Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection
79
Metacritic
96
Steam
83.355
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$9.99
Release date
31 October 2017
Developers
Steam reviews score
Total
96 (416 votes)

In a world where magic and technology exist side by side, vampire princess Alwen must reclaim her ancestral castle and her magic alongside her unlikely ally, treasure hunter Ragna Valentine. They may make for an odd pair, but when they combine their talents, the sky’s the limit!

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Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel Xeon W3505 @ 2.5 GHz (2-Core)
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro 600
  • DirectX: Version 8.0
  • Storage: 5 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Compatible with DirectX 8

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
Updated
App type
Steam APP ID
427700
Platforms
Windows PC
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compyudr genoratd hors
compyudr genor…

I found this game to be very boring after an hour. Maybe the combat gets more interesting later on with more characters and attacks or something but it felt very bland. The fixed camera isn't some major hindrance or anything but it was an added frustration. Way too much dialogue and cutscenes to pad out the length too as you don't really get control until over 30 minutes in (I read that you can fast forward with Ctrl but uninstalled before testing). As soon as I ran into an enemy whose health bar barely moved as I pelted it relentlessly, I just lost interest in continuing. Sorry.

yeeeegan
yeeeegan

If you're coming from the Ys series and want something a little different to fill the void, this is the one. I really enjoyed this one, and my only complaint about game play is that the food system to level up is a little clunky at first. This game has you eating food to heal, but also that same food is what gives you EXP. It takes a little while to get used to managing resources for leveling up, and grinding for levels is a little more time consuming. Aside from that, I thought the story was pretty good, game play was smooth, and I was able to to play it from start to finish on the steam deck with only one crash. I followed recommendations online, and always launched it from the layout tool on the steam deck, and it ran very smooth. I did however have quite a few issues with the game repeatedly crashing on my desktop that I never took the time to look into. All in all, I feel like this was another great game from Falcom, and maybe it's a bit overlooked today. Definitely worth a play.

Fozzforus
Fozzforus

Xanadu, Ys, Zwei... I get it. If you played either, of the first two you should know what to expect. Zwei is pleasantly retro with heavy Link to the Past vibes, but with its own unique flavors, and lots of story. It sort of feels like a game for kids, but it is, and I should stress this, a game for adult kids. Animation is ghetto fabulous. Music is possibly the best music studio in gaming right now and they go hard on this one.

Yuveria
Yuveria

If you're a fan of "Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection," then you absolutely have to check out "The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails" It's got the same art style, gameplay, and amazing soundtrack that made Zwei so enjoyable. Plus, the English localization for "The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails" is coming soon, so mark your calendars for September 19th in North America and September 22nd in Europe and Oceania. Trust me, this game is a must-play for any Zwei lover!

Magic_Guo
Magic_Guo

作为一款08年的ARPG,可以说是在当时十分超前了。即便放在今天也是非常优秀的游戏。

纯理性角度,9/10,一分扣在后期剧情展开的有点太急,可以再酝酿一下情感,否则部分人物逻辑还是感觉难以接受。其余部分,战斗,配乐,关卡设计等等全都相当优秀。

带点感性的话,11/10,当年买少年电脑世界送的光盘里有盗版,那年暑假除了每天写作业基本上就趴在这款游戏上了。可以说这款游戏成功使得美丽尊贵且强大的吸血鬼少女成为了我的XP。

法老控,出3求你了!

JobbingOn_A_SundayNight
JobbingOn_A_Su…

Alwen is my wife and I will fight each and every one of you to the DEATH if necessary.

Also, there's a surprising amount of hidden stuff in the game. Thought I was being thorough but I missed a ton of sh*t by the end.

Andvari
Andvari

Good game but the way bosses are supposed to be dealt can be pretty dumb unlike with Ys series where puzzle bosses are much more comprehensible.

Nayuta no Kiseki is pretty much Zwei 3 and improves this front a lot.

