Crimson Sea 2

by Koei

Product Features

• Over 60 missions and non-linear play.
• New playable character, Feanay, and character-based missions.
• 3 Two-Player modes.
• New devastating Neo-Psionic attacks can destroy entire platoons of enemies with a single blow.
• Uncover the secrets of the aliens and eradicate them using new fighting techniques.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009B05K
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 31, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,343 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Millions of light years away, in the galaxy of Theophilus, a mysterious evil threatened mankind. In a instant, the unknown life form known as Menace invaded, driving Theophilus to the brink of destruction. Its ranks decimated, the IAG, the agency charged with maintaining order, was only sporadically able to battle against the onslaught.

The IAG's only remaining hope to protect the galaxy was the warrior Sho. But even with Sho's help, there was no break in the fight against the Menace. In light of the devastation, Sho searches for more help.

Then, one day during the seemingly hopeless war... Sho meets another Vipa who possesses a power that can stop the Menace. Her name was Feanay. What is the secret that Feanay is concealing? And what do the Menace want? Will Sho be able to exterminate the Menace and return Theophilus to peace?

Control space and time in a world filled with danger. Exterminate an enemy that swarms in and surrounds you. Crimson Sea 2 pushes you to the limits of tension and excitement, as one crisis situation after another unfold before you.

You accept your mission from the voluptuous Live-D, Commander at IAG Headquarters, and then head out to the far reaches of the galaxy to fulfill it. From simply exterminating hordes of enemies, to rescuing dignitaries, to completing objectives within time limits, the action progresses as you exterminate the Menace and accomplish your objectives.

Use guns and blades to shoot and slash your way through the swarming enemy. By themselves, your weapons are capable of massive shows of force. When you use the gun and blade together, or link attacks to perform an Overdrive attack, the weapons become capable of even deadlier force.

As the battle heats up, you can perform a Time Extend move. During Time Extend, everything in your environment, including the Menace, moves in slow motion. You, however, continue to move in the normal space-time continuum. While executing a Time Extend attack, you are able to hack your way through hordes of enemy Menace and inflict massive damage.

Then, there's the Neo Psionics attack, your deadliest weapon. By summoning up strength from within, you become capable of attacks of unparalleled force.

The action unfolds on 4 different planets in the Theophilus star system: Grarve, Agitato, Semplice, and the Crimson Planet. Each one has a unique environment, and different Menace lie in wait for you around every corner.

With non-linear game play and over 60 different missions, choose from among multiple missions created for each stage. Penetrate an enemy stronghold to gather intelligence, rescue a marooned political leader, or trip the switch on a machine and escape before it self-destructs.

In more difficult missions that you don't initially clear, you can explore the mission terrain and strengthen your character and weapons. Then, try again until you are able to clear the mission.

There are two playable characters in Crimson Sea 2: Sho and Feanay. Once you have satisfied certain game conditions, you can switch between characters in every mission. Sho and Feanay have their unique strengths; discover them in your quest to destroy the Menace.

In addition to the main single player game, Crimson Sea 2 now includes 3 two-player modes. Players can work together to bring down an enemy and clear a stage in "Co-op" mode, battle head-to-head "death match" style in "Versus" mode, or try to outscore their human opponent in "Competition" mode.

The blast of your weapon, the hum of distant machines, and the creeping footsteps of the Menace... Crimson Sea 2 takes full advantage of the sound processing capabilities of the PlayStation 2. Dolby Pro Logic II sound heightens the tension and fear and completes the total experience of Crimson Sea 2.

Product Description

Crimson Sea 2 takes you millions of light years away, where an unknown evil threatens humanity's advance across the cosmos! In this sequel to the hit Crimson Sea, a surprise by the deadly alien race. Only Sho, the hero of the first game, can save us now! Allied with his friend Feany, and a small groups of soldiers & survivors, he'll lead the charge to regroup humanity for a counterattack. Fantastic cooperative and multiplayer modes - Compete for higher scores, or team up for some interstellar fighting action Dolby Pro Logic II sound puts you in the middle of the action

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked sequel to an underappreciated game, August 16, 2004

By 

flaviolius (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crimson Sea 2 (Video Game)

When Koei switched systems for the sequel to its Xbox-exclusive action-RPG Crimson Sea, many people were surprised. The company probably felt that the PS2's larger user base would give Crimson Sea 2 more exposure, but gamers were concerned that the game might change too much during the system switch.

Worries are unwarranted. Crimson Sea 2 is superior in all aspects to its predecessor. Unfortunately, despite these improvements, Koei's futuristic hack-and-slasher seems to have gotten LESS attention on Sony's machine than on Microsoft's.

Gamers who missed out on the Xbox original need not worry. There are no major plotlines that carry over to the sequel. However, if you are interested in learning about main character Sho's heroics during the Ekdahl Wars, you can find out all about it via in-game conversations. The original cinemas are included for your viewing pleasure.

