When you're the sequel to, the shoes you're expected to fill are typically sized somewhere between Shaquille O'Neil's and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is especially true when referring to Shadow Hearts: Covenant, which is easily one of the most enjoyable, humorous, and surprisingly deep role-playing games of the last several years. The good news is that XSEED's awaited follow-up, does capture some of the same magic that made Covenant such a joy -- quirky characters, a great battle system, and a strong propensity towards humor. The bad news is that the game doesn't do any of that stuff nearly as well as before. Of course, that statement is a bit loaded considering that Covenant accomplished almost everything in doses far beyond the norm. Its storyline, production values, and quality of battles were top tier in every respect, and living up to that standard is difficult indeed.

To its credit, though, returning developer has definitely tried to keep series fans happy with an assortment of bizarre and atypical character types that you've likely not experienced (unless you played previous installments). Predict Astrology Software Tamil on this page. Like your characters to be a little 'off?' Then look no further.

Take the gay biker couple that runs the item store known as 'Just Us Guys,' for example. I'm willing to bet that you've never seen that in a game before.

You probably haven't met someone like Hilda either, a schizophrenic magic-using weirdo who changes body shapes and personalities depending on the number of calories she eats. A fire-loving mariachi, a dim-witted ninja, and a talking cat that doubles as a mobster and an actress have also been included. But the personalities above are just supporting characters to a much bigger picture. Amnesiac teenage detective Johnny Garland and his platinum blonde shape-shifting Native American cohort Shania are the real stars of the show. Allied together for multiple quests the pair sets out with friends to, among other things, solve the mystery of a fire that killed Johnny's parents, locate an evil woman that destroyed Shania's village, and figure out what a penguin-like professor from Boston is really up to. It's an intriguing mix of stories to say the least, and is easily the most eccentric reinterpretation of the 1930s I've ever seen.

Shadow Hearts: From the New World (UNDUB) PS2 ISO Download for the Sony PlayStation 2/PS2/PCSX2. Game description, information and ISO download page.

Keyboard Firmware Update on this page. Poor Johnny is in for one heck of a bizarre ride. When told, this story actually works pretty well.

Other than a few short cameos by some returning characters, the plot in From the New World stands alone and allows new players to come in without having to worry about past situations. There are even a couple of really surprising plot twists that I didn't see coming (which is rare for a guy that plays just about every RPG out there), and a good portion of the dialogue and character interactions strike a solid balance between humor and seriousness.