Luminous Arc 2 is also notably more difficult than its predecessor overall, especially critical story battles and the hidden “Hot Spring” bonus battles. Enemies are tougher, and there are lots of overpowered boss types. The designers also seem to have become fond of tossing out late enemy reinforcements or chaining entire battles together. That’s common in this genre, but it feels cheap and overused here.

Another unwelcome change we definitely don’t like is the way the unit that executes the killing blow gets the lion’s share of points. This lopsided distribution makes it too easy for certain units to soak up all the levels, leaving others languishing.

Music is top-notch again, and the graphics are spiffier overall than in the last game. And we welcome the segments between battles, in which you can choose to give presents and cultivate relationships with various party members. You can even take your troop online, though the matching service leaves something to be desired – be prepared to fight some wildly mismatched battles. But to enjoy the process enough to keep battling away anyhow.

Nov 24, 2008