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Satisfying RPG with Good Battle System

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love RPGs but I can't stand the turn-based battle systems. Summoner 2 combines all the great aspects of RPGs (leveling up, collecting treasure, upgrading armor and weapons) with real-time battles making it a very fun and satisfying role-playing game.

Although the story itself was a little too complex, the characters themselves are great to play. There are at least six playable characters, not counting all the beasts you can summon. They fit nicely into standard RPG roles such as archer, magic user, healer, and fighter. Although you'll find yourself favoring one, you'll inevitably play them all at one point or another.

Many battles will require you to switch characters in the middle of a battle in order to get through the fight. That really allows you to build a strategy rather than just smash buttons.

I completed all the side quests and spent about 60 in-game hours on this RPG.

Couldn't get into the game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: December 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I got this game used for $6 bucks plus tax at Electronics Boutique. My expectations weren't high, and I bought it partially based on other reviews I'd seen online.

I like RPGS and I like fighting games, so I thought for sure this would be a hit with my tastes. Instead this game manages to take the worst of both genres and combine them into annoyance and frustration. I dislike RPGS that make use of a ridiculous number of buttons and menus, and I hate the cheap-out combos in fighting games.

I didn't get too far into the game, only into the second location area. The battle on the ship was ridiculously easy, to the point where I wasn't taking much damage if any. Then on the jungle island there are these weird plant things on both sides of the path that shoot these energy balls sort of like those little enemies missiles in a shooter game. There are a lot of them, and they slaughtered me. I turned into this big Summoning demon-thing that looks intimidating, but managed to kill only one plant-thing before tons of little pollen energy missiles led to a 'game over' (for both my characters).

Can't recommend this game; it isn't as good as some PS1 RPGs. The controls are clunky and the action elements weren't fun.

Sooo many sidequests. . .

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

One of the things that makes Summoner 2 so interesting, so ultimately re-playable, and yet, at least the first time around, so frustrating is the truly bewildering number of sidequests (or "Optional Quests", as they're called here) you are assigned in this game. I'm a fairly straightforward gal. If someone has an assignment for me, I'm going to focus on it; or, if I can't, I'm going to wander around anxious and frustrated until I at least know exactly what I'm supposed to do and how to do it. Also, if someone asks (or tells) me to do something, I assume that they expect me to go and do it. Maybe not instantly, but with some degree of urgency. But Summoner 2 is full of sidequests which not only don't have to be finished right away, or even within game-hours of right away, but which are actually impossible to finish until your party has given up and gone several assignments and locations further into the story, at which point the solution or the person or the item you were told to find suddenly pops up out of nowhere. And, which is the kicker --you are never told which quests these are. So you never know if you're failing to finish a quest because you failed, or if you can relax and not worry about it until later. And the quests keep on piling up. There are some areas in this game where every time you talk to somebody, they have another assignment for you. I thought Maia was the Queen of Halassar --when did she become everybody's errand lady?

So it's a little confusing, and it's one of the reasons why, at only 13 hours and change on my first serious go at this game, I'm only giving it a 3 on the "fun" scale. The other reason is my relative detachment from the characters in this game. I started my PS2-playing career on Final Fantasy X, which I guess kind of spoiled me for character/story involvment (not to mention graphics, which I agree with everybody else that the characters in this game all have a very primitive, stiff and strange aspect to them, which is disappointing but doesn't bother me intensely). So far, while I'm interested in the story for the challenge that it's giving me, I don't really care so much that Maia fulfills her destiny or that Sangaril and Taurgis resolve their differences (okay, I take that back. I like Sangaril and hope that she gains acceptance somewhere by the end of this story. I just don't care what Taurgis thinks of her). But the various challenges, both in combat and through the never-ending sidequests, that this game throws at me are, so far, more than enough to keep me playing this game and wondering what comes next. And hopefully, it will eventually feel like more than a very complicated mental exercise. With monsters.

