Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - Deluxe Box Set

by Atlus

Product Features

• A 50+ hour fantasy that unfolds through amazing CGI cut-scenes and fully voiced dialogue
• Unlock the secrets of the Carta System and unleash spellbinding magical fury
• Unique real-time combat system allows you to position yourself anywhere on the battlefield
• Character designs by renowned Korean artist Hyung Tae Kim bring the world of Efferia to life

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0009K7ESM
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 8, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,294 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #23 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Strategy
  • #56 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Role-Playing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Bonus materials include a poster, a mini strategy guide and art book...Revenge is the only thing that can erase this hatred...In the land of Efferia, humans and native-Efferians uneasily co-exist in the throes of an endless war. A young man out for revenge against the natives finds a girl who's lost her memories...Where will destiny lead them...?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More fun than it looks, December 1, 2005

By 

Allison "Librarian" (TN, USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - Deluxe Box Set (Video Game)

Despite what the other reviews here maybe have you believe, Magna Carta does have a lot to offer. It's true the game may be hard to get into, but trust me, once you do, it becomes a lot of fun.

This is not a game for the traditional RPG inclined. It's a game which looks typical on the outside but has a lot of depth under the surface and beautiful graphics and music to go along with it. Speaking of the graphics, they're beautifully rendered (even making the trees/water/grass in the enviroments swing and sway, along with your character's clothing) with very natural movements of walking and running on the map. The battle graphics aren't as big as what you may have seen in Final Fantasy but aren't horrible either. The CGI, if you could say that, is mostly just in the opening sequences, the rest of the game using buffed up cut-scenes to good effect, even coloring flashbacks in grainy sepia-tone. The music is also well done, understated but not forgetable, catchy but not annoying.

Now, onto the battle system. If you want a simple explaination, the system is a cross between the Judgement Ring from Shadow Hearts and the more action style of Star Ocean 3. It takes a bit of getting used to but once you do it becomes pretty easy. My only complaint is with the "Chi" system of energy each character draws from for their power (whether it be attacking or magic); it just limits a very unique battle style, weighing it down unecessarily.

Some people seem to have complaints with the voice acting but besides a bit of stilted (read: odd, dramatic pauses in sentences) I found the voice acting pretty good; nothing to write home about but, like Star Ocean 3, listenable and at least decently acted.

The storyline, as it goes, seems to draw from a different place than most war-oriented RPG plots do. It focuses on the individuals on both sides (including the enemy) and makes war out to be more realistic, where both sides have something to lose and in the end, are just protecting themselves and their land. It raises a lot of questions about who is really the good side in battle, which I found a lot more intriguing.

My only other complaint besides the "Chi" system is with the character designs. Sure, they're gorgeous and unusual but with the kind of time period the game is set in, they seem too bright and out of place, as if they're outfits you know they really wouldn't wear into battle but I quickly forgot about them getting caught up in the mix of the story, they just blend in with the characters themselves, who are also different and unique.

The game runs a lot like Star Ocean 3, in that to get to one town, you must cross through winding roads and through other towns to get where you need to go. Along the way you have a stealth-like system for detecting enemies on the path: A orange ring surrounds your character, small usually, allowing you to run quickly, but at the risk of heading blindly right into an enemies path, though you can widen the ring significantly with the push of a button to see ahead of you, causing a walk instead of a run so that you can sneak up on opponents or avoid them alltogether. Also, when you're playing during a key event in the game, the roads/dungeons you travel in, will not respawn monsters once you have killed them all, which leaves you, usually, at just the right level to defeat whatever boss you have to fight.

Lastly, the game is pretty linear in style, the story unfolding and taking you along with it, only allowing for a side-quest (usually to obtain items for a special weapon) every now and then, even going so far as to stop you from entering places that have no bearing on your current mission, which may bother some who like more freedom.

I have not played all the way through yet but here my list of Pros and Cons so far:

"Pros"
-Beautiful Graphics
-Subtle but memorable Music
-Unusual Character Models
-Unique Combat System
-Interesting Storyline

"Cons"
-Combat Weighed Down by "Chi" System
-Slightly Overdramatic Voice Acting
-Mostly Linear Gameplay
-During Key Events, No Monster Respawn

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to love it but I just can't, December 7, 2005

By 

lorna_dale (CA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - Deluxe Box Set (Video Game)

Just to clarify, I have been waiting for this game since the first incarnation (Magna Carta The Phantom of Avalanche) was released in Korea years ago. I too am a big fan of Hyung Tae Kim's artwork so I will not be discussing whether or not the character designs and art style are appropriate enough. You either like it or you don't. I wanted this game to be better than it was but crippling gameplay has soured me to the whole experience.


First, let's start with what I was expecting. What I was looking for in a game this time around was a good story to tide me over until FF 12 will be released. I have previously played Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time and Radiata Stories which had excellent battle systems but slightly less satisfying story lines. This game is probably the complete opposite of those two because it excells in story telling and character developement but completely massacres itself in the battle system. Even reading the directions and going through the useless in game tutorial, this battle system will punish you mercilessly. Once, you've messed up i.e. missed a button or let a character die, you're pretty much screwed even in regular enemy battles. In fact, regular enemy encounters can be tougher than boss fights for the sheer fact that there are more enemies and if you are suprise attacked and your characters don't love your leader, you won't even get a turn in to correct any mistakes. A status effect will handicap you to the point of rendering the rest of your party useless as the enemy's attack bar gets shorter and yours gets longer. Once things have gone bad, they will probably stay that way. That said if you always get the first attack, your characters love you, there's the right kind of chi in the area, etc. then you will go through the same repetitive botton pressing series that you've done in nearly every other fight. You cannot customize the order of your moves so oyu will do the same lame attacks in order to get to the stronger ones. I will admit, this is the first button pressing trinity drive game I've played myself. After I got used to it, the only mistakes I've made is when switching between characters and styles.


