How Tales of Graces F is Different from the Original

So, Tales of Graces is getting ported to PlayStation 3 this Winter. A little rude of Namco Bandai, but being rude to their fans is their MO, after all.

We already know that the heroine, Sophie, is getting a costume overhaul, and that the graphics will be upgraded to HD, but what else could late adopters expect from ToGF?

According to Famitsu.com, probably F's biggest selling point is an extended scenario called Geneology for the Future (in Japanese: 未来への系譜編). It takes place a half a year after the end of the original game, where the world Efinea managed to avoid destruction thanks to the exploits of Asbel and his friends, but damage from monsters around the world continues to increase. Though the heroes had each set out on their own paths, they unite once again to suppress the new threat. At the same time, new feelings that hold the key to the story begin to grow unnoticed in Sophie's heart.

As for the game system, the "Style Shift" system from the original is carrying over, as is the Eres gauge and Eres Rise.

The Style Shift system allows characters to switch between fighting styles in battle at the press of a button. Sophie, for instance, can switch between the powerful 'Martial Arts' and the supportive 'Rebirth Magic.'

Eres, meanwhile, is not unlike Overlimit from previous installments. A gauge at the left of the screen fills as party members act. When full, the party can enter the Eres Rise condition, which allows allies to act without limit, and execute powerful Mystic Artes.

In addition to the info above, Namdai has released a short teaser trailer for ToGF, which you can check out below.



If you're interested, here is the translation for the trailer:

Sophie: Everyone has left me...
[I am very sad]
[I am very scared]
[Help me]
[I'm so anxious, I can't stand it]
Sophie: 10 years. 20 years. 30 years. They will all go by in the blink of an eye.
[I will forever heal your heart, which longs for salvation]
Sophie: I... I also wanted to be with all of you...

Tales of Graces F will be available for PlayStation 3 sometime this Winter in Japan.

I really want Namco Bandai to stop doing the timed exclusive thing. If they wanted it on Wii and PS3, then start it out on both Wii and PS3. >:[

[Famitsu]

Namco Bandai Announces 3 Tales of Titles

Namco Bandai is finally showing the PlayStation brand some love with the next three Tales of titles announced for Sony's machines.

The first announced title - and the one with the most information - is an enhanced PS3 port of the previously Wii-exclusive Tales of Graces. Planned for release late this year, the newly dubbed Tales of Graces F will follow the story of the young noble Asbel Lant as he tries to become strong enough to protect those close to him.

So far, we know the updated port will feature a graphical enhancement, new additional Mystic Artes, and the game's heroine, Sophie, will be gettting an updated character design. I expect there will be more additions revealed in the coming months.

Tales of Graces F will be available for PlayStation 3 in Japan sometime this Winter.

The second confirmed title is Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 for PSP, which apparently will feature over 80 Tales of cameo characters. Woo.

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 will be available for PSP sometime next year in Japan.

Finally, the megaton announcement was that the next mothership Tales of title will be debuting on the PlayStation 3.

There is no further info on this title - not even a name yet - but if the single image released by Jump (top of the article) is any indicator, the title looks to have a more mature feel about it than previous entries in the series.

Overall, I am sort of dumbfounded by these announcements. After all the resentment from the last timed exclusive Tales of title, I had thought Namco would have learned its lesson, but apparently not. Initial adopters of Tales of Graces will not be pleased.

As for the unnamed PS3 Tales of game, I imagine it will eventually find its way to other consoles. I mean, ToG just got the same shaft ToV did. This looks to be a continuing trend.

And I can add another reason to why I hate this console generation. Thanks, Namdai.

[Gamekyo]
[Andria Sang]

D3 to bring God Eater Burst to North America

Are you one of the few North American gamers into ad-hoc multiplayer casual MMOs in the vein of Monster Hunter? No? Oh, well nevermind then.