ChaosBuster
ChaosBuster

🟩 A hidden gem JRPG with fantastic story, dialogues and character developments. One of Falcom's best
🟩 Simple action gameplay yet still feels fun to play
🟩 Unique level up system. You only level up by eating food
🟩 Great soundtracks and voiceovers

🟥 Game runs at fake 60 FPS with frame doubling. It actually runs at 30 FPS
🟥 Occasionally when saving and loading, the save pointer does not point to the most recent save, instead you've to manually look at the time played to find it which is annoying

wernaeh
wernaeh

With Zwei: Ilvard Insurrection, you get a streamlined mixture of Trails storytelling, Ys gameplay, and Xanadu level design. The story is simple, but sweet. In contrast to your usual JRPG, Alwen and Ragna - the main characters - behave rather maturely, and the dialogues don't drown you in over-acted pathos and kitsch all too much. Gameplay and mechanics mostly feel fluid, and the dungeons are quirky and, at times, interesting - why can't we have such dungeons in Trails? Localization and related work by XSeed are perfect, as usual.

After suffering through the ill-begotten Zwei: Arges Adventure, I surprisingly enjoyed Zwei: Ilvard Insurrection quite a bit. There are fewer bugs and glitches, grinding has been reduced, and the core mechanics have been polished to a tolerable level. One thing I did miss were the non-stop squabbles between Pipiro and Pokkle. Alwen and Ragna just aren't quite as fun to listen to, which you painfully notice whenever Pipiro and Pokkle make their guest appearance.

Still I'd give a mixed rating if I could. My main issue here is that some core mechanics remain unconvincing. For instance, the touted food upgrades (save food and exchange for better food later on) might make for a thrilling choice - but there is so much food and so little gain from upgrades that you just heal whenever you need to. Another example might be controls and collision detection, which both still feel clumsy. In turn, outlevelling or outhealing bosses remains the most efficient strategy. For flawless level ratings (and their rewards), you likewise just shoot the red dots of mobs on the map from outside their AI range.

JoyfulSanity
JoyfulSanity

Zwei is absolutely fantastic from start to finish. If you like jRPGs, put this one in your cart or on your wishlist immediately.

If you're a fan of Falcom's Trails or Ys series, know that Zwei is of a similar tier of quality. It's an action-RPG dungeon crawler that, through its story and overall aesthetic, brought back a lot of memories of classic RPGs like Lunar and Skies of Arcadia. The action's very slow-paced compared to Ys, but it fits the puzzle-y dungeons well and gives the player a lot of tools to play with as the game progresses.

I could go on about the game's world and its mechanics, but to be honest Zwei doesn't exactly do any single thing exceptionally well to the point of blowing your mind. It's just how everything in the game comes together to make this a genuinely heartfelt package that feels inspired throughout the entire ~20 hour quest (not counting the loads of optional content and objectives I'm still working through). Heck, I hardly ever review Steam games, but I just felt so passionate about this one that I needed to chime in and tell people how good it is.

My only complaints of real substance are that the camera is a bit awkwardly zoomed in to the point where you're fighting and taking damage from enemies who are off screen at times, and some of the side content can be a bit annoying or vague. And I guess depending on how much you abuse the food system the game might be too easy or lack real tension. I don't know, it's definitely not a perfect game, but all I know is that I sort of impulse bought Zwei out of being a fan of Falcom, and I wound up absolutely hooked on the game despite it not being what I was expecting it to be. File Zwei under the list of "Steam hidden gems," but I can only hope this one eventually gets the recognition it deserves.

So basically, what I'm trying to say here is that it's pretty good.

Mal
Mal

Perhaps one of the most charming games I've played in a long time. The story, characters, setting and music is top notch. To put it simply, it gives me Brave Fencer Musashi vibes. It's a fantastic feeling that I longed for.

Gameplay is good as well. It has a simplified Ys vibe going which holds up pretty well. My main gripe with the gameplay though is the late-game where things can get pretty broken in your favor if you dig too deep. It just leads to bland gameplay. With that said, I suggest leaving obvious extra late-game content for after you beat the game. I think that should lead to a better balanced and fun late-game. Besides, there is a NG+ mode with extra stuff to get. You can be overpowered in that NG+ run.

nagasaurus
nagasaurus

this game is overprice, many talk in this game. boring game.