Either way, the story of Crimson Sea is anime-level bizarre. Sho is a Vipa, a superhuman soldier who uses Neo-Psionics to destroy an invading alien Menace that's turning peaceful people into monsters by inserting plugs into them. Your job is to kill em all. There are twists and mysteries along the way that will keep your attention, but the story is secondary.

Much like the original, Crimson Sea 2 is all about combat. You'll progress through sixty-odd missions, most of which are populated with swarms of icky creatures just begging to be destroyed. Luckily, Sho is more than equipped for the task. He has upgradeable guns and melee weapons, and puts them to fantastic use. New for the sequel are gravity blade, overdrive attacks, and Time Extends. Gravity blade attacks add effects like stunning the enemy, throwing them backwards, or tossing them into midair, and can be applied to any of the four melee attacks. Overdrives are gun attacks that are combined with the gravity blade for even further carnage. Rack up a 30-hit combo and Sho enters Time Extend, in which enemy movements move to a crawl but Sho speeds up, gaining the ability to teleport faster than the eye can follow and land major damage on his foes. All of these moves are easy to execute, and beginners will be creating huge-combo dances of destruction with only a little practice. The additions to CS2's combat make the constant fighting much more enjoyable and less repetitive than before.

All this destruction is rendered with amazing visuals. Koei was somehow able to retain the one-against-a-million odds of the Xbox original on the PS2, while increasing the detail and combat effects. Add to that the best FMV this side of Square, and you've got quite a graphical feast.

Koei listened to criticisms of the original Crimson Sea and took extra care in improving the sequel. The equipment upgrade system is much more efficient. There is a second playable character, Feaney. There are multiplayer modes, which are fun to experiment with but not very deep. You can replay any mission at any time to try and get all "S" rankings, but you only gain a fraction of the experience.

Fans of the original should not hesitate to pick up Crimson Sea 2. It is an improvement in all aspects - longer, deeper, better-looking, and more enjoyable - while keeping the all the quirkiness from before. IAG Headquarters is the same, and much of the soundtrack will be familiar. Those new to the series should not feel daunted about not playing the first game - it's easy to get into but deep enough to replay.

Crimson Sea 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but provides a vastly fun, lengthy, and visceral experience that manages to stay fresh despite the one-track gameplay. In addition to its swarms of creatures, RPG elements, weirdo story, and beautiful graphics, Koei has crafted a game that feels different and unique, and will stay with you long after the credits roll.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Surprise..., June 1, 2004

By 

C.E. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crimson Sea 2 (Video Game)

I am surprised that this game hasnt gotten much coverage. It really is fun and challenging at the same time. Crimson Sea 2 comes to us from the makers of the Dynasty Warriors series and the new one, Samurai Warriors. Koei is known for having hundreds of enemies on screen at one time...giving the player an overwhelming sense of frenzied battle.
This game is set in the future with an alien race known only as the Menace threatening to overtake all mankind. All efforts to halt their advance have failed, and so one man, Sho is called in to save the day.
Sho progresses through the game being given various missions that he must accomplish. These missions range from simple seek and destroy, escort and even some retrieval missions thrown in.
Along the way, he can upgrade the power, range, and fire rate of his two guns...upgrade the gravity blade (sword) attacks and even upgrade his NeoPsionics (magic) abilities to become a one man army in all sense of the word.
The missions are short and not super-challenging at first. The player is given ample time to learn the controls with the addition of the training mode. Sho can target, strafe, slash, jump and teleport to amazing effectivness and ease of control. The button layout makes sense and feels effortless in its execution.
The only thing that is missing is the ability to guard against enemy attacks. While a seemingly petty thing to gripe about, in missions where you are graded on the amount of damage you have taken, it would make sense to have this feature included.
Other than that, this game is really fun. It is fast paced, woven into a awesome storyline and features many unlockables. All in all, its a good way to spend some time saving the universe from your living room.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definite sleeper hit!, August 22, 2004

By 

Kain (Austin, TX. USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Crimson Sea 2 (Video Game)

This is going to be a sleeper hit for the action-RPG people. The flow and feel of the game is a lot like a really great single player version of Phantasy Star Online, except the fighting is more like Ninja Gaiden/Devil May Cry. You also have a magic meter that builds up as you fight and take damage. Unlike most action RPGs, you will often find yourself fighting up to 30+ enemies on the screen at once; the sound and feel of slashing through such a large horde is definitely gratifying. There are experience points and weapon upgrade points as well as special moves that you can do in battle. Controls and camera are spot on!

I never played Crimson Sea on the Xbox, but I heard it was really bad. Supposedly, this version cleaned up a lot of issues that people had with the Xbox version. You can also view all the cutscenes from the first game in this sequel. There are multiplayer modes in the game (co-op, competitive), but they do not intersect with the single player mode at all.

If you are looking for a level treadmill game that requires some dexterity to play, then this should definitely be on your list.