If you meet someone who is, though, you should tell them that Namco Bandai's sort-of-sequel to their answer to Monster Hunter, titled God Eater Burst, is making a trip to North American PSPs, courtesy of D3 Publisher. (I love that Namco tries to pretend that they don't completely own D3, and then release their 'other' games under that label. Whatever works, I guess.)

God Eater Burst is basically a giant overhaul of the original title, upgrading the graphics, adding in elements, and increasing the amount of monsters to be slain with or without friends.

God Eater Burst is planned for release on PSP sometime in 2010 in Japan, and reportedly sometime in 2011 for North America.

[Destructoid]

Namco Bandai Announces Solarobo

What is this I don't even

CyberConnect2, the developers behind the quirky .hack series have again teamed up with Namco Bandai for a new DS action-RPG called Solarobo: Sorekara CODA e (And from There Towards CODA), which appears to be a game about furries vs. robots.

I'm going to just stop there and put $5 on the table that says this won't see a North American release. Call it a hunch.

The game follows a 17 year old dog boy named Red Savarin, who lives with his young sister and gets by as a Hunter. His adventure apparently begins when he enounters a robot named DAHAK-AZ103.

Okay, I'll give you that dog people living on floating islands with robots is certainly more original than some JRPGs lately, but I just can't imagine who thinks this sounded like a good idea. No wonder I've been having a hard time wanting to write about RPGs lately.



Solarobo is due for Nintendo DS in Japan sometime this year.

Tales of Graces to Get a Summer 2010 Release?

According to the Official Nintendo Magazine (the Nintendo Power of the UK), Namco Bandai will be bringing the latest iteration of the Tales of series, Tales of Graces, to Europe sometime this summer.

One of the biggest JRPG series in Japan, the Tales of games and their fanbase in the West have been repeatedly slighted or overlooked completely by Namco Bandai, with only 1 in 3 Tales of games ever seeing the light of day outside their home country. With little rhyme or reason to which Tales of games are allowed a chance in North America or Europe, many feared that the recently released in Japan Tales of Graces would be similarly forgotten.

While the ONM article provides new hope that an English release may be in the cards, many North American Wii owners are already very aware that Europe has repeatedly got the better end of the stick with Nintendo this generation, having received bundles and games that Nintendo of America seems bent on preventing.

Though the Tales of Graces article offers few details, the 'Summer 2010' release date alone is welcome news to many eager fans, and hopes for an official announcement from the publisher have been renewed.

(Thanks to GameFAQs user tylerx27 for the scan)

Namco Bandai Announces Summon Night: Granthese

So, this is slightly old news that you might have missed, but Namco Bandai revealed a week ago that they will be releasing a new Summon Night title for the 'please just let it die, you sick necromancers' PlayStation 2, Summon Night: Granthese.

As usual with Summon Night titles, Granthese will allow players to choose to play as either the male lead, Lost, or the female lead, Millet. However, unlike most Summon Night titles, Granthese is an action-RPG, pitting your chosen hero against foes in real-time 3D. Both heroes fight differently, so choosing your hero is more important than just aesthetic appeal.

Players will be able to summon contracted NPCs to help them fight, including a devil-boy, a sheep-girl, and a walking tree. So nothing too extraordinary, I guess.

Dengeki Online has a full intro to the game, and additional info can be found on the game's official Japanese website.

As an aside, I liked playing PlayStation 2 as much as the next guy, but can't we move on? If developers really can't let go of SD graphics, at least release your games on Wii so we can let the PS2 have the respite it deserves.

Summon Night: Granthese will be available next Spring for PlayStation 2 in Japan.

[Dengeki]

New Ar Tonelico III Trailer is Artsy

Ar Tonelico III was announced last week for the PS3, and now, with the launch of the game's official site, a new trailer with (a very small amount of) gameplay has emerged.

Check it out below!

The music and art style remains quite cool, and the graphics seem like they have stepped up even since Atelier Rorona. However, my stark lack of a lolita complex prevents me from really getting hot and bothered about this title. Also, Ar Tonelico II was not much fun, so if this wants to impress me, I hope it takes more cues from the original rather than the sequel.