** And here's an update from several days later, now on 25 hours plus of gameplay: Okay, this game is t-r-i-p-p-y. My main character, Maia, is currently stuck in a weird parallel universe, which she entered through a portal in the Tree of Creation, where everyone is dressed in black robes and wears a mask. And they won't talk to her unless she's wearing a mask too. They've dismembered one of her companions and made a bomb out of her, which they say will blow up the whole of that universe (at least). They've brainwashed her mentor and combat instructor and have the rest of the party imprisoned in torture devices or on trial for their lives. Maia is supposed to save them all. On the plus side, I've found several items in this area that I've been looking for to complete sidequests since Gameplay Hour 2 or so. Now if I can only find a way out. . .

The Difference in Gamers, and a good Game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First if all, this is my first game review so please give me a bit of slack. After seeing a few of the reviews for this game, I was quite simply appalled. True, the camera is a bit odd at times, and a few minor clipping issues do get a bit annoying, but this is a very good game. As for awkward combos' and pausing, I often do not get hit for many battles straight with the character I'm controlling, and I think it's more of a matter of skill than a simple hack n' slash. I myself have yet to complete this game, but one review mentioned losing on the first stage, all the while calling it a hack n' slash. Quite simply if you "hack n' slash" you will probably not get very far into this game, certainly not far enough to be reviewing it. I think the very fact that this game has a bit something for everyone, and a very extensive, and ever evolving world, with a beautifully told storyline make this game a must buy. The details such as buying and battling gladiators, gambling, and political decisions make the world in which the game takes place seem both "real" and "intriguing." Each hero character is completely unique, in both appearance, and in combat style. Be it stealth, massive melees, spell casting, or even the devouring of souls, you can do it in this game. And one last thing to rap-up this review, camera angles and gfx do not make a game they only help it. Prince of Persia 2, and Phantom Dust are two good examples of splendid games, with sub par camera control, and Summoner 2's camera handles better than either of those games.

Destined To Be Lost In The Shuffle

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: January 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Would be a pretty fine game, if not for the fact that in the last year I beat Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age and Champions Of Norrath. S2 is okay, but I would start elsewhere for your RPG needs.

The set-up is your basic hack-and-slash game. Run around, pound pound pound on enemies and find items that help advance your quests. Gameplay allows you to equip characters without too much hassle and switch among characters (a necessity!) with ease.

My big hangup with gameplay were the summons. Due to the way spell points are set up, you can only summon once in a great while. But the creatures you summon aren't noticably better than just using the main characters, and they take FOREVER to conjure. Several times, I saw enemies ahead and cast my summon, only to have them dispatched by my other characters by the time the summon worked. For a game called "Summoner", this is unforgiveable.

Graphics are average, but so what? Gameplay should be the reason you choose games, not pretty pictures (with a few exceptions). If you are a fan of the hack-and-slash and haven't tried this game, I'd have to recommend either Balder's Gate title or Champions of Norrath first.

A Colorful Explosion of Confusion and Fun...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'd like to start by saying it's amazing that maia can run around and fight as much as she does without getting any back problems because her upper torso is disproportionately endowed to her waspish waist. I almost feel bad for making her run so much. Also, what sort of deformity is sangril hiding under that veil?... does she have some sort of snaggle tooth or moustache? Don't be afraid Sangril... I'm not here to judge... I'm here to manipulate you into destroying the enemy! You so sneaky!

Boy are the interior enviroments in this game colorful! It's like a multi-ethnic interior decorators acid flashback!

