Shining Force II : Ancient Sealing – October 1 1993 – Sega Megadrive
In Brief
A master thief steals a couple of jewels from an ancient shrine, inadvertently setting the wheels in motion to allow for the resurrection of the all-powerful Devil King – Zeon. These events envelop the otherwise peaceful town of Granseal, the home of our plucky young hero, Bowie. With the help of his friends, Bowie must leave his island home and travel to a dangerous and unexplored continent, defeat Zeon’s henchmen, re-seal the shrine, and save the world.
In Review
On October 1st 1993, the world was blessed with the initial release of Shining Force II : Ancient Sealing. Shining Force II is the fifth installment in the Shining Force franchise, and although it is marketed as a direct sequel to 1992’s Shining Force : The Legacy of Great Intention, the titles actually had no true connection until a Gamegear title called Shining Force Gaiden : Final Conflict was released to join them up the loose ends. Setting aside Sega’s disregard for how numbering and direct sequels are supposed to work, Shining Force II is both a true masterpiece of the Megadrive’s already acclaimed back catalogue, and also of the JRPG genre as a whole. Sure it may not break any new ground for the genre, in fact at face value it seems to resemble what you most probably first picture when you hear “90s JRPG”, but with that added Shining Force flair you will be surprised at how fresh it can be.
The game sees you take on the role of Bowie (or whatever you wish to re-name him) as he traverses battlefields via a turn-based battle system that sees you pitting your fighters (known as The Force) against armies of demons, monsters, and all manner of nasties and unholies. On paper it may not seem like a particularly difficult set-up, but once you’re stuck in deep with your first campaign against a band of giant rats or slime monsters, the magic beneath the surface really begins to show. Even from an early stage you will find your Force outnumbered to the demon horde, so it quickly becomes apparent that every decision you make in battle must be well calculated. Will you use your strongest fighters’ turn to defeat an enemy with only 5 hit points remaining, or will you save their attack for a nearby foe that could possibly reach and defeat a weakened ally? Or will you sacrifice an attack altogether in order to heal said ally, but then leave both characters open to an attack?
Things go deeper still when you begin to encounter environmental challenges as well – for example in a later campaign you will find your Force packed into a long, straight valley, and at the other end your enemies await with bio-laser cannons which have a range which covers the length of the entire map in one straight beam. So now you have another factor to take into consideration when planning an attack; do you end your turn in their line of sight if it ensures other enemies are defeated, or do you hold back and just pray they cannot reach you on their next turn? Don’t let this multitude of what ifs daunt you though, because due to the combat system’s simplicity your skirmishes never become overwhelming.
Over time your soldiers will gain experience and level up until they are able to be given a class promotion – this can offer drastic changes to their damage, movement, and magic, and it also gives them an updated character sprite and a more heroic musical score that plays when they attack. These promotions also convey a maturing to the characters, for example the hero Bowie goes from a teenage blonde school student to a heroic swordsman with flowing locks, sporting a cool billowing red cape and a sweet bandana to boot. Slade the rat-man goes from a rat-man to a ninja rat-man, which is arguably the most rad class promotion available, whereas Kiwi the baby turtle transforms into a borderline Gamera copyright infringement lawsuit. This promotion system adds a nice touch to the game, as characters generally all begin to reach class promotion levels at a specific time within the storyline, a point of which they have indeed begun to mature and grow as people. It’s one of those sweet little touches to the game that makes it so endearing, you watch your ragtag group of teenagers grow beyond killing vermin to become a force that cannot be reckoned with the closer they get to their eventual confrontation with Zeon.
This transformation is by no means a quick one either – even when not counting the time you may spend deciding your moves in battle, Shining Force still holds a very impressive play time for a Megadrive game. No time is wasted either, as every moment of your adventure is more harrowing and engaging as the last. Once leaving your homeland of Grans Island to travel to the mysterious and vast continent of Parmecia, you will encounter all manner of strange and wonderful societies and landmarks, each more charming than the last. One moment you’re traversing the almost vertical city of Bendoe carved into a volcanic mountain by the birdmen, the next you’re gaining access to the secret village of the elves, and before long you find you find yourself trapped in Creed’s mansion by its mysterious and magically gifted owner. It’s all just one big fantasy story to really get yourself lost in, wrapping you in that lovely snug feeling of familiarity and comfort while still feeding you with a hearty serving of its own tale to tell.
It is this final point that I believe makes Shining Force II the true delight that it is. All it wants to do is tell you the tale of a young hero on his quest to save a princess and save the world from the forces of evil, and it wants to make sure you have as much fun as possible hearing it. Where a good storyteller may offer blankets, cushions, and snacks, the developers offers you gorgeous environments to explore, delightful music that truly captures each moment, and ever growing challenges to conquer to earn you the next chapter of the story. Shining Force II wasn’t created to challenge the norms of the JRPG, or make you discover any social or political commentaries you can find in its world and reference to the real world – it just wants you to have fun and be spirited away to somewhere very special and exciting. And I’d say it accomplishes that very well.
Should You Play it?
I really can’t say enough for Shining Force II. Even after 25 years it manages to remain an enjoyable title despite so many successors that have come and gone of the years. Although it may seem a little basic by today’s standards I don’t feel as though that hinders the experience a newcomer would take away from it, as I feel as though simplicity was always Shining Force’s intentions from the beginning. With the game featuring on a number of Megadrive collection titles and as a standalone release on Steam there’s really no excuse not to play it, and with its quick-to-learn combat system it’s a prime candidate for a game you can jump in and out of over the course of a few weeks or so. Not to mention the inclusion of wererats, giant stone warriors, robots from the past, volcanic phoenix Gods… Shining Force II really does have it all. Seriously, go play it.
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