AlucardRD
AlucardRD

Finally after many years, this Action RPG from the creators of Ys, Falcom has been localized for western audiences.

Zwei Ilvard has the fast action combat of an Ys game while experimenting with things Falcom started with in Gurumin.
A young pilot crash lands on one of many sky island in the land of Granvallen and is saved by a vampire princess who demands in return to save her castle. Combat switches between the two characters depending on which of the two attack buttons you press. Alwen the vampire shoots magics and spells while the saved hero Ragna can throw his trusty anchor like a castlevania whip as they travel through dungeons and castles to claim what is rightfully Alwen's.

Although the game is quite a bit easier than your typical Ys game, It changes some systems up like the afformentioned attack system as well as the unique leveling system that requires you to collect food from defeated enemies and consume them to gain XP. OR you can keep the food and upgrade a stack of 10 of them in town for a significantly higher XP gaining food. So it becomes a trade off of needing to heal at any given moment versus converting it to a higher XP giving food so you can level up.

The art style may appear simple and cute first but the wide variety of facial animation and often time suggestive humor really gives it an identity with a cast of quirky and funny characters throughout the game.

As always XSEED did not skimp out on localizing and making sure this older PC game works on modern systems. Fantastic script translation as well surprisingly decent voice acting fillls out the higher impact moments. I just wish the Voice Actors were credited in the credits!

Overall if you are looking for a Falcom style Action RPG or are disappointed with the current situation of Ys 8, I'd highly recommend this fantastic game to fill the void that still holds up today.

Thoraxes
Thoraxes

Absolutely wonderful game by Falcom with a great localiztion. The game really brings the people of Ilvard to life and makes them all so memorable, like you'd expect from a Falcom game. The main characters are great, the voice acting is nice, and the game isn't too long nor too short, and I felt like all the optional side-quests/side-dungeons were aplenty if you wanted to further grow your arsenal or expand your experience. As expected of a Falcom game, the world feels lived in and the NPCs have their own lives and story-arcs should to choose to get to know them better. It really helps bring Ilvard to life. Additionally, all the denizens are just so well-done; the wide spectrum of personalities on display always keep things fun and interesting, and the goofiness of some of them is great.

The controller controls work great too!

While the dunegons themselves are realtively easy (the bosses are where the meat of the challenge is) the timed challenges are a fun way to keep improving your runs through the dunegon if you'd like, and since repeating dungeons has the added benefit of more food, it never feels tedious to go back and play through a dungeon again. The food mechanic being both healing items and your only way to gain XP to level up was a super-fun mechanic to play with, and because I did so well in dungeons (and i'm a hoarder in RPGs), I had times where I was underleveled, eventually forcing my hand to eat, haha.

As expected of a Falcom game, the OST is outstanding, and never failed to deliver.

I really liked the entire cast, and I like how the relationships former between all the characters, especially the main duo of Alwen and Ragna. Their partnership felt earned through the course of the game/story, and I honestly wish I could get another game with them! All that said, this is a really fantastic game that deserves your time, and in the most heartfelt terms possible, i'm extremely glad that I was able to play it in an official English release.

☮ GD_Anirudh100 ❤
☮ GD_Anirudh100 ❤

Zwei!! is amazing. It has beautiful artstyle, Great character development and It's just so much fun to play. Expected nothing less from falcom.

9/10 This game is a hidden gem that every RPG fan should play.

Mr. Rascal
Mr. Rascal

Combat mechanics are simple but fun. Characters and dialogue are, once again, simple but entertaining and funny. One of Nihon Falcom's older titles, finally brought to PC and localized by the wonderful team at XSEED. If you enjoy the Ys line of games, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this simple cartoon-y dungeon crawler.

The port is well made and includes a launcher with a lot of graphical and control options, including the important one to turn down the bloom because there is a LOT of it.

pokedude900
pokedude900

One of my favorite RPGs in a while. Hope XSEED can find a way to bring over the original Zwei in the future.

Healon
Healon

cute, easy to play and addictive

worth your time

Kangtaw
Kangtaw

This game feels like I play as Adol Christin pilot version who uses Anchor Gears instead of Swords. I love this game so much. The graphic is so good, there are many things to be explored, and the characters' dialog is funny.

