a company...
.
- Saki Inugami: Mother of Kurando and aunt to Yuri, Saki leads the Inugami clan and assists the party with her powers of divination and sound advice. Like Kurando and Yuri, Saki has the power to fuse.
- Alice Elliot: Yuri's lover, and Gepetto's late wife's niece, from the original Shadow Hearts. She died of the Four-Mask curse, six months before the events of Domremy. Like Albert Simon, Alice's spirit now lives within Yuri's soul. She was brought back to life temporarily by the powers of the Émigré Manuscript, which Yuri used with the help of Roger Bacon.
Development
The game as a whole was revamped from Shadow Hearts, including the graphicsComputer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
, cutscenes, voices, the way the Judgment Ring worked, and the cast of characters. Game critics have also smiled upon Shadow Hearts: Covenant much more than the original, and a general consensus seems to be that the game is an overall improvement on the first.
An interesting bit of trivia, is that, when this game was in its early stages of development, Aruze "leaked" that the story revolved around only Nicolai, Karin and other yet-to-be-named allies. Yuri was unmentioned and Shadow Hearts 2 was believed to be absent and this game a separate story. However, once the game was released, many players and fans were surprised and delighted to see that Yuri had made his return as the main focus of this game.
Director's Cut
After the release of the original game, a director's cut version was released in Japan, and never saw US shores. This Director's Cut included:- The Sea of Woods optional dungeon
- The Nahasu Temple Dungeon (played after the Neam Ruins)
- Veronica Vera and Rene (Lenny) Curtis as playable characters
- Extra scenes between Veronica and Lucia in Goreme Valley, the Curry men at the YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
Warehouses, and Lucia and Anastasia in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... - Panda/Kappa weapon for Yuri
- New "Beautiful Fool" dress for Cornelia
- "The Oath" scene between Yuri and Alice is prerendered
- Trailer for Shadow Hearts: From the New WorldShadow Hearts: From The New Worldis a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus and published by XSEED Games in 2005. It is the third official game in the Shadow Hearts series....
Changes also include some new music tracks, a slightly bigger Judgment Ring, and support for the PlayStation 2 HDD.
Japanese
The seiyu for the Japanese version of the game are as follows:- Hiroki TakahashiHiroki Takahashiis a Japanese voice actor best known for the role of Eiji Kikumaru in The Prince of Tennis, Kenji Harima in School Rumble and Katsuya Jonouchi in Yu-Gi-Oh. He works at Big Shot/Interchannel. He also has voice acted in some yaoi Drama CD's such as Love Neco, and Koi cha no Osahou...
— Yuri Hyuga - Miki NagasawaMiki Nagasawais a female Japanese voice actress born in Hokkaidō and raised in Fukushima. Formerly affiliated for Haikyo, she is now affiliated with Atomic Monkey.-Anime:* After War Gundam X as Perla Ciss* Akihabara Dennou Gumi as Kamome Sengakuji...
— Karin Koenig - Shuichi IkedaShuichi Ikedais a veteran seiyū born on December 2, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan. Ikeda is married to Sakiko Tamagawa, although he was once married to Keiko Toda. He currently works for Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
— Blanca - Yuka ImaiYuka Imaiis a freelance female Japanese voice actress who was previously represented by Gekidan Moonlight.-Anime:*Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! *Banner of the Stars *Boys Be.....
— Princess Anastasia RomanovGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of RussiaGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna.... - Hiro ShimonoHiro Shimonois a Japanese voice actor employed by I'm Enterprise.-TV anime:*30-sai no Hoken Taiiku *Asura Cryin *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū *Baka to Test to Shōkanjū: Ni!...
— Kurando Inugami - Takehito KoyasuTakehito Koyasuis a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...
— Nicolas 'Nicolai' Conrad - Chie SawaguchiChie Sawaguchiis a Japanese voice actress, best known as the voice of Nao Nitta in Boys Be. She is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Across Entertainment and previously affiliated with Production Baobab and Aoni Production....
— Alice Elliot
English
The voice actors in the English version of the game are as follows:- Joe CappellettiJoe Cappelletti-Anime Roles:* Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo - Halekulani* Eureka Seven - Radar Man, Teacher* Fafner in the Azure - Ko* Fighting Spirit - Fuji, Yusuke Oda* Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Fake Wong Chu Ren* Gun Sword - Viest...
— Yuri Hyuga - Michelle RuffMichelle RuffMichelle 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...
— Alice Elliot/Ouka/Lucia - Kari WahlgrenKari WahlgrenKari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
(Credited as Jennifer Jean); Karin Koenig/Carla - Bob PapenbrookBob PapenbrookRobert DeWayne "Bob" Papenbrook was an American voice actor. Fellow voice actors often nicknamed him "Pappy". He was very well known in the worlds of anime and video game voice-overs for his voice acting of "gruff" characters...