There is no open ended gameplay to be had. Trivial sidequests for getting weapons by fighting more enemies in your area just about covers it. Also, it is hard to just go out and level up because enemies don't regenerate unless you reload your game. Plus, there aren't enough different enemies in the game to prevent this from just becoming a chore. Basically, gampeplay is just the vehicle for propelling the story without being an end in itself. Maps are simplistic and don't invite you to explore much besides just getting from point A to point B.
Basically, I just thought I would suffer through the battle system to get to the end of the story because it is very engaging and I would like to see the conclusion. However, the Counter mode has now made that hope impossible. At one point near the end, you are forced to use the Counter mode, which I have never used in regular battle because I have found it too bothersome, to advance in the storyline. Well, even with help from the guide, I keep missing button presses because they fly by quickly. There is no in depth tutorial either in the books provided or in the game itself to tell me what I am doing wrong and how to correct it. Right now, I am at a complete standstill and don't think I will ever finish the game because of this. I will admit that I am not very good at Judgement Wheel type controls but for me to spend 70+ hours on a game that frustrates me at every turn and to get stuck like this, is just wrong.


As much as the story itself is well thought out and enthralling, I just can't reconcile the fact that I should be frustrated like this over a game that is supposed to be fun. I'm giving it two stars because of the story and collectable art extras provided but I would recommend for any consumer to try this game out for yourselves before buying it. $55 is still a lot for a poster and a mini artbook.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Softmax's first PS2 rpg is a hit...very unique and exciting!, November 29, 2005

By 

just me - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - Deluxe Box Set (Video Game)

Magna Carta is a breath of fresh air when it comes to your every day RPG. This game, to me, is something I look for in all my role-playing games. It's not "cute-sy" and has more of a mature look to it. Despite the fact that the main character looks oddly like a woman, the story, visuals and concept are worth the money.

The main character, Calintz, is part of a mercenary group known as the "Tears of Blood". Tragically (gasp!), his past haunts him as the Yason (the enemy kingdom) did something terrible to him, which empowers him with this need for revenge. The game starts out with a simple enough mission to go and protect some Wizards as they meet and prepare for this "Ultimate attack" that will save the Humans from the Yason. Unfortunately, it goes bad and the attack back fires. This is where the story... sort of... begins. Together with your cadre of mercenary buddies, you complete quests, fight monsters and do pretty much the same thing as you would do in Final Fantasy, Star Ocean, or any of your other run-of-the-mill RPG's.

The thing that seperates Magna Carta from the rest is the use of a "timed" battle system. A wheel, presenting a combination of different button presses, forms when you wish to attack a target. Once the first button has been pressed, you need to time it correctly for the other button presses as the wheel turns at a reasonably fast rate - creating the desired effect. The bad part about it... well, if you mess up and miss a button or time it incorrectly, the attack fails and you lose your turn. This change from your ordinary turn-based fighting style lends to the uniqueness of Magna Carta, as its presented well, but requires practice - making the whole combat thing and defeating enemies more enjoyable as well as rewarding. Other fighting styles are default for certain characters, but many more must be learned and they can be mixed and matched to your character, since only 4 styles can be used in a battle - each with their own up's and down's. It's also important to note that battles are also run by "Leadership". Whether or not a character likes your main character, which is determined by socializing at save points, determines how fast that character can attack. Every character runs off this Leadership system, and as more enemies are present, the Leadership is lower. Think of it as morale. Your characters can attack more often if their morale is high and you are winning the battle, but if you are losing, you'll lose attack chances - enemies also use this Leadership system.

Magna Carta also makes use of this "Chi" system, where opposing "Chi" deal more damage to eachother, and complimentary Chi aid eachother. In battle, its crucial to plan ahead and determine what type of "Chi" each enemy possesses, as well as whether or not they are more or less vulnerable to your attacks. As a character attacks, whatever Chi he is strong with will deplete. If the Chi is gone, the character is unable to attack until the Chi regenerates.

The only thing that irks me about Magna Carta is that you control one character in battle, but 3 can be present. Magna Carta likes to use something similiar to a "paper-rock-scissor" effect - giving you the option to use whoever you want in battle, but sometimes requires you to switch to another character as the "Chi" depletes itself or an enemy just happens to be strong to the type of "Chi" your character uses. While it sounds impressively imaginative, whatever characters you aren't using just stand there and look pretty. This knowledge comes in handy, as you'll now be prepared to use every character, every chance you get since you will want to make sure he levels up his styles and isn't a wuss when he is really needed in a battle.

The visuals, simply put, are outstanding. While men and women are tough to distinguish from one another sometimes, don't let that discourage you in the least, as Magna Carta is full of vibrant and interesting local's and characters.

The music is also well done, and whether or not the intro song turns you off, it grows on you after awhile and you'll find yourself wanting to listen to it again. The background music and battle music is also well done, but isn't anything out of the norm when compared to other RPG's.

Magna Carta is a breath of fresh air to the RPG world, blending a myriad of different gameplay ideas into one impressive game. While it suffers from some tiny things, the game by itself is fun and compelling enough to keep you interested.