This game was first released on 2009, then it's re-released on Steam in 2017. No one knows at what platform Xseed initially released the game lol ....

soto bakso
soto bakso

Good game!! It is basically Ys with story and more easy dificulty

Uncrating Your Loot
Uncrating Your Loot

A classic Ys-lite dungeon crawler with fun characters, great aesthetics, and that rockin Falcom soundtract that the company is known for. Since your healing items are tied to your exp gain, there's not much way in terms of heavy grinding if you make sure you take full advantage of the food trade in system to maximize exp gain. Gameplay is much like Ys with two controllable characters: one melee and one elemental spellcaster and switching back and fourth between them is both instant and fluid. In fact you can create large combos in otherwise a simple button mashing experience. The game doesn't overstay its welcome, getting onto the next plot point or dungeon without making you grind through hundreds of floors first. Game runs fine on older systems as the game was originally made over 8 years ago. Parts of the story have voiced english dialog from professional voice actors. Minor gripes are the game runs at 30 fps and hit detection is a bit off.

darkjedi521
darkjedi521

Not a bad way to kill 20 hours or so. Game mechanics were interesting, and enjoyed the shout outs/references to other games

r47926
r47926

I had 29.99€. For that, I got one Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection. Is good deal!

The story takes place in a fantasy world and in a time, where aircrafts are a relatively new invention.
The gameplay feels more arcadey to me than other Falcom games and switching between the main characters is very dynamic (there is an attack button for each character which also switches to them, if they're not active atm).
Most stages have puzzles (required for bonus treasures), which feel quite unique and creative, somewhat reminiscing of graphic adventure games.
The level up system is unique as well: Instead of gaining XP for killing enemies, the enemies drop food items, which can either be consumed for XP + HP or saved up for later use in the 'food exchange program' of your local chinese restaurant.

ZuMan
ZuMan

Perfectly charming. You won't find any amazingly intricate or complicated mechanics or stunning set pieces here. This is simple gameplay where your mastery is put to the test in well-designed dungeon levels. Each level can be seen as its own thing - a mini-game if you like - and as you progress through the story they increase in difficulty. The setting is whimsical and Xseed have done a quality localisation. Would warn though that while it looks very all-ages cutsey, some parts of the game can get very difficult especially when you encounter them for the first time.

YaPeL
YaPeL

You level up by eating food, literally, the american dream.

Now seriously, this game is a blast, plays like a japanese diablo/torchlight (you even have pets) okish story/graphics, nice dialog, lots of secrets, lots of ^^replayability^^, get it, you wont regret!

Rozepanter ^^
Rozepanter ^^

Zwei is another great JRPG by Falcom and localised by XSEED. And as expected they didn't let me down!

You Join Ragna and Alwen on an amazing adventure! Explore the beautiful land and mysterious dungeons, solve puzzles, hunt for treasure, meet new lovable characters and enjoy the hilarious dialogue.

The art style is charming and cute like an anime. the gameplay is simple, but addictive. You can switch between two characters with each their own combat style, melee and ranged magic attacks. And if you want to level up you'll have to stuff our heros with all the food you can find!

I had a lot of fun playing this game! It's a must have for Falcom fans!

Duke of the Bump
Duke of the Bump

Update: It's a damn shame that the technical issues made such a bad first impression, because this game is incredibly good. Original review is at the bottom. I liked it enough that I had to update it.

I recently back-graded to Windows 7, and for giggles I wanted to see if that fixed any of the glitches. Lo and behold, the disappearing textures were magically fixed. I'm not going to blame the game for that, because Windows 10 is a dumpster full of garbage. The cutscene bug still persisted, but installing the K-lite codec pack allowed me to watch them - however, they still play slower than they should and without any of the sound effects. The cutscenes aren't a HUGE deal, and really only show up at the beginning and end of the game, although I do think that disabling them and looking the cutscenes up on Youtube would have detracted from the warm and fuzziness.

Because this is a very "warm and fuzzy" kind of game. It is bursting with charm. I loved every second of it. The writing and localization are incredible. I laughed, I cried, etc etc.