Either way, we'll know soon enough as Ar Tonelico III: Sekai Shuuen no Intetsu wa Shoujo no Uta ga Hiku will be available for PlayStation 3 in Japan on January 28, 2009.

The First 3 Hours: Magna Carta II

Roughly one full week after the game’s official North American release, I finally got my hands on Namco Bandai’s latest JRPG for the Xbox 360, Magna Carta II.

Now, I say ‘JRPG’ knowing full-well that the game was developed by South Korean developer Softmax, and is about as Made-in-Japan as kimchi. However, in terms of game style, Magna Carta II is JRPG through-and-through. Besides the fact that it was paid for and published by Japanese mega-publisher Namco Bandai.

In terms of story, MCII follows a young amnesiac man named Juto who is torn from his peaceful life when two mainland armies vie for control of a giant, living weapon found on the otherwise neutral Highwind Island. Juto, dragged into the war, finds himself on the side of the Southern Forces, the underdogs in the current civil war, as he searches for revenge and answers about his past.

Don’t feel too bad if this sounds extremely familiar to you, as MCII indeed touches on just about every JRPG cliché known to man. The story also features a beautiful, strong-willed, but secretly insecure princess, a giant warrior of a different race that has limited personality but uses a huge hammer or axe in battle, and a fire mage who acts like a little cocky bitch all of the time, despite the fact that his usefulness on the field is questionable at best. Yes, Magna Carta II, so far, offers no real giant leaps in tried-and-true JRPG storytelling.

Now, despite the myriad clichés present, Magna Carta II has occasional strokes of brilliance in its story. Every once in a while, you will say, ‘wow, that’s pretty cool.’ Unfortunately, those few moments are lessened by the sheer amount of ‘meh’ that the story is sure to provoke. Honestly, certain moments that should have felt Earth-shattering in their impact on the story came off feeling half-done, half-assed, or both.

That’s not to say the story isn’t interesting. It is, and I am enjoying it. But it feels like it just could have been so much better.

Graphically, Magna Carta II does a decent job. For the most part, locales are complex and interesting, and the ability of each of your party members to interact with other environmental objects uniquely is a welcomed addition. Animation is decent if occasionally slightly awkward. Character models, again, are generally pretty good, but nothing that couldn’t have been improved.

The Japanese (or Korean, for that matter) voice-overs are nowhere to be seen on the North American version, so you’ll be stuck with the English cast. This is usually not a big problem, as the English cast typically delivers a good performance, though it’s not without its awkward moments.

The battle system, possibly Magna Carta II’s biggest strength, is a mix of real-time action and turn-based strategy. Each of your characters will attack enemies in real-time, but a sensitive stamina meter prevents any one character from going out on the offensive for too long. This provides for a system that encourages you to switch between characters often in battle to prevent your party from getting too held up on enemies (who don’t seem to have stamina meters). There are other functions of the battle system that allow you to ‘Chain’ attacks with other party members to increase attack power and put off the dreaded ‘Overheat’ status.

Though I initially found this battle system impossibly complex during the Japanese demo, the full game introduces the concept much more gradually, allowing for plenty of time to get comfortable with the controls.

One other thing that I think Magna Carta II does well (so far), is provide alternative methods of experience and gold harvesting. Though, like in most RPGs, you are free to spend as much time as you like beating up random monsters to grind up levels, MCII is chock-full of NPCs who will offer you quests in exchange for experience, money, and (occasionally) rare items. Though quests are nothing new, receiving experience bonuses for doing them is a concept that hasn’t really caught hold in the JRPG genre, and it’s an addition that I would highly recommend bringing in again.

Finally, let me just touch on the soundtrack, which is, in a word, great. The music has a generally nice feel to it, and is reminiscent of lots of great PS1 soundtracks like Legend of Dragoon. There is no pesky battle theme, either, meaning that you can enjoy an area’s background theme without being constantly interrupted by the same battle music over and over again. So great.

