RPG Maker II

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
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  1. PSM Magazine
    80
    An RPG-making beast that requires serious time and dedication. [Holiday 2003, p.40]
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  2. Play Magazine
    75
    Sadly, you can't create textures or models, but those who are able to tame this monster will still find an abundance to love. [Nov 2003, p.92]
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  3. Deeko
    75
    Those who stick with the clunky interface and difficult scripting options will be able to pull off some truly incredible pieces of work.
  5. GameZone
    71
    Playing the included pre-made RPG is simple, but creating your own is a daunting task that most will probably give up on before their vision comes to fruition.
  6. GamePro
    70
    If you’re really serious about this, better game-creating titles do exist, especially on the PC, offering easier interfaces and more freedom to mess with the basic building blocks. Still, this makes for an entry point into the vast realm of game design.
  7. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    70
    Please don't think this is one of those games you can just pick up as you go along. It isn't. Trust me... This is work. [Nov 2003, p.144]
  8. Game Informer
    55
    It has one major flaw - the gameplay is downright appalling. A blind man on ice has more control than your character's general movements. [Jan 2004, p.130]
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    52
    Most gamers, however, will be immediately overwhelmed - it's just so hard to get into, and quality results demand a monumental time commitment. [Dec 2003, p.216]
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  10. GMR Magazine
    40
    "Fu-Ma" (the included game) is both useless and boring. It's blurry graphics and awkward control (in an RPG?!) provide a sickening surety that no matter how much time you spend in design, the final result won't be worth playing. [Feb 2004, p.88]

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
90
#90 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 81 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 81
  3. Negative: 12 out of 81
  1. AlexC.
    Nov 28, 2005
    2
    I thought RPG Maker 1 was the coolest thing ever. I had no experience with game editing before playing it, and you can probably imagined that I thought RPG Maker 1 was the coolest thing ever. I had no experience with game editing before playing it, and you can probably imagined that I was confused as all get-out at first. Well, me and my friend were both in the same boat on this one, but every weekend we would go to each other's houses and work on our games, imparting what little knowledge we had learned over the week to each other. After about a year or so, we decided we were pro. If it was CAPABLE of being done on RPG Maker, there was no doubt in our minds we could do it easily. Most people can't even concieve the idea of making a boat that you actually get in, and ride around, or making a general lead an army forward (all of them moving at once), then turning around to talk to his troops, then all of them moving forward at once again. Or a base designing sytem which allows you to have place to store, and manually choose your characters while upgrading the base and selection of items its stores have to offer. Oftentimes, even the most pro RPG Maker players are perplexed by how to script such things, and if you know how you are pro too. I am self learned from the days I couldn't figure out even how to make the inside of a house, so please do not think I am giving this game a bad review because it is confusing. I eagerly awaited this game for so long, and months ahead of time, I knew it would have bad graphics. So did the first one. The fact of the matter is you simply can't have that much customization, and have good graphics to boot. This was no big deal to me. When I put this game in, I had no idea the horror that awaited me. My first problem was the controls. There are so many places in the game that lack menus in favor of "To do this function rotate this analog stick this way, and then this way!" which is ridiculous. I'm trying to design a game, not play one. There should be no challenge to getting the game made if you know what to do. That being said, the method of gameplay for if you don't know what to do is awful as well. Begginer and Moderate difficulites set you up with so much pre-made data you're not making your own game anymore, but if you delete it, you are on advanced mode, in which hitting people doesn't even do damage unless you script it to do so. It's bad all right. Then comes the most awful thing of all. Almost all scenario scripting doesn't work correctly. Set a teleporting event using the X,Y,Z coordinates precisely, then test it, and watch as the game manages to screw a simple command like that up, making you teleport at all kinds of crazy and random places! I'm suprised Agetec was able to make the half-decent test game at all seeing as how almost 5% of stuff you script bugs out if you're in Advanced difficulty. Just plain wrong. I honestly would have settled for the old RPG Maker with a variable option, better control of duplicate events, and the freedom of the room of a PS2 memory card. Battle scripting would also have been nice. If they would have been smart and just added those, you'd have the tool you need make anything happen. Overall, RPG Maker 2 just isn't user friendly be you noob or pro. Bad controls, bad scripting, bad starting data. At least the map editor was pretty cool.… Full Review »
  2. BenV.
    Jun 29, 2005
    0
    I waited four years for this game after making many games using RPG Maker 1. This is the worst dissapointment I've ever had in gaming. I I waited four years for this game after making many games using RPG Maker 1. This is the worst dissapointment I've ever had in gaming. I actually cried after I tried the damn thing for several hours. An utter piece of useless garbage.… Full Review »
  3. DanE.
    May 28, 2005
    1
    I loved the first RPG Maker and when I saw this game I almost burst with joy. After I pre-ordered it and got it home, I turned it on. After a I loved the first RPG Maker and when I saw this game I almost burst with joy. After I pre-ordered it and got it home, I turned it on. After a while I saw they had a lot more tiles and characters to chose from...BUT!! When you finish making something: 1-The graphics are blurry 2-The graphics are TERRIBLE!! 3-Battles are gross, like a early 80s NES RPG. Overall pleade heed my warning: The end result, no matter how good you make it, is NOT and I repeat NOT worth playing under ANY circumstance!!! No!!!… Full Review »
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