Mechanically, the game's nothing to write home about. The combat is very straightforward button-mashing and you're in no real danger at any point, but it feels okay and doesn't get in the way of the rest of the game. They don't overdo it with the combat - the dungeons are broken up with plenty of little puzzles and events and things to interact with. Even though it's one-note, it never felt tedious, except for the optional dungeons that open up at the end of the game, which you can absolutely just skip. You won't miss anything important.

I'm very glad I it another shot. The technical issues are a bummer, but I liked the game enough that I can forgive them.

Original review (Jan. 2, 2018)
---

Game soft-locks whenever a cutscene plays. I had to disable them to play. This is a very common issue, and nothing's been done to address it. I also got a glitch on my machine where object textures blink in and out based on my character's proximity to the object. Reported the bug, a developer responded and did not fill me with confidence that this will be addressed either. Video of the second bug is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUfHxU-rxE

It seems lovely otherwise, so if you decide to pick it up, make sure you check to make sure it works within 2 weeks. I made the mistake of buying it at launch even though I didn't have time to play then, because I love Nihon Falcom games and wanted to support them. Now I have a game I can't play and no way to get my money back. I'm really disappointed.

†MYSTERY†
†MYSTERY†

Why am I buying this game?
childhood games when I play , although I do not understand at all story .
I like playing AJRPG of falcom ,
I want to support falcom and xseeds ,

Thrussy Juice
Thrussy Juice

I liked:
+ The charming and cute vibe - lots of quirky and interesting NPCs, attractively cartoonish visuals
+ The excellent soundtrack - some awesome tunes in the dungeons and during cutscenes
+ The simple but satisfying combat - it was fun making big damage numbers fly out of enemies, and the animation and graphical effects are quite nicely done
+ The masterful localisation by XSEED - no typos that I noticed, and the dialogue all flowed naturally
+ The unique and flexible level up system that requires eating food to gain experience.

I disliked:
- Not having the option to carry over my characters' levels into New Game Plus - just W H Y ?

If you love quirky action RPGs, you'll probably enjoy this. If you love similar Falcom games like Zwei The Ilvard Insurrection or Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, this is highly recommended.

SatelliteOfLove
SatelliteOfLove

Nihon Falcom's very last computer game is the kind of passion project that defines both Falcom and XSEED. Just like Xanadu Next last year, it's not localized to nail any zeitgeist, it's localized because it needed to be.

Again, this isn't a charity effort, Zwei 2 (as I'll call it) is a surprisingly clever and engauging oddity. The Ys-lite combat works surprisingly well with the Trails-lite narrative without either (generally) feeling like a B-Team effort from either facet. You nuke, you juggle, you chat, you socialize, it's great stuff.

The details and quirks of this is what sets it apart giving it a neat 'gamified" feeling to the whole thing. You gain little "subsystems" that make little screens around the periphery of the screen, WinAMP-looking doo-dads, a predecessor of Cold Steel's NPC notes, and the pet system are these neat little fun bits to spice things up in a "why not" eccentricity that really sells its Aughts PC heritage that its look and subgenre belies. Then there's the level squares at each branch of the dungeons which, combined with the ratings system for clears and the unique "eat HP-restoring food" mechanic, really give this hands-on feel that gives so many tiers of enjoyment to the title.

Oh right: Falcom Game. Soundteam_JDK music. Stellar as always.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtKfUIuG3aM

I really appreciated the characters; Alwen isn't some shrill naive goth, and Ragna isn't some hotblooded, asexual meathead; there's a slick nuance to even their first interactions which back up the partnership combat like a boss.

There are problems. The bigger enemies tend to push characters around on pre-determined paths to get in place to do attacks and there's a nasty sloppiness from hitboxes at times lending a feeling of playing safe with large groups of enemies. Other than dated textures, that's it!

Pal
Pal

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection (Zwei II hereafter) is an action RPG by Nihon Falcom Coproration for PC originally released in 2008. The game is about Ragna Valentine, a treasure hunter who after an accident teams up with Alwen du Moonbria, a vampire princess, as they agree to help each other with their problems.