My only gripe with the soundtrack is the disappointing (though predictable) exclusion of the game’s Jpop theme song from GLAY, replaced instead by an orchestrated, no lyrics version. Namdai’s MO, I know, but disappointing nonetheless.

Overall, Magna Carta II is a good JRPG, with occasional strokes of ‘great,’ but bogged down by its own unrealized potential. If you have been holding your breath for a new HD JRPG since SO4, then feel free to pick this one up, as it will scratch that JRPG itch. But if you are holding out for the next genre-redefining JRPG, I’m afraid this just isn’t that game.

At least, not after my first three hours with it.

Ar Tonelico III Teaser has Pretty Music, Not Much Else

Ar Tonelico III is coming to PlayStation 3. It marks Gust's second PS3 title, and Namco Bandai's first RPG to start on PS3 instead of 360.

The game was revealed via the latest issue of Famitsu, but Namdai has followed up with a debut teaser today, which you can watch below. (Just don't anticipate much.)

Underwhelmed? Don't say I didn't warn you. At least the music sounds like it will once again be awesome.

If you are needing a better fix of the game, you can check out Famitsu.com's article on it, which features a few in-game screens. Beyond that, you'll have to wait for the game's official site to go live, which the teaser promises will happen on Monday (October 19).

I just hope it's better than Ar Tonelico II, which was far from a worthy successor in my books.

Ar Tonelico III: Sekai Shuuen no Intetsu wa Shoujo no Uta ga Hiku will be available for PlayStation 3 on January 28, 2010.

GameTrailers Previews Magna Carta II

Namco Bandai has a commitment to keeping the JRPG genre going in Japan. With titles announced regularly for every major platform thinkable, many of their franchises are extremely well-known and well-loved in their home market.

North America, however, is a different story. Not only does Namdai release less than half of their own RPGs, the ones they do release get barely even an announcement from the publisher. So, though I tend to enjoy Namdai's RPGs very much, I find I have a difficult time finding things to say about their titles.

Thankfully, GameTrailers has graciously provided us with a short video preview of Namdai's upcoming Magna Carta II that really gives viewers a good overview of what the title is all about.

Check it out below.

Magna Carta II is available for Xbox 360 today in North America, and will be available on October 16, 2009 in Europe. It has been available in Japan since August.

Namco Bandai Announces Ar Tonelico III

The economy may be down, but Gust is keeping themselves busy as ever. The little RPG developer has come forward with news that they will again be teaming up with Namco Bandai to create the third entry into the dating sim-meets-JRPG series, Ar Tonelico.

Ar Tonelico III brings the Reyvateils and the end of the world stuff into the 3D realm on the PlayStation 3, running on what looks like the same engine as Atelier Rorona (Gust's entry into true 3D graphics).

The scan that has sufaced is too taxing to read all the way through, so I'll hold off on a full translation until something clearer shows up. However, I can tell you that the hero's name is Aoto. Surely he will end up involved in some world-threatening plot that somehow involves Reyvateils, but this remains speculation until I read everything fully. ;)

As usual, the hero will be accompanied by two main Reyvateil heroines. This time around the Asian-looking heroine is Finnel, while the blonde is named Saki (sort of opposite naming conventions, apparently). Though not yet confirmed, it is likely that neither of these girls is of legal age.

One interesting difference in this title (picked up from skimming a few sections), is that it seems that the girls may have multiple personalities, which actually change their appearance.

The game is currently announced for PlayStation 3, but given Namco Bandai's frustrating tendancy to re-release their RPGs on the other console with new content, a 360 port is not unthinkable.

Ar Tonelico III will be available on PlayStation 3 on January 28, 2010 in Japan.

Trailer Tuesday: Tales of Graces Trailer Makes Me Happy

I had my doubts about a new Tales of game on Wii. After playing Tales of Vesperia in beautiful HD, I wondered if I was ever capable of loving SD graphics again. HD or nothing, I thought. But then, Tales of Graces showed up, and slowly but surely, has made me a believer.