I didn't play the first summoner so I feel a little left out as far as the story which seems to me almost, in some parts, a little rushed... like a bunch of executives sitting around a table with a pot of coffee and a deadline... "hurry up guys the game ships in three weeks!" but overal it's above par for a game of this type.

the things i like the most about this game: the battles are fun and theres some strategy involved beyond hitting X a bunch of times. Who's the best charachter to controll in which situation. keep your eye on _everyones_ health. etc. good good good. I also like the change of pace offered in the in-between castle parts where you have to do some minor 'ruling' of your kingdom and make, decisions... "what shall be done with them your majesty?" "off with their heads!"... this and other things keep it from becoming a dry hack-and-slash-and-kill-so-i-can-get-the-key-to-open-the-door-to-see-the-next-cut-scene type of game... good good.

it's fruity colors, and strangely deformed mutant heros, are pretty fun... will they keep me engaged through the whole game? I will play and play untill I understand why I have nothing better to do than puppet little colorfull video people into killing other colorfull video people.

Excellent sequel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a very worthy follow up to the original Summoner. The action is more fast-paced and intense, the characters are more interesting, there are a huge number of quests to do and, like it's predecessor, the game does a very good job of creating a highly immersive, well-realized world.

Summoner2 is the reason I bought my PS2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I loved this game! I was heart broken after playing Summoner 1 to learn that Summoner 2 was only going to be released on Playstation. So I saved up and bought one, played Summoner 2 and loved it.
You know all about the plot the graphics and the stlye of play. All I can add to it is that's it's not as bad as some have portrayed it. The graphics are kewl, the music is magical, the characters are stunning in their own right and the story is one of the best I've encountered. The plot twists and turns and leaves you wondering, right to the end.
The choice of characters can be a little daunting, but you can soon pick up which character is suited to what task and under what conditions he/she is best suited. Again, I liked the stealth and backstab ability of the thief character Sangril.
Like Summoner 1 there're side quests aplenty and they all add xp, so by the time the Boss Battles come you're ready to give them a challenge. The side quests do actually tie into the plot, and they're not the usual fed-x type of go there, speak to 'Name', get 'item' and return to beginning. You visit some amazing places and talk to some interesting people(?).
Like Summmoner 1, each character is suited to a particular part of the game and you'll often find your character alone or in the company of one other who sometimes don't get along, which I thought was a good touch.
Again, the chain combat system came into play, which I liked. The challenge of getting a good rhythm going is a hard one, but once mastered you should be able to defeat most enemies before they get a chance to hit you.
I'll be playing Summoner 2 again this summer and as I'm still trying to figure out the story, so I'll probably be going back more than once.

An OK RPG in a world of stellar competition

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: November 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ever wonder why RPGs always start you as a cowmaid or a floor sweeper? In Summoner 2 you are the Queen of Halassar - and you're on a mission!

The game is an RPG and is very Final Fantasy-like. You have a group of people in your party, going around talking to everyone you meet, taking on quests, learning lore about your land. The things you do affect what they say and move the plot along.

The graphics are a bit blocky, with repetitive textures and not-quite-smooth objects. The sounds are reasonably OK. You buy things from shop, gather up needed items, and your Queen's special power is that she can turn into various summons as needed.

With all the really great RPGs out, I think there just wasn't quite anything in Summoner 2 that stood out as super. The graphics were OK. The sounds were OK. The plot line was OK. The combat system gets a bit tedious after a while.

If you've already played the recent Final Fantasy games, and Elder Scrolls Morrowind and NeverWinter Nights, then you might fall back to this game. But there are definitely better RPGs out on the market right now that are amazingly fun to play for months and months. This just isn't one of them.

Better than I expected

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I gave the first Summoner two thumbs down: lets face it, it sucked. I thought I might as well give this a try, since I could buy it for only 2 bucks. I began to play, and was amazed at the difference. Much more colorful, better looking characters, with lots of diversity and many ways to attack, instead of just constantly hacking at something in front of you as if it was fire lumber! Spells weren't much different. Music stunk, basically made of bongos. :( :( But the voices fit the characters, and the story line was interesting. The only thing that really bugged me was the fact you could only summon four summons, whereas in the other Summoner, there was multiple summons, such as the Blue Imp. But you might just want to pick it up for the weekend and try it out. The game wasn't terrible...but it was lacking a lot also.

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