Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord

At the end of the day I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem of an SRPG, and while the poor graphics and pacing holds it back from true greatness, it certainly has the heart of what could be a cult classic.

Those who want a good strategy RPG will appreciate the battle system, but may find themselves growing weary of the lengthy story scenes. Still, fans of both genres will find something to like in this game. Maybe they'll even grow to appreciate a genre they weren't looking for.

For the gamer who likes reading more than gaming.

In short, it’s a mixed bag which is unlikely to appeal to any but the most curious of SRPG fans, but those who are prepared to give it a chance will be rewarded with a genuinely interesting game, unlike anything else currently on the market.

Tears to Tiara 2 is the new installment of the adult visual novel saga Tears to Tiara, mixing the lot with tactical rpg style battles. However it's not in Spanish, making it quite a slow game due to the excess of text. If you have no problem with the language, you can enjoy a nice game in your Playstation 3.

More story than game. Not everybody will enjoy playing this Japanese rpg, but for those who has a long breath, it's story will be amazing.

Another genuinely Japanese novel-like experience destined to a very specific group of PS3 owners.

It's been a nice surprise, since it works better than we expected. It offers a deep, very engaging combat system, and a narrative worth checking out.

This is a game for genre fans only (and by that I do mean fans of both visual novels and tactics RPGs). For those people the game will slowly but surely hook its charms in until they come to see it as something quite brilliant for all its flaws.

Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord is a more than competent SRPG.

Western tastes won't have an easy time connecting to this typically eastern product. In the end, it's more a visual novel than a truly interactive game, and that calls for very specific tastes.

Overall Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord is a solid entry in the JRPG genre and worth a visit if you’re a fan of games of this type of ilk.

In the end, Tears to Tiara II is a well put-together game that’s hard to recommend in the long run. Had the game chosen to either be a full-fledged Visual Novel with proper saving features or a more evenly-paced Strategy RPG, it would have gotten a higher recommendation.

Strategy RPGs and visual novels seem like a suitable match given the history of great stories in this sub-genre. A fine union may still be possible, but Tears to Tiara II is certainly not it, and not because of a lackluster story.

Overall this is a game only a niche market will enjoy, anyone else looking for a great SRPG without the massive amount of dialogue should check out Disgaea 3, or any other of the SRPGs on the PS3. While, it has its moments, the battles just take far too long to get to, and the game suffers from the omission of an English dub and poor translation.

ith inert characters, forgettable villains, and an achingly slow plot, Tears to Tiara 2 never offers a reason for anyone to keep reading.