Arc the Lad II

It expands from the gameplay of the first installment, with a larger world and a more diverse cast. An anime series was made based on this game.

• Title — Arc the Lad II • Developer — G-Craft • Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment • Series — Arc the Lad • Platforms — PlayStation • Released — November 1, 1996 • Genre — Tactical role-playing • Modes — Single-player

Unlike the original game, the countries of the world can be viewed in detail on a bird's eye scale. Most travel is initially restricted to the game's plot, but players eventually gain global access by airship, either by the Hein or the Silver Noah. Players are no longer under restricted turn-based movement while going through dungeon/field areas. The battles vary from random encounters to automatic entries to a section. Just as in the first game, the characters do battle against monsters and enemies in strategy-based combat. However, rather than fighting with every party member in each battle, the player now has to select between 1 and 6 characters per battle, depending on the battle's requirements. The player can recruit monsters into the party with the option of upgrading them and other characters at a later time. In most cities in Arc the Lad II, there are hunter guilds where the player can take on local jobs. These jobs include fetch quests, monster hunting and deliveries. Most jobs include a degree of battle. Also in the guilds are bulletins about rare marked monsters that can be found in certain dungeon/field areas. Some jobs only become available after completing related jobs or certain plot points.