While countless other video game genres have evolved since the 16-bit days of the early '90s, the Japanese RPG continues to remain rooted firmly in the past.
Turn-based battles, linear progression, and an intense focus on plot and character development make this role-playing subset very different from the likes of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim or The Legend of Zelda.
Clearly the format works, because veteran publisher Kemco has been pumping out this type of game on iOS and Android for ages, and shows no signs of slowing down its vast production machine.
Alphadia2 picks up 200 years after the events of the original game, but despite the new storyline, it’s very much the same kind of thing.
Band of brothersAll the usual tropes are present, with anime-style protagonists, large-chested females, and a titanic struggle for power between two warring factions. You and your merry band of followers - which grows as the game progresses - must traverse the land defeating monsters and conquering dungeons.
Success in turn-based combat yields experience points, currency, and special items, and your characters gain advanced skills and strength after each victory.
Confrontations are random and come without warning - another hallmark of the Japanese RPG - and although the frequency of these encounters is slightly lower than in other examples of the genre, it still irritates after a while.
Visually, Alphadia2 looks hardly any different from any of Kemco's other RPG offerings. The 2D overworld is actually quite sparse-looking, and the characters are tiny and lack detail, with only two frames of walking animation.
Scrolling is also jerky, which is inexcusable in a simplistic 2D title such as this. When compared to the vibrant world seen in Gamevil's Zenonia series, Alphadia2 looks a bit drab and uninspiring.
The same as it ever was
Alphadia2 doesn't drastically change the template Kemco has been relying on for quite some time, but it’s clear that fans of previous instalments will be just as pleased with this outing.
Granted, the presentation is lacking and it feels like a game from two decades ago, but once you become immersed in the fantasy world and invest some time in the characters you control, the familiar level of addiction rises.
If you've had no interest in the Japanese RPG genre in the past then Alphadia2 is unlikely to convert you, but longstanding lovers of this most ancient of genres are sure to lose themselves in the quest.