Sure, the graphics aren't up to ToV's standard, but the game's feel and story seem to be everything I love about Tales of. So when ToG shows up with a new trailer (like the one below), I can't help but smile a little. Check it out.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to need to play this.

Tales of Graces will be available for Nintendo Wii on December 10, 2009 in Japan.

Dust Off Your Japanese XBL Account, Magna Carta II JP Demo This Weekend

Korean developer Softmax and Namco Bandai publishing label Banpresto are teaming up for the third Magna Carta title, Magna Carta II for the Xbox 360. Though its North American date is still the unhelpfully vague "Fall 2009," the Japanese version is almost upon us.

But wait, you say, Tears of Blood on the PS2 had a confusing/frustrating/difficult battle system, and the original Magna Carta never saw an English release. How will I know if I like this game enough to buy it?

Fear not, indecisive gamer, for Namdai will be releasing a Japanese demo of the game this upcoming Sunday in Japan (July 26, 2009). For most North American gamers, this translates into sometime late afternoon/early evening tomorrow. Bonus!

The demo will reportedly feature an outline of the beginning of the game, a battle tutorial, and will end with the very first boss encounter: the Werewolf.

This demo is only available for Japanese Xbox Live accounts right now, but, y'know, you don't have to actually be Japanese to have a Japanese Xbox Live account, if you catch my drift. ;)

Magna Carta II will be available for Xbox 360 on August 6, 2009 in Japan, and sometime this Fall in North America.

I'm hoping that I have enough time to give the demo a spin sometime this weekend so I can tell you all about it next week. :)

[Dengeki]
[Magna Carta II Official Japanese Site]

Trailer Catch-Up Round 289

There are six new trailers below. You should watch them if you like watching RPG trailers.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis
PC, Xbox 360
Larian Studios, dtp Entertainment
TBA 2009 (North America & Europe)





Magna Carta II
Xbox 360
Softmax, Banpresto (Namco Bandai)
August 6, 2009 (Japan), Fall 2009 (North America)





Ragnarok Online DS
Nintendo DS
GungHo, XSEED
Winter 2009 (North America)



Ys 7
PSP
Falcom
September 17, 2009 (Japan)

A Small Pile of Release Dates

Several games received official release dates this week, and instead of giving each one its own post, I thought I'd save myself some time by compiling them all into one. Sweet!

Check out what's getting released when below.

Alpha Protocol
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Obsidian, Sega
October 6, 2009 (North America)

Infinite Space
Nintendo DS
Platinum Games, Sega
Spring 2010 (North America)

Risen
Xbox 360, PC
Piranha Bytes, Deep Silver
October 2, 2009 (North America)

Summon Night X: Tears Crown
Nintendo DS
Flight Plan, Namco Bandai
November 5, 2009 (Japan)

Hm, only 4? It seems like there was at least one more somewhere... Oh well.

Any of these titles on your radar? I'm personally waiting for a solid Venetica release date.

Namco Bandai Announces Super Robot Taisen NEO

Y'know, I hear people complain that Namdai releases too many Tales of games. However, when they announce a new Super Robot Taisen game every 3 months, I honestly have to disagree. But I guess if you're a huge public company, you'd want to release money-printing titles 3 times a year too.

Which brings us to Super Robot Taisen NEO, the latest SRT title that will, of course, feature giant robots locked in mortal SRPG turn-based battles. Stop. The. Presses.

Outside of SRTOG for DS, I honestly have a hard time telling SRT games apart. But maybe you can look at the scan below and tell me what, exactly, is different about this title.



Super Robot Taisen NEO will be available for Nintendo Wii sometime this year in Japan.

Trailer Tuesday: Watch New Magna Carta II and End of Eternity Trailers

News is always a little slow during the summer months for RPGs. Not always sure why, but what can you do, right?

