Game #1224: Fullmetal Alchemist 2 - Curse of the Crimson Elixir

 An arm and a leg wasn't enough.

 Seems Squeenix wasn't quite done with the Fullmetal Alchemist license, as we eventually got Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir. It's sort of a sequel to the previous game, building upon its foundations, in order to produce an overall better game.

 Just like the previous game, this one features original animated footage, which is fantastic, and it also features the cast from the dub reprising their roles. That said, the script does something a bit different, as the first half of the game covers the manga storyline, from the Elric Brothers' introduction up to their encounter with Scar. That said, you'll notice small changes and additions, which all build up to the game's second half, which tackles a wholly original plot. This game's story isn't as interesting as the one from the previous game, but it gets the job done.

 The presentation has seen a big overhaul. For starters, the entire game is fully voiced, as opposed to the original game that had plenty of text-only dialogue. The visuals were touched up to, now featuring very colorful cell-shaded graphics, which makes the old game seem muted and lifeless in comparison.

 Beyond that, the game has seen little improvements. The basic gameplay remains the same: Jump, attack, dodge and Alchemy works pretty much exactly the same, except that every transmutable object only gets one possible transmutation. Just like before, you can equip accessories on both brothers to strengthen their stats, and leveling up gives you stat points to distribute on their different stats.

 Combat has been tweaked and somewhat enhanced. Now your basic Square combo can be ended by pressing either triangle or circle a couple of times, to produce attack combos. The differences between combos aren't too important in the grand scheme of things, but they add some diversity in how you do things. Enemies might be weaker to alchemy, so ending a combo with circle, which ends on a transmuted spike from the ground, would deal more damage. It covers more ground too, so it's better to deal with multiple opponents. Faster enemies might be better dealt with using the triangle button ender.

 In the previous game, you could happen upon objects that could be changed into a Sword, a Dagger or a Lance.... now Ed gets four different styles he can change with at any time: Punches, Sword, Lance or Hammer. Once again, if you like a particular weapon you can stick with it throughout the entire game, but they have different attack speeds and lengths, so you can shake things up if you wish. Another addition, pressing Dodge right before getting hit will produce a powerful counterattack.

 Alphonse, once again, is an AI ally, and he works pretty much exactly like before. Press R1 to have him attack, press R1 when close to him for a tackle. In combat he is pretty useless, but at least he can tank some hits.

 The game is shorter than the original, about three hours shorter give or take, but at least it doesn't reuse environments. On the other hand, sometimes level design can be a bit... questionable. Stage 2 had at least two instances of ladders with enemies on top, and they kick you as SOON as you land, making it a chance based on pure luck whether you manage to make it on top of the platform or not. There were a couple of bosses that seem just too hard when compared to ANYTHING else in the game, even the final boss.

 While it's a better game in some respects, honestly, some of the additions don't amount to much. It's still a decent time for anyone invested in the license, but it won't make it any new fans.

 6.0