The game is very similar to the Ys series with a few quirks. The main gimmick is that you control both characters at the same time operating as a single entity; Ragna can use his anchor gear for close quarters walloping while Alwen can unleash bullet hell at a distance, they share HP and switching between them is as easy as pressing their corresponding attack button. The second gimmick is food; enemies will drop food which will heal you AND net you experience for leveling up when eaten. You can also hold on to 10 pieces of food and trade them at the restaurant for a better meal that heals more and grants more experience. This system I feel is Zwei II's biggest strength as it effectively allows you to tailor difficulty to your liking; if you're taking too many hits, you will heal AND level up to make future encounters easier, or you could defeat enemies and dodge their attacks while never finding the need to eat a single morsel to keep things challenging.

Pure dungeon spelunking is the name of the game here, usually made up of segments broken up in three floors. The game will have you dealing with monsters, deadly traps and retrieving treasure that can later be exchanged for money via quirky brain teasing puzzles all culminating in a boss battle. Despite its simplicity, Zwei II’s fast paced combat never gets old as you beat the heck out of enemies who bounce and juggle around after receiving enough punishment. The RPG elements are rather light, only having levels and equipment as means of customization. There are also “gadgets” such as a math game, a pedometer, a radar and many others that usually serve no useful purpose and can be disabled if you feel they clutter your screen too much, but I’ve found them to be charming and never disabled any of them.

The story of Zwei II isn’t exactly compelling nor complex, it plays its tropes rather straight but it’s written well enough to move a player forward and it just oozes charm. The star is the characters and the writing as Zwei II has a sense of humor and isn’t afraid to show it whether it be with its quirky cast (such as a masked luchador, a smoking nun, an old witch who tries to be hip) or in their outlandish dialogue exchanges. Our heroes tend to laugh in the face of danger or just end bewildered by the crazy things they experience, it’s a game that manages to get a hearty laugh out of you and always has a surprise in store for you.

Graphically the game looks well enough today, the poly count is low but the cel-shaded look and colorful textures manage to make the graphics stand out a bit. The music is great, not Falcom’s finest but certainly a great soundtrack all around. The game also has English voice acting which is pretty good as far as English dubs go and it adds a lot of voiced lines that the original Japanese version did not have. You can patch in the Japanese voices just fine too if you happen to have the files of a Japanese copy of the game that even though it doesn’t have as many recorded lines as the English dub does, it does feature a great cast including Yukana as Alwen and Norio Wakamoto as Gallandeau.

Zwei II may not have the most compelling story like Trails, nor does it have the tight gameplay and awesome music of Ys but it does manage to have the most important thing a game needs: it is a fun game through and through. This is a game I found myself starting and by the time I was done for the day I was shocked to realize that 4 whole hours had flown by without me noticing. Time sure does fly when one is having too much fun.

Flan2M
Flan2M

Zwei 2 is a fun action rpg with fun characters and a plot that is simple, but not too boring.

It's the characters that makes the game shine. From Ragna to Montblanc, everyone is likable.

The simple plot kinda drags on half way through the game where as you expect things to happen just a little before hand.

The combat is enjoyable, not Ys style of combat, but enjoyable. I'll say that without Ragna's first anchor gear upgrade, the game was pretty stale in the beginning.

This might seem like a personal thing, But the dungeons are set in a weird angled grid. Nothing big, but it looks like we're playing diagonally most of the time lol.

Very fun game localized by Xseed. Script is hilarious and voice actors are amazing ( haHAA no Japanese dubs. jk idgaf the English cast is amazing ) Ragna and Alwen's performance takes the cake, especially in the first scene with the duo that has dialogue. It's a shame that the cast weren't credited in the end credits.

Can't wait for the 60 fps patch to replay with my new game +!

