Before I launch into this review, it may be an idea to provide some context. Whilst I have enjoyed the odd JRPG, I am by no means a fanatic. Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire are both series I remember fondly and thoroughly enjoyed progressing through. However, it has been some time since I was really impressed by a JRPG. Because of this, my approach to White Knight Chronicles II was somewhat wary. I was suspicious of the stagnated mechanics of a genre that had long lost its appeal to me.

White Knight Chronicles II is an unashamed sequel. The story picks up almost exactly where the original left off. Upon jumping into the game, I was treated to a quick rehash of the events of its predecessor; a war with many complex names to remember, the hero of the story emerging victorious and the inevitable survival of the antagonist. Whether the developers thought the original story too complex to retell or weave into the primary narrative doesn’t matter as White Knight Chronicles II automatically comes bundled with the first game, albeit a refined version.

Unfortunately I had not played the first game, nor did I possess any intention to, so I hopped straight into the sequel with little knowledge. This made initial gameplay somewhat difficult as there was no tutorial and a few splash screens were deemed adequate enough to familiarise me with the battle system. They weren’t, and I quickly realised why Level-5 had made the decision to ship the game with its predecessor. The in-game help system did ease the learning curve slightly, although the lack of a proper tutorial, as justifiable as it is, still made White Knight Chronicles 2 difficult to pick up on its own at first.

Despite this, veterans to the series and newbies alike are bound to encounter some difficulty during the story. This game is hard, and it is relentless in dishing out powerful bosses and misleading objectives. I was surprised at the number of times I met the ‘game over’ screen and although I am not usually susceptible to rage (cough) the number of times I had to resist the temptation to hurl my controller at something was overwhelming.

Battles were made no easier by my AI-controlled party, customisable only by options to prioritise healing, conserve mana, fight defensively or the like. The real time battle system was something that was both loved and hated. Only one party member could be controlled at a time, leaving AI to direct the rest of the party, resulting in some utterly frustrating moments when faced with the challenging fights.

I was able to customise my own attacks by stringing skills together in the combo creation menu. The possibilities were endless, making the experimenting process an intriguing one. What began as a tedious grind eventually turned into an interesting combat experience as further skills were unlocked, allowing for new variations of combos.

In addition to the main story, there were plenty of side quests and errands to run with varied rewards. Once I was confident enough to venture online, I discovered that multiplayer unlocked a whole other dimension of the game. I was granted an area to manage of my own (dubbed ‘town’ or ‘city’ etc) and quests to partake in with other players with a range of difficulties. Watching a settlement grow under my guidance invoked fuzzy feelings usually associated with simulation titles.

White Knight Chronicles II seems to fit into the latest trend following RPGs that orchestrate a push towards online play, with what feels like less focus on the single player. Other players were able drop in on my little area and partake in quests, chat and generally share the experience.

My main gripe would be the role the main character in the core story. For all the effort I put into customising my avatar, it may as well have not existed in the plot. During cut scenes, my character (dubbed ‘Avatar’ in game) appeared emotionless and without a voice. Now whilst I’m all for a silent protagonist and some games integrate this well, there was a noticeable absence of interaction between the protagonist and the rest of the cast. I may as well have been playing the part of a decorative tree. Somehow it seems that White Knight Chronicles II missed the ‘role-playing’ mark. It didn’t help that the supporting characters lacked depth or that the storyline was so predictable. Being thrown into the deep end of the narrative with no context also made it hard to really care about the characters or what was happening.

The difficulty in this game was also a source of frustration at times. There were moments which really led me to question why the level design, which could have really shone here, was the victim of some poorly made choices. For example, my objective point was clearly marked out on the map with a star but sometimes my true goal lay in the complete opposite direction. There is a difference between challenging and annoying, and White Knight Chronicles II seemed unable to discern this.

Despite its shortcomings, I found that as I advanced, so did my enjoyment. What began as a dreaded trek out into cliché town eventually evolved into genuine interest. Be warned though, my own experiences saw the game start to pick up around the ten hour mark, and it wasn’t until I was solidly past the twenty hour mark that the fun really started.

With plenty of end-game content, replayability options and a thriving online community White Knight Chronicles II is a title that possesses over a hundred hours worth of potential playtime. Whilst the single player gameplay alone is nothing groundbreaking, the multiplayer aspect of the game is really what sets this title apart from the rest in its genre.