SaGa Frontier 2 is a work of art. This is a compliment I'm hesitant to bestow upon a video game, but it's the only appropriate way to describe Square's latest masterpiece. Each and every scene has been painstakingly hand-drawn by some incredibly talented artists. The level of detail and character portrayed by these visuals could never be matched by polygons. Furthermore, everything has been hand-painted with the same amount of utmost care. It's simply a thing of pure beauty that mere words will be inadequate to describe. Suffice it to say, I haven't been this taken aback by a game's graphics since Astal on the Saturn.

This is one of those rare instances where I would purchase a game simply on the merits of its visuals alone. The stunning artwork, with all its subtlety and brilliant use of pastels, is easily worth the price of admission. Much to my delight, however, the game itself is excellent as well. The storyline is divided into episodes and, in a twist on the multi-character system of the earlier SaGa games, allows the player to choose from divergent paths at the conclusion of certain episodes, some of which temporarily place you into new roles. This helps the game avoid the linearity of most RPGs and even provides it with some replay value. The translation is trademark Square; low on comedy, high on drama. I happen to enjoy most of the company's translations a great deal, but if you find them a bit too dry, SaGa Frontier 2 isn't going to change your mind. The characters are interesting and well-developed, though; not every hero is pure-hearted and innocent. A medieval setting, and character designs by the man responsible for Final Fantasy Tactics complete, what is for me, the ideal epic RPG atmosphere.

Even the battles are superior, featuring deep, strategic gameplay. Characters are constantly learning new spells and abilities, and two or more can even get together with a combo attack. Everything is turn based, so you can take your time in deciding how to make them work best as a team. It's nice to see Square catering to those of us who enjoy slowly plotting out elaborate strategies rather than rush things with real-time combat. To mix things up a bit, they've also included the occasional one-on-one battle, during which the player must plan a few moves ahead and then sit back and watch how it all pans out. Those weaned on Final Fantasy VII or VIII may be turned off by the lack of action, but we old school RPGers should revel in the experience.

The only aspect of SaGa Frontier 2 that I find slightly disappointing at this point is the soundtrack. The composition and instrumentation is certainly of high quality, but it's not particularly moving or inspiring. Not really a big deal, but an epic soundtrack could certainly help elevate the title into the realm of greatness. Perhaps it gets better later on in the game; in any case, I'll reserve final judgment for the review.

There are few games I'm anticipating this year as highly as SaGa Frontier 2. I consider the three most important elements of a good RPG to be: 1) an involving storyline, 2) appealing visuals, and 3) an enjoyable battle system. SF 2 proudly possesses all of these qualities in spades. A great soundtrack would be number 4, but that can be easily forgiven in the face of such gorgeous hand-crafted graphics. I just can't stress enough how beautiful this game is. Thank you, Square, for keeping the 2D fires burning.