Magna Carta: Tears of Blood

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 34
  3. Negative: 5 out of 34
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  1. GameZone
    89
    Tears of Blood manages to hook fans of the genre with its gorgeous style and great story. It’s not as epic as the Final Fantasy games but it is still well worth playing.
  2. Console Gameworld
    89
    An amazing, if in some ways generic, RPG that should easily please almost everyone. It is definitely one of the best RPG’s of this year, if not the best.
  3. VGPub
    85
    The music and sound effects are brilliant.
  5. RPG Fan
    84
    This season's diamond-in-the-rough. Players with the skill and a great deal of patience will see the adventure through to the end and appreciate the creator's grand vision, despite the shortcomings.
  6. Just RPG
    83
    Magna Carta: Tears of Blood might have a few minor problems and probably won't be the next big thing in RPG gaming, but with its interesting gameplay and depth, it is a game that is highly recommended to fans of the RPG genre.
  7. Game Informer
    83
    Unconventional, addictive, and a must-have for veterans driven to expand their horizons. [Dec 2005, p.176]
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  8. GamingTrend
    81
    While it is a fine experience, by making the combat system a little less complex Magna Carta could have soared above the other RPG’s being released at around the same time. As it stands now, it mostly likely will get lost in the shuffle.
  9. Game Chronicles
    80
    It's too complex for most people to ever enjoy, and if you want balance look elsewhere. But for better or worse, it is the game's only real claim to distinction, and it isn't bad, once you've figured it out.
  10. Play Magazine
    80
    Just pretend it's seven or so years ago when all US localizations were crap and you'll be fine. [Dec 2005, p.61]
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  11. ZTGD
    80
    Kudos to the developers for introducing us to Efferia and it’s innovative battle system, interesting characters, and compelling story.
  12. IC-Games
    74
    Magnacarta ticks all the right boxes in terms of typical RPG elements – swords, magic, storyline involving friendship/loyalty/betrayal, and so on, but it seems to throw them all into a big pudding bowl and comes out with a rather stodgy fruitcake instead of the intended appealing sponge.
  13. Siliconera
    73
    Magna Carta is a gorgeous game with enough creativity in its story and gameplay to distinguish outside the genre. However, to really appreciate this game be prepared to put in fifteen hours into it because it probably won’t suck you in at the very beginning.
  14. GameSpot
    71
    A generally unremarkable game that manages to pull itself together thanks to its story and interesting characters.
  15. Yahoo!
    70
    A game that won't appeal to everyone; Calintz's girly ways alone may turn off a lot of people. However, if you're looking for an RPG with a great battle system, you'll definitely be a fan of Magna Carta: Tears of Blood.
  16. TotalPlayStation
    70
    A bit of imbalance here is a bit ironic considering the themes of the game, but it's true. The storyline does help lift things up to the point of being better than your average RPG, but that doesn't mean the game isn't without significant faults.
  17. eToychest
    69
    While it features a deep involving story alongside some incredible art direction, the fact that the game is just so tedious to play kills the experience before it even gets a chance to begin.
  18. Worth Playing
    69
    A completely average experience that ends up being more work than fun.
  19. Cheat Code Central
    68
    It can take a long time to get used to the combat system. It's complicated to be sure but if you find that you don't like it, you're still faced with another 40-hours of gameplay. Proceed with caution.
  20. Into Liquid Sky
    67
    If you have some patience, then by all means get it. There's a lot to be enjoyed here if you can just endure the dragging pace of the story. If you're looking for faster action, then you may get bored with this one a bit too quickly.
  21. Game Over Online
    65
    If Magna Carta had a less frustrating combat system, it'd be a perfectly good, if slightly self-parodying, RPG.
  22. PSM2 Magazine UK
    64
    Looks beautiful, is huge and has a genuinely great plot. A shame, then, that it's hobbled with a stupidly-complex fighting system. Grr. [May 2006, p.69]
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  23. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    63
    Other than striking character designs by an insanely talented artist (Hyung Tae Kim) and a flashy, complex combat system, it's business as usual in Magna Carta.
  24. BonusStage
    62
    There are simply too many problems to ignore, and compared to 2005’s brutal competition in the RPG genre Magna Carta clearly falls to the bottom of the barrel.
  25. IGN
    61
    Ultimately more work than it is play. Almost everything about the game is far too complex for it to be a quick pick me up and its slow and deliberate pace can be punishing in the early going (even the load times are long).
  26. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    60
    An adequate, sometimes engaging adventure that just has too many annoying little wrinkles that were never ironed out. [Jan 2006, p.96]
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  27. G4 TV
    60
    The “strategy” is not much different than the electronic game Simon, emphasizing timing and pattern recognition instead of true skill or tactics.
  28. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    60
    Decent blend of traditional RPG elements and innovative additions, let down by some confusing execution. Don't touch it until you've clocked "Dragon Quest." [May 2006, p.89]
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  29. PSM Magazine
    55
    Tries hard to replicate Final Fantasy X's grandeur and elegance but fails badly. [Holiday 2005, p.78]
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  30. PALGN
    55
    A fairly poor excuse of a game.
  31. GamerFeed
    40
    The camera is horrible, the voice acting is well below average, the battle and movement system are extremely tedious, the story takes 10 hours to finally get anywhere... it's just problem after problem.
  32. RewiredMind
    40
    Magna Carta has the look of a deep, impressive, addictive RPG. This is all unravelled by some ridiculously (even for an RPG) slowly-paced gameplay, some bad camera work, and some innovations that simply do not work.
  33. Eurogamer
    40
    Of RPGs with overblown production values, galaxy-wide spider-web narratives, protagonists of indistinct sex and abundantly irritating characterisation, Final Fantasy is still King and this chartered framework does absolutely nothing to impinge its power.
  34. Boomtown
    40
    Arguably, the dress code is the highlight of a game that desperately needs some kind of distinguishing string to its bow, for otherwise it’s as bland and culturally distant as clichéd manga template design can be.
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  35. Computer Games Magazine
    30
    A pretty bad role-playing game published here in the states by folks who should know better. [Feb 2006, p.92]
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Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 6 out of 28
  1. cnekans
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    MC tears of blood is something different, something so underrated, something awesome and beautiful.

