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White Knight Chronicles II Preview for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

White Knight Chronicles II Preview for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

The White Knight Charges Again

As someone who laments the demise of the JRPG, I was reasonably excited for the release of White Knight Chronicles back in 2009. However, after countless delays and some serious hiccups with the American localization, I found the final product to be a little bit lackluster. The JRPG series needs a shot in the arm, and unfortunately, White Knight Chronicles is not it. Despite its lukewarm reception, both in the U.S. and in Japan, White Knight Chronicles did still receive the inevitable sequel. And while the sequel is already a year old in Japan (and was released just this past June in Europe) the U.S. will finally get to check out the next White Knight chapter in September. So what can we expect?

White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

The story in White Knight Chronicles II will again follow protagonist Leonard, and this time he’ll be tyring to stop the evil Magi corporation from finding the fifth Knight. If you haven’t played the first game, you should know that there is a year gap between the first and second game, and you might be a bit lost, as the plot picks up directly from the original without much exposition. It’s fortunate then, that the U.S. release of White Knight Chronicles II will include the original game on the same disc. And even better, you can import your save and carry over some of your equipment and skills to the new game. This is great for both established fans and those who want a fresh jump into the series.

What will also be a boon to those checking out White Knight Chronicles II for the first time is the new battle system. While I was a fan of the “function palette” in the first game, when put to practical use, the function palette system was slow and clunky. Fortunately, the battle system in White Knight Chronicles II has been completely overhauled, and will now give you a charged meter to start the battle off with. This gives you the ability to select commands immediately from your list and start the battle with something other than running in a circle. The charge scheme also reloads a lot faster, so battles with low-level opponents won’t be so time-consuming.

White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

In addition to improvements with the battle system, White Knight Chronicles will also feature an improved multiplayer mode. The game will feature the same “create-a-town” feature from the original, but you will now be able to create and move your Incorruptus to the multiplayer mission area. This will have massive implications online, as you can use your skills as a tactician to make your Incorruptus the most valuable. The game has also upped the amount of party members you can have online from 4 to 6, which will be great when tackling expansive boss areas.

White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

Though White Knight Chronicles II is probably the last game we will see from the White Knight series (the game didn’t exactly set sales charts on fire in Japan or Europe, and Level-5 has said it has no immediate plans for a third game), it still looks like it will be a lot of fun. The improved battle system and expanded multiplayer options should give players plenty to do in this game. And if you haven’t checked out the original, having both games on one disc should provide an incredible value. Each one has a single-player campaign that has at least 40 hours of gameplay, and if you play through the multiplayer content in both the games, you’ll be up to at least 60 hours each.

Though the traditional JRPG may be dying, White Knight Chronicles II should be a good title to help send the genre off. Look for it to hit stores in the US (finally) this September.

Game Features:

  • Signature combination of singe-player and multiplayer returns allowing players to share characters from the single player-game in multiplayer.
  • 2 games in 1. This game includes all the content from the first game with improved and enhanced features of the sequel, adding up to over 100 hours of combined gameplay
  • Improved gameplay mechanics that fans demanded makes battles more fast paced and dynamic.
  • Create your own town and invite your friends online to buy exclusive items and materials to create more powerful weapons and armors.
  • Play with up to 6 players online to go on new quests and challenges.


  • White Knight Plus

    The sequel to White Knight Chronicles has been out in Japan for almost a year now, but it’s finally coming to the States. I wound up getting a chance to play it for a while and I got some of the details on this upcoming JRPG translation.

    Perhaps the most interesting thing about the White Knight Chronicles series is the unique battle system. Battles take place in real time without cutting to a separate scene for combat sequences. Yet the combat is still menu-based. As you approach an enemy, your combat menu will automatically pop up and you’ll be able to start firing off your moves by selecting them from this menu. As you progress through the game and earn more skills, you’ll be able to set up combos that you’ll have access to during a fight.

    White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

    White Knight Chronicles II keeps the battle system from the first game, yet speeds it up a bit and adds some new spells and skills. One of the complaints about the first game was that spacial relationships felt off. You could swing a sword even when an enemy was behind you, and you’d still deal damage. White Knight Chronicles II addresses this: in order to hit an enemy, that enemy must be in front of you and close enough for you to hit. This makes battles look a lot more realistic than they did in the original.

    Of course, this also means that you’ll have to be familiar with all of your attacks. You’ll need to know which of your skills are ranged and which are melee, because if you strike at an out-of-range enemy with a melee attack, you won’t deal any damage. This combat setup definitely caters more to the strategic crowd than to the button-mashers.

    The Incorruptus will help you deal with tougher enemies. These are gigantic “Knights” that your characters can transform into temporarily to deal massive amounts of damage. Your Incorruptus is customizable this time around, and the first part of my gameplay demo had me stop at an Incorruptus Workshop to upgrade mine. This workshop allowed me to enhance the core unit, allowing me to upgrade its weapons and armor. I could even change the color scheme or rename my Incorruptus as I saw fit.

    In White Knight Chronicles II, the weight of your armor is much more important than it was previously. Heavier armor will make your character move more slowly, but it will also significantly reduce the chance of getting knocked back. I imagine as you progress through the game you’ll want to adjust your armor to specific fights. Some may require you to me more quick and nimble, while others may have really strong kickbacks that you’ll want to negate with some good heavy armor.

    White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

    I was introduced briefly to two of White Knight Chronicles II’s new characters. First off was Miu, the Archduchess of Faria. She has blue hair and horns on her head, and she carries a bow. The second new character, Scardyne, is a rather intimidating knight. He is a fairly mysterious type, and players will do well to be a little suspicious about his true identity.

    This game will let you play with more friends than the original as well. White Knight Chronicles allowed for four-player co-op, but the sequel will allow up to six players to fight together.

    Fans who enjoyed the Georama minigame from the first game will be pleased to know that it has returned. In case you aren’t familiar, this is a city-building subgame. You can recruit NPCs to be a part of your city, and you can even invite your online friends to hang out there. And if you are attached to your georama from the first game, it will transfer over to White Knight Chronicles via the data transfer feature.

    White Knight Chronicles II Screenshot

    One of the bonuses for purchasing White Knight Chronicles II is that you will get the original White Knight Chronicles game on the same disc. If the first game slipped past your radar, you won’t have to scavenge shady used game stores or eBay in order to get the entire back story. On top of this, all of your saves from the first game will transfer to the second, so you can continue your own personal version of the story. But if you want to skip White Knight Chronicles and hop right into the sequel, you can do that as well. Between these two games, this disc contains over 100 hours of gameplay.

    White Knight Chronicles II is looking like it could be a great JRPG for those who prefer strategy-heavy combat. JRPGs don’t often receive a warm welcome in the West, but hopefully we’ll make room in our hearts for White Knight Chronicles II.

    Game Features:

  • Signature combination of singe-player and multiplayer returns allowing players to share characters from the single player-game in multiplayer.
  • 2 games in 1. This game includes all the content from the first game with improved and enhanced features of the sequel, adding up to over 100 hours of combined gameplay
  • Improved gameplay mechanics that fans demanded makes battles more fast paced and dynamic.
  • Create your own town and invite your friends online to buy exclusive items and materials to create more powerful weapons and armors.
  • Play with up to 6 players online to go on new quests and challenges.

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