Even if you don't like RPGs or card games as a rule, Lost Kingdoms 2 is a nifty little title that has a good chance of winning you over with its quirky, yet accessible gameplay.
Rather than base combat around the standard party system of most RPGs, Lost Kingdoms 2 instead opts to create a story around objects called Runestones. Runestones give their wielders the ability to control and harness the power of creatures in the form of cards, which are used in battle against hostile enemies. A strange premise, sure, and there's your standard "deity hath bestowed upon the mortals the blessings but is prepared to destroy the world" kind of non-plot, but the important thing is that it makes for some top-notch gaming.
A mix between a standard RPG, a 3rd person adventure, and a complicated rock/paper/scissors (which is really what all trading card games are…), Lost Kingdoms 2 has cards and creatures alike divided into categories, each of which has a strength and weakness. So, while a fire card may be effective against a wooden enemy, it is all but useless against a foe with the water attribute. There is more to it, sure, but this is the basic premise, and it works very well.
What makes this game work as opposed to a Yu-Gi-Oh or similar title, is that in Lost Kingdoms 2, you never feel like you are actually playing a card game. You always can see your character running in 3rd person, you are free to explore, open treasure chests, just like in any other title's world map or dungeon. The "hook" comes when you engage in combat, and you use your cards. Some cards require you to be right up front to the enemy when you use them, many summon a creature for you to fight for a limited time, and others assist you in some way by restoring your health. The sense of strategy is further enhanced by limiting you to 30 cards in a deck, and should you run out of cards, it's back to the beginning of the level for you. As you gain new cards, you can always customize your deck before the start of a level, and sometimes, even add cards you discovered during the current quest, midlevel.
Lost Kingdoms 2 is worth a look from anyone that wants something different in their Gamecube collection. It doesn't try to appeal to the hardcore TCG crowd so much as to alienate newcomers, nor does it just hold the first-timers' hands to a point where the game becomes tedious. Lost Kingdoms 2 strikes a perfect balance in learning curve, continues on an addictive new gameplay concept, yet probably won't sell a third of the copies it deserves to. A must-play.
-George
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