Vandal Hearts II

Vandal Hearts II marked a darker followup to the original. This work is an almost entirely different beast, shifting focus to heavier political scenarios/world-building and exploring topics such as corruption and class divide more intimately than the series' first effort, not to mention a greater dose of shock value and multiple different endings. Its strong writing employs numerous poignant moments in its blend of political and occult themes, that gives the overall plot a truly disturbing, bleak feel. It may lack the degree of character building that makes Suikoden II's emotional firepower so devastating, or Tactics Ogre's unnervingly cold philosophy, but its grim depiction of war is just as powerful.

Combat - however, lags behind the rest. A strange 'dual-turn system' favors strictly defensive play and prediction with a lack of helpful mechanics like a visible turn order to compensate, and the previous game's eclectic mission variety is non-existent here. Despite this, its RPG aspects are surprisingly diverse, as the introduction of repeatable battles, equipment-dependent character 'classes', unlockable secrets and a transferable weapon skills system points towards greater customization. This clever evolution makes battler parties truly malleable and encourages much experimentation.