E3 2012: Record of Agarest War 2
We chatted a little with Aksys to get the down-low.
06.07.12 - 4:41 PM

The Record of Agarest War series has managed to build a bit of a cult following here in the US, and fans of the first two entries in the series (the original and Record of Agarest War Zero, a prequel) will find an awful lot to like in the soon-to-be-released sequel. The battle system features a "grid on grid" style combat – your team occupies one grid while the opposition occupies another grid. The new system is meant to be a lot faster than the previous games.

There are plenty of mini games to satisfy fans of the series as well, this time including a massage game, a bathhouse game, and a shiatsu game. The massage game is even Move enabled (if you're into that sort of thing). Playing the mini games is totally optional, but completing them does allow you to increase the characters' stats, so you'll probably want to give them a try even if you don't fall in love with them.

Speaking of love, the "Soul Breed" system is back, allowing you to court the various ladies of the game. The plot takes place across 3 generations, so depending on which of the heroines you choose to wed, your child who carries on the story will actually look different. The affection you have with your chosen heroine will also affect the stats of the child – the higher the affection, the better the stats.

The game promises to be quite lengthy as well, taking between 40-60 hours depending on how many of the mini games you decide to play.

For fans of extras, the Limited Edition version of the game comes with a large art book, a blow up character doll, and a heart shaped compressed towel that grows in the water and features a character.

Record of Agarest War 2 will be available on June 26 for the Playstation 3, so fans of the series do not have long to wait.