— Rasputin - Ardwight ChamberlainArdwight ChamberlainArdwight Chamberlain is a voice actor and screen writer currently living in Los Angeles, California. He is best known as the voice of Vorlon Ambassador Kosh on the science-fiction television series Babylon 5...
— Nicolas 'Nicolai' Conrad - Jamieson PriceJamieson PriceJamieson 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...
— Special Agent Kato - Stephanie ShehStephanie ShehStephanie 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...
— Princess Anastasia RomanovGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of RussiaGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna.... - Amos Nandy — Gepetto/Roger BaconRoger BaconRoger Bacon, O.F.M. , also known as Doctor Mirabilis , was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical methods...
/Naniwa - Paul St. PeterPaul St. PeterPaul Schmidl Peter , better known as Paul St. Peter, is an American voice actor. He also uses the names George C. Cole, George Z. Cole and Francis C. Cole...
— Joachim Valentine/Albert Simon - Richard CansinoRichard CansinoRichard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
— Lenny Curtis/Kurando Inugami/Blanca (Blanca only in Wolf Bout cutscenes) - Ellyn SternEllyn SternEllyn Stern is a professional actress, voice actress and director in California. The wife of fellow voice actor Richard Epcar, she has worked on shows including: Genma Wars, Noein, and MÄR...
— Veronica Vera - Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
— Narrator/Tsar Nicolas - Bo WilliamsBo WilliamsBo Williams is a voice actor mostly known for voiceover work in anime.-Roles:*Trigun as Millions Knives*Cowboy Bebop as Shin*Cowboy Bebop as Lin*Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team*Fushigi Yugi Eikoden as Tetsuya*Ah! My Goddess: The Movie...
— Hien - Michael SorichMichael SorichMichael John Sorich is an American voice actor who is also a screen actor, writer, director and voice director.- Biography :...
— Raiden/Great Gama - Michael McConnohieMichael McConnohieMichael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
— Minister Ishimura - Terrence StoneTerrence StoneTerrence Stone is an Irish-American voice actor who is also known as Terry Stone.-Anime Roles:* Ah! My Goddess as Photographer* Apocalypse Zero as Kagenari...
— Garan/Dr. Hojo - Kirk ThorntonKirk ThorntonKirk Thornton is an American voice actor.-Bio:He is known for playing tough or grouchy men in English-dubbed anime and video games. His career includes Hotohori in Fushigi Yūgi and Jin in Samurai Champloo...
— Ben Hyuga
Soundtrack
Yoshitaka HirotaYoshitaka Hirota
is a Japanese video game composer and bass guitarist. His most notable works include the soundtracks to the Shadow Hearts series. Hirota was previously a sound effects programmer having worked on various Square titles...
and Yasunori Mitsuda
Yasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums...
returned to compose the music for Shadow Hearts II but this time they were joined by Kenji Ito
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the Mana and SaGa series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged music for over 15 other albums, concerts, and plays...
. The three of them collabarated together for the joint composition of the Final Boss Battle Theme The 3 Karma ~ Decisive Battle.
The OST
OST
- Music :* Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack of a movie, TV series, or video game.* Open Source Track, a licensing and distribution model for music initiative* The alias of electronic musician Chris Douglas- Science and technology :...
(Original Soundtrack) of Shadow Hearts II was released as two Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s under the name of Shadow Hearts II Original Soundtracks by Team Entertainment
TEAM Entertainment
TEAM entertainment is a musical hobby group that publishes music that is licensed to them. Motoi Sakuraba's game compositions are best known in this group. The issue with Sakuraba's music is that the games are copyrighted by the companies that own it, many of which have the practice of not...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on March 24, 2004.
The ending theme, titled GETSURENKA ~ Ending sung by Mio Isayama, was composed by Yoshitaka Hirota and the lyrics were written by Kumiko Hasegawa.
The music tracks exclusive to the Director's Cut version of the game were later released in Japan on the Shadow Hearts Special Sound CD which was included as part of the Shadow Hearts: From the New World Premium Box.
Reception
It was named IGN's RPG Vault PS2 Game of the Year for 2004. It has received critical acclaim for having an innovative combat system, high-quality graphics and soundtrack, powerful storyline, and unique characters and atmosphere. IGN critic Jeremy Dunham awarded the game a 9.1 out of 10, calling it "the perfect sequel" which "deserves to be in every role-playing fan's personal library".External links
- Official Shadow Hearts: Covenant site
- Shadow Hearts II Official Site (Japanese)
- http://ps2.ign.com/objects/568/568423.htmlShadow Hearts: Covenant on IGNIGNIGN 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...
]