AlienScribble
AlienScribble

10/10 ... At the beginning it seemed like the story would be average(script too), BUT it becomes VERY interesting later (sometimes emotional... and sometimes funny). Character designs and world designs are superior. Exploration and battles are very enjoyable, worlds are beautiful, interesting, and imaginative, mechanic / gameplay is solid, fun and diverse with awesome boss battles. Animation cut scenes are amazing. I actually liked the voice acting and think it suits the characters well.
I wouldn't know what game to compare this to since to me it's fairly unique. I like that you can get pets(and level them) and that other characters come into use in the game in multiple places. Unlocking new gear and magic powers is great and I also like that food (found in some monsters) provides EXP (can also use money to buy certain food for EXP). Interesting too that certain combinations of equip can be used strategically. The game is also bigger and longer than it seems initially(going by the map) which was a welcome surprise. There's some music in the game I didn't like much but some I very much liked. Also kind of neat that you can unlock so many secrets. Some of the designs near the end of the game were mind blowing. I'd definately buy a future game in this style from this developer.

Varshyl
Varshyl

This game was fantastic, it harks back to good ol' PSX days of JRPGs. The characters are oozing with style and charm. The localization is excellent, no surprise there since it's XSeed! The story was good and I really enjoyed the characters. The gameplay was decent and tad simplistic. I can't recommend this enough to any JRPG fans.

Overclocked
Overclocked

This was...not what I was expecting from the Trailers and Reviews.

It has that comic anime twist you would expect, but at the beggining of the game I was able to traverse what I assume was the entire map (ended up refunding the game) and it was more dungeon crawler than open world style like YS's.

Each dungeon grades you based on time, objects obtained (or destroyed) from a 'starting line' to the next area, combat system seemed pretty good and might even be great when it expanded further on...it just wasn't what I was looking for at the time and I found the advertisement of it to be really off. Especially for fan's of the other series.

It's not a bad game, I may even purchase it again later on...but I bought it to get away from FFXV's floor by floor mundane end game dungeons and that was a BIG mistake lol.

I just thought I would give a more realistic view of what your in for if you buy this game since I wish I had known beforehand.

I wouldn't say don't buy it, I would just say don't expect Adol in a plane...it's not what your buying.

abloobloo
abloobloo

This is basically Ys' little brother. Cute little ARPG with a lighthearted story and nice characters. You basically level up by healing with the food system, switching between the two playable characters is fluid (might as well be a single character) and it has the trademark Falcom attention to detail in worldbuilding, with NPCs often having different things to say. Highly recommended.

Paxenarthra
Paxenarthra

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is a hidden gem of a game. I started it with no expectations other than that it was developed by Nihon Falcom, who also are responsible for the Trails games, yet was pleasantly surprised by everything the developers put into it.

On the surface, Zwei is a relatively short action rpg dungeon crawler with passable combat, mediocre dungeon design and a satisfying story which may not do much new, but does what is tried and true excellently. To leave it at that would be ignoring what is so great about the game though. The detail put into the world is exemplary - there is not a single nameless NPC to mention but one thing. As a matter of fact, not only does every NPC have a name, every NPC has 3 pieces of information which can only be found out by speaking to them at the right point in the story. Even if it is not a piece of dialogue this NPC has for the sake of filling this notebook of information, across the game it will contribute to effectively every single one of the approximately 60 characters going through their own character arc. While playing this game, the main reason I was excited after completing a dungeon was that I knew I could go back to all the NPC's and read their updated dialogue.

If this isn't enough for you, Zwei also has graphics which have aged remarkably well. The sountrack also is fantastic, with some of my favorites being "Destined Girl", "Roar! Anchor Gear!!"and "Spiral Fortress Melzedek". Despite this not being nearly as important a release as a Trails or Ys game, it is still one of my favorite Falcom soundtracks, which is tough competition.

Overall - if you are looking for a shorter game and enjoy games with detailed worlds and fun characters (or you've simply enjoyed anything else by Nihon Falcom) I highly recommend Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection!

wolf fan 9000
wolf fan 9000

Charming, thoughtful and ever whimsical, Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is a joy to play.

Nayrs
Nayrs

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection

Playtime: 29 Hours
Ragna Valentine is a treasure hunter who journeys to the north-western continent of Ilvard to fulfil a job contract. As he enters Ilvard's airspace, he is shot down by a mysterious group and plunges to an imminent death. Fortunately he is rescued by Alwen, a vampire princess who performs a blood contract with him. Ragna