Zwei: The Arges Adventure

Last updated
Zwei: The Arges Adventure
Zwei The Arges Adventure.jpg
Developer(s) Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s)
Composer(s) Wataru Ishibashi
Platform(s) Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Release
  • JP: December 30, 2001 (PC)
  • JP: August 26, 2004 (PS2)
  • JP: December 11, 2008 (PSP)
  • WW: January 25, 2018 (PC)
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Zwei: The Arges Adventure [lower-alpha 1] is an 2001 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom for Windows, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. An English version for Windows was released by Xseed Games in January 2018. [1] A sequel, Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection , was released in September 2008.

Contents

In reference to the game's title, gameplay consists of alternating between two main characters, Pipiro and Pokkle. Pipiro is able to perform magical spells and techniques, while Pokkle executes only physical attacks. The game's plot centers around Pokkle and Pipiro and their quest to track down six goddess statues stolen from their village.

Gameplay

The game is reminiscent of dungeon crawlers, but includes a larger focus on RPG elements and puzzles. Players control two characters, Pipiro and Pokkle, and can swap between them at any time. Pipiro launches magic at enemies, while Pokkle fights with a drill-like weapon. Both characters can utilise elemental attacks to target enemy weaknesses, with Pipiro's elemental spells also allowing access to new dungeon areas. Scoring multiple hits on enemies increase the drop rate of spoils and earns combo badges, which lets the player initiate combo attacks that damage the entire screen.

Players begin their adventure at Puck Village, where they can converse with NPC characters to gain clues to progress in their adventure. Immediately outside the village is the overworld of Arshes, where dungeons and other locations can be accessed. Dungeons are divided into several stages, with each stage possessing three floors. Many stages can be completed in different orders, although each stage offers a hint plate outside that shows the recommended Level to challenge it. At the end of each dungeon is a powerful dungeon boss who guards one of the goddess statues.

Exploring a dungeon (screenshot from the PSP version). Zwei screen1.jpg
Exploring a dungeon (screenshot from the PSP version).

Instead of defeating enemies to level up like in most RPGs, experience points are gained by consuming food items, which are dropped by monsters and obtained through other methods. Ten of the same food item can be combined, at Puck Village's restaurant, to create a higher tier food item that awards more experience than the individual items. Early on, players can obtain a pet, ranging from various species of cats and dogs, who will follow the main characters, assisting in collecting items dropped by enemies. Letting pets tag along also unlocks the highest level combo attacks.

Beyond the main game, there are a number of special items that serve as desktop accessories and can operate while the main game is closed. The first accessory, obtained automatically, is the "Pet Monitor", a basic adventure game that stars the pet from the main game. Users can select one of two choices at various intervals, which can lead to the pet's level increasing or reward items in the main game. By default the game randomly makes choices and can progress without the user's influence. Other accessories include a calendar, clock, calculator, puzzle game "Mona Mona" and typing tutor "Typing with Ys". A shooting game called "Zwei!! Shooting" can also be accessed from the main game itself.

Plot

Granvallen is a mysterious world of floating continents, where magic once prospered. Everything changed one thousand years ago, when mankind and demons fought in the Great Sorcery War. The war was instigated by the six demon lords, who opposed the twin goddesses Aplyes and Espina and attacked the world of Granvallen. After a period of five hundred years, the curtains of strife closed when Tiara, the Priestess Princess of the Holy Kingdom of Valence, and the heroic Crusader Paradys defeated Demon Lord Vesper at the floating continent of Arshes. Granvallen suffered many losses and the magical civilisation quickly faded away.

Five hundred years after the devastating battle, the world of Granvallen ushers in an age of peace and those who can wield magic are a rare sight to behold. A girl named Pipiro and a boy named Pokkle are two 14 year old children who live at the village of Puck, situated in the remote island continent of Arshes. One day, they spot a mysterious masked man enter the village's temple and decide to follow him. The man steals six Goddess statues, the village's treasures, with Pipiro and Pokkle unable to stop him. The pair decide to leave the village to retrieve the statues for their own reasons and thus their journey begins.

Versions

Zwei: The Arges Adventure originated as a Windows game and was later ported to the PS2 and PSP. The PS2 port was handled by Taito and is largely faithful to the original, but doesn't contain the "Typing of Ys" mini-game or any of the desktop applications. Furthermore, the sequence leading up to the final dungeon was modified, with the player required to complete four previously optional stages, now with reduced difficulty, before progressing. The PSP port by Falcom omits another mini-game, "Mona Mona", but includes character artwork during conversations, additional voice snippets and a re-arranged soundtrack option. The character artwork was also redone to fit in with the sequel's style.

An online version, Zwei!! Online, was released in 2007 by Korean developer Neonsoft Corporation.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Related Research Articles

Ys is a series of action role-playing games developed by Nihon Falcom. The series chronicles the life of the adventurer, Adol Christin.

<i>Dragon Slayer</i> (series) Video game series

Dragon Slayer is a series of role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom. The first Dragon Slayer game is an early action role-playing game, released in 1984 for the NEC PC-8801 and ported by Square for the MSX. Designed by Yoshio Kiya, the game gave rise to a series of sequels, most of them created by Falcom, with the exception of Faxanadu by Hudson Soft. The Dragon Slayer series is historically significant, both as a founder of the Japanese role-playing game industry, and as the progenitor of the action role-playing game genre.

An action role-playing game is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.

<i>Shadow Hearts: From the New World</i> 2005 video game

Shadow Hearts: From the New World is a role-playing video game developed by Nautilus (Sacnoth) for the PlayStation 2. It was published in Japan by Aruze in 2005, in North America by Xseed Games in 2006, and in Europe by Ghostlight in 2007. From The New World is the third and final game in the Shadow Hearts series, acting as both a continuation of the series narrative and a spin-off featuring new characters.