In an attempt to satiate your need for new RPG developments, Sega and Namco Bandai have each released new gameplay-heavy trailers for their respective upcoming RPGs, End of Eternity and Mangna Carta II (developed by tri-Ace and Softmax respectively). Take a watch below.

End of Eternity


Magna Carta II


Hm, both are looking promising. Anyone have a favorite?

End of Eternity will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime this Winter in Japan. It will be available as Resonance of Fate in North America sometime next Spring.

Magna Carta II will be available for Xbox 360 on August 6, 2009 in Japan, and sometime during the third quarter of 2009 in North America.

Jumbo Scan Update

Yes, I have once again fallen behind in scan coverage. So here I am, trying to make it up in one fell swoop. As usual, take a look at the scans below, or at least the ones that interest you. :)

End of Eternity (Resonance of Fate in NA)
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
tri-Ace, Sega
Winter 2009 (Japan), Spring 2010 (North America)



Last Rebellion
PlayStation 3
Hit Maker, Nippon Ichi/NIS America
Winter 2009 (Japan & North America)


Magna Carta II
Xbox 360
Softmax, Banpresto, Namco Bandai
August 6, 2009 (Japan), Q3 2009 (North America)


Tales of Graces
Nintendo Wii
Namco Bandai
Winter 2009 (Japan)


Lots of cool-looking titles on the horizon, that's for sure. I will take translation requests in the comments, though I would like to get a hold of some nicer scans for Magna Carta II and Last Rebellion before trying to read the whole articles.

Magna Carta II sort of gets a 360 Bundle in Japan

Most JRPGs get an Xbox 360 bundle in Japan. Makes sense, right? Most Japanese gamers don't own a 360, and if they want to pick one up when an RPG comes out, may as well get them together, right?

Well, in keeping with tradition, Microsoft dropped word today that they will be offering a bundle deal with Namco Bandai and Softmax's upcoming Xbox 360 RPG, Magna Carta II. Typically, the bundles include a 360 unit, a copy of the game, and a limited faceplate, all in a themed box. Magna Carta II, however, will be forgoing the themed box, and offering the faceplate as a gift to buyers who pick up the console and a copy of the game at the same time.

Why Microsoft and Namdai chose to pass on the actual bundle remains open to speculation, but my highly educated guessing powers conclude that Magna Carta II, though awesome-looking, probably isn't going to win enough new fans to justify a whole new package.

On the upside, this allows anyone who was planning on getting a 360 bundle to pick which console SKU they prefer and still snag the faceplate. No themed box though. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

Oh, and in case you forgot, Japanese pre-orders for the game come with an artbook. So there's that too.

Magna Carta II will be available for Xbox 360 on August 6, 2009 in Japan, and sometime this year during Q3 here in North America.

[Xbox Japan]

Meet the Magna Carta II Cast (Part 1)

As per request, here is the beginning of some translations from the absolutely-full-to-overflowing Magna Carta II official Japanese site.

Today I'll be starting with the first six characters that were introduced (4 allies, 2 villains), with plans to follow-up with more characters in coming weeks.

Juto
Juto is a young man living on Kazemijima. He was found by Melissa wandering around a battlefield with no memories of his past. Melissa brought him to Kazemijima and the two have lived together as brother and sister since.

Juto treasures a pendant that he received from his adopted sister, which is the same as the pendant that Melissa carries. The name “Juto” was also given to him by Melissa.

Juto is a relaxed, if occasionally lazy young man, and wishes for nothing more than a quiet, peaceful life. He has no confidence or interest in joining the war raging on the mainland. His memory loss occasionally worries him, but since it doesn’t interfere with his daily life, he doesn’t think about it much.

Juto fights with swords.

Zephie
Rzephillda Grena Berlinette, or ‘Zephie’ for short, is the Princess of the Kingdom of Lantzheim, the Commanding Officer of the Royal Southern Armed Forces Anti-Sentinel Corps, and a skilled
Wind Magus.