    You play as Calintz he looks like a    MC tears of blood is something different, something so underrated, something awesome and beautiful.

    You play as Calintz he looks like a girl but hes a guy. You will find out or tell just by hearing his voice, and believe me I'm an Anime fan / Otaku. There's alot of anime that have guys that look like girls, btw he is one of the captains of a group called the Tears of Blood. That's where the game got its name.

    The battle system, now this is one of the things i like about the game. It's challenging and very fun and different; you press the buttons show on the screen and try to hit it and not miss like o-o-x or x-o-o or o-o-o. What's also cool is the music: a relaxing flute melody and all of a sudden tension rising chorus playing, but the "only" thing i dont like is the voice acting. Like in battle when Calintz defeats his enemy he says "it was over before it started" i was like what ? Does that even make sense ?.

    This is worth playing and a change of pace from other RPGS.

    Good things about MC:
    Not video every other minute (or in this case, every hour. See: Xenosaga I, II and III.)
    Challenging gameplay (you must increase your combo skills to win the final battles and BEAT the game)
    Beautiful music, graphics and characters
    Story is above average but a bit clicheish.
    Not hours to learn the battle system or have 'max equip' on your characters.

    Bad:
    Battle load times
    Lack of a really interesting story
    Calintz looks very effeminate

    Scored it 9 to offset all the horribad reviews by ridiculous gamers (I've played over 200 Rpgs and have very high standards, MC: ToB deserves atleast a 7.)    … Full Review »
  2. Rox22
    Sep 26, 2013
    7
    A decent enough JRPG that doesn't quite live up to to the bigger titles, but does well enough to be enjoyable.

    Visuals are very pretty and    A decent enough JRPG that doesn't quite live up to to the bigger titles, but does well enough to be enjoyable.

    Visuals are very pretty and story is interesting and compelling. Combat is interesting, but also a little sluggish at times. Voice acting is, mediocre and could have been better.

    Overall:
    Not the best JRPG and not that impressive, but it's different enough and very pretty and is worth a go.    … Full Review »
  3. LordMetzen
    Sep 7, 2006
    9
    It's true that the opening song is a bit strange at first, but after a while it's like your favorite anime series,so I see no It's true that the opening song is a bit strange at first, but after a while it's like your favorite anime series,so I see no problem there, 'cos the ingame music fits perfectly every time. About the characters, it's incredible that most reviewers of big magazines and websites don't understand that they are part of the world you are being drawn into(like Snake and his thong in MGS2, AND you were forced to see his ass in the Tanker mission), the creator of the characters was Hyung Tae Kim, and the quality of them is beyond perfection, more lively than your common Final Fantasy Characters (BTW, after FFIX they lost something...). The main character looks like a girl at first....but when you see the way he draws women...you'll know when you see... About the combat system....GREAT addition....at last we see a change, You get the feeling that your'e actually doing something in the game and not just selecting stuff to watch an animation of the selection. Lots of things that the reviewers missed....the Trinity Drive, to power up your attack, you can see the enemies in the battlefield, etc, etc. BTW if you get the game, do yourself a favor and buy the Deluxe Box Set...you get a poster, AND most importantly the Artbook and Strategy Guide that will get you trough from the basics to the end of the game....that is....if you cannot do it by yourself. Well and for the reviewers....for god sakes.....if you cannot play because of the combat system.....you shouldn't play at all....remember the mission in GTA San Andreas when you must dance on the beach....or make your car bounce?....same thing here with the combat system....so maybe the reviewers found these missions too dificult and couldn't finish GTA SA........lol....… Full Review »
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