Arc the Lad II

[Bytor]

Arc the Lad II (アークザラッドII, Ākuzaraddo) the second installment in the series, was developed by G-Craft for the PlayStation and released by SCEI in Japan on June 20, 1996 but not released in North America until the release of the Arc the Lad Collection which was released on April 18, 2002. The game was subsequently released on the PlayStation Network in Japan on November 14, 2007 and in North America on November 23, 2010. The music is pretty much identical in nature and form to the first release and the graphics are little improved as well, although the colors are a tad more vibrant in the character renditions. Many consider II to be the best of the original trilogy although reviews have certainly been mixed.

The story is a direct sequel but this time the story focuses on Elc, a boy from the a village where he was the sole survivor. Elc, being a member of the Fire Tribe can summon fire and uses it to attack his enemies and he uses this to search for his family's killers and exact revenge. Eventually this quest leads him to meet with Arc and together they attempt to defeat the enemies and stop the return of the Dark One. The strong point of the story is the strong character development and the friendship which grows between Arc and Elc.

The game mechanics are very similar to the first installment although a noticeable improvement is the amount of areas to explore and the inclusion of towns/villages to explore and the ability to level up the characters. Battle systems still take place on a grid system typical of the SRPG genre with situations being presented where movement and limited abilities determine the outcome of the various battles. The game play in II is more focused on the characters than in the first game and while the first game was more strategic driven II is much more story driven.

The game has endured due to a "cult" following but for various reasons has never seen the mainstream success of other games. Many have cited the graphical deficiency while others feel the battles themselves are simply too monotonous and fail to overcome the strength of the story and character development. Regardless the game series has endured, loved by many and with the release on PSN still keeping it's place in the echelon of SRPG's.