<i>Ys: The Oath in Felghana</i> 2005 video game

Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a 2005 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. It is a remake of the third game in the Ys series, Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. It was first released for Windows in Japan in June 2005, with an English localization by Xseed Games in March 2012. A PlayStation Portable version was also released in Japan in April 2010 and later in North America and Europe. A high-definition remaster for the Nintendo Switch was released in Japan in April 2023, followed by a port of the remaster to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in Japan in May 2024.

<i>Legacy of the Wizard</i> 1987 video game

Legacy of the Wizard, originally released in Japan as Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family, is a fantasy-themed action role-playing platform game released for the MSX, MSX2 and Famicom in Japan and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. Legacy of the Wizard is an installment in Falcom's Dragon Slayer series, and one of only five Dragon Slayer games that were localized outside Japan. The game was an early example of an open-world, non-linear action RPG, combining action-RPG gameplay with what would later be called "Metroidvania"-style action-adventure elements.

<i>Ys Origin</i> 2006 video game

Ys Origin is a 2006 action role-playing game by Nihon Falcom. It was first released for Windows in Japan with an English release by Xseed Games in 2012. Dotemu later released the game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2017, for Xbox One in 2018, and for Nintendo Switch in 2020.

<i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is the first in what later became known as the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series.

<i>Ys I & II</i> 1989 video game

Ys I & II is an action role-playing game compilation released by Hudson Soft and NEC for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in 1989 and TurboGrafx-CD in 1990. It consists of enhanced remakes of the first two Ys games by Nihon Falcom for the PC-8801 home computer in Japan. It was released as Ys Book I & II for the TurboGrafx-CD in North America in 1990, and was a pack-in title for the TurboDuo in 1992. Ys I & II was released on the Virtual Console in Japan in October 2007, and worldwide the following year.

<i>Xanadu</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Xanadu, also known as Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II, is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom and released in 1985 for the PC-8801, X1, PC-8001, PC-9801, FM-7 and MSX computers. Enhanced remakes were later released for the Sega Saturn, PC-9801 and Windows platforms. It is the second entry in the Dragon Slayer series, preceded by Dragon Slayer and followed by Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia, which, as most games in the Dragon Slayer series, have very little relation with each other.

<i>City of the Spider Queen</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

City of the Spider Queen is a 160-page adventure module set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, for use with the 3rd edition of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

<i>Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection</i> 2008 video game

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, known in Japan as Zwei II, is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom for Windows, which was released as a direct sequel to Zwei: The Arges Adventure. A re-release with additional features was released in Japan in December 2009 and in English by Xseed Games in October 2017.

<i>Babylonian Castle Saga</i> Video game series

The Babylonian Castle Saga is a Japanese role-playing video game franchise developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco, for arcades and home video game platforms. Beginning in 1984 with the arcade title The Tower of Druaga, the series would spawn a total of nine sequel and spin-off games, alongside a manga, soundtrack albums, and two anime series by Gonzo K.K. Later entries in the series would be developed by Endo's personal game company, Game Studio.

<i>Ys Seven</i> 2009 video game

Ys Seven is a 2009 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. An installment in the Ys series, it was first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in September 2009. Xseed Games released the game in 2010 in North America in August, and Europe in November. The game was later released in Australia in February 2013. It was also released for Windows in China in June 2012, and worldwide by Xseed Games in August 2017.

<i>Wild Arms</i> (video game) 1996 video game

Wild Arms is a role-playing video game developed by Japanese company Media.Vision. Originally released in Japan in 1996 for the PlayStation, it was later translated and released in North America in 1997 and Europe in 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features a fantasy setting and motif and 2D computer graphics for normal gameplay, while battle sequences are rendered in 3D.

<i>Ys: Memories of Celceta</i> 2012 video game

Ys: Memories of Celceta is a 2012 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game was originally released for the PlayStation Vita in Japan and later in North America by Xseed Games in November 2013, and in PAL regions by NIS America in February 2014. A Windows version was released in China in 2015, and worldwide in July 2018. A PlayStation 4 version was released in Japan in May 2019, and in North America and Europe in June 2020.

<i>Puzzle & Dragons</i> 2012 puzzle video game

Puzzle & Dragons is a puzzle video game with role-playing and strategy elements, developed and published by GungHo Online Entertainment for the iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire platforms.

<i>The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC</i> 2006 video game

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and serves as a direct sequel to The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. It was first released in Japan for Windows in 2006 before releasing for the PlayStation Portable the following year.

<i>Fate: The Cursed King</i> 2011 video game

Fate: The Cursed King is an action role-playing computer game that was developed and published by WildTangent and has been available to play online since 2011. In 2014, it became available for purchase on Steam. The game follows the Fate series, and is the final in the series.

References

  1. XSEED Games (2 December 2017). "Zwei: The Arges Adventure – Localization Blog #1". XSEED Games. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  2. "Zwei: The Arges Adventure for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  3. den Ouden, Adriaan. "Zwei: The Arges Adventure- Review". RPGamer. CraveOnline . Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  4. L., Pierre-Yves (February 28, 2018). "Review: Zwei! The Arges Adventure (PC)". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  5. Ruete, Borja (February 16, 2018). "Zwei: The Arges Adventure, Análisis". Meristation. Diario AS . Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  6. Vitale, Adam (January 24, 2018). "Zwei: The Arges Adventure Review". RPG Site. Retrieved March 15, 2020.

Notes

  1. Known in Japan as Zwei!! (ツヴァイ!!, Tsuvai!!).