Zephie, the daughter of Queen Evaline of Lantzheim and a noble father (who she has not met), was raised without want. Though something of a tomboy in her childhood, Zephie has matured into compassionate and honest young princess, very much resembling her beloved mother, though she is still not as strong-willed as her mother was.

After her mother was assassinated by Schauenzeit, her happy and peaceful life was shattered instantaneously. Her carefree and boisterous personality were tempered into a much calmer, more reserved attitude, and she developed a strong sense of justice along with a desire to end the war for the people who are suffering. She still carries a fierce hatred for Schauenzeit.

Zephie fights with rods and fans.

Melissa
Melissa Tiss is the Captain of Kazemijima’s militia and Juto’s adopted older sister. She possesses masterful skill with the sword which she learned from her father, and sword training is one of her favourite pastimes.

Melissa’s mother died giving birth to her, and was raised by her father, an ex-mercenary from the mainland who settled down in Kazemijima after marrying Melissa’s mother. The strongest swordsman in town, Melissa’s father took the position of Militia Captain during the day, and taught swordplay to Melissa in the evenings. One of her most prized possessions is the sword her father bought for her in Abajet on the mainland. Unfortunately, during a voyage to the mainland, her father’s ship was caught in a storm and went missing. This loss caused Melissa great pain, and she was said to have forgotten how to smile for half a year after the incident.

A determined and strong-willed woman, Melissa hates the war, but vows to protect Juto and the island with her life. Though others see her as having no weaknesses, she secretly has many fears and insecurities. Her normally collected and formal attitude changes only around Juto or when she speaks about her father.

Melissa fights with swords.

Argo
A soldier in the Royal Southern Armed Forces Anti-Sentinel Corps, Argo Kindu is a powerful warrior of the Torewa Tribe from the desert village of Blue Moon, which was destroyed by Schauenzeit.

Though Argo’s fierce appearance startles many humans, he is typically calm, cool, and collected, analyzing situations thoroughly and making informed, level-headed decisions. He is usually quiet, careful not to interfere in other’s personal matters. Though he is more knowledgeable than most Torewa due his various travels throughout Lantzheim, he is very humble, and is sure to take the time to listen to the opinions of others.

The Torewa Tribe are a powerful people with immense physical strength and high endurance for extreme heat and intense cold, allowing Argo the ability to travel quickly across deserts and snow fields with little effort. Argo’s father was the chieftain of the Blue Moon village, and a famous warrior among the Torewa, with his mother being a warrior of comparable strength and ability. After the destruction of his village, he joined Princess Rzephillda’s forces, and dreams of one day returning to his village to rebuild once the war is over.

Argo fights with axes and hammers.

Schauenzeit
Originally the Prime Minister of Lantzheim, Schauenzeit Baren murdered Queen Evaline to usurp the throne, plunging the country into civil war.

Schauenzeit is cool-headed, compassionate, and deals with situations with a sense of humor. Though he interacts with people with elegance, he gives off a relaxed aura and occasionally even throws in a joke. Despite this, most people who interact with him are intimidated by his charisma and are typically unable to reflect his relaxed attitude. During his time as the Prime Minister, Schauenzeit was even friendlier than he is currently, and was very popular with the people.

Schauenzeit fights with swords, but is also skilled with magic.

Elga
An assassin and leader in the Northern Army, little is known about Elga’s true identity.
He himself seems to have no personal interests or hobbies, and spends all of his time either on the battlefield or training.

Cold-hearted, cruel, and brutal, he relishes in the fear of others, and talks down to everyone he meets. He has only respect of Schauenzeit, and does everything he is commanded without question in hopes of earning Schauenzeit’s approval.

Elga fights with swords.

That wraps up part 1 (going through all the info on the website was much more work than I anticipated - there's a LOT there!). I hope to have part 2 up very soon.

Magna Carta II will be available for Xbox 360 on August 6, 2009 in Japan, and sometime this Summer in North America.