Gaming Target - GameCube: Lost Kingdoms II

Written by Kyle Williams on September 19, 2003

Full Review: Not only do they lose it once, they manage to lose it twice!

Perhaps best known for their work on the Armored Core and R*Type franchises, From Software are the kings of more. Every release of one of their titles brings you more options, more enemies, and more of the same great gameplay that sucked you in the first time around. This is a double edged sword that frightens some, but it has earned From Software a loyal following amongst some of the most hard-core videogame players. This time around they have worked their sequel magic on Lost Kingdoms II, an upgrade to their underrated action-card battle-rpg of last year.

Set 200 years after the first game in the series, Lost Kingdoms II is a completely stand-alone story that provides a great jumping on point for gamers that are looking for a new experience. From Software has taken the great game mechanics of their original Lost Kingdoms and has given us more of everything. Compared to it's predecessor, Lost Kingdoms II presents nearly double the number of creature cards to collect and a significantly longer gaming experience. For everyone that played and enjoyed the original game, Lost Kingdoms II will be like visiting an old friend. That is, visiting an old friend that just received a face lift and some musical training. LKII features updated graphics and an improved soundtrack to help set the game's pace.

Unfortunately, the newness of the formula is starting to wear off. While many of the complaints about the original game have been addressed (the length, the random battles) and there is a lot more of everything that players liked (number of cards), Lost Kingdoms II is essentially a bigger version of the original game. Don't get me wrong, the game is still a great experience and is superior to the first, it is just that you hope for some new groundbreaking feature to further advance the gameplay. The addition of mech cards is a step in the right direction, but it is a baby step in a world of leaps and bounds. At least the card based battle system is still fresh, thanks to the fact that very few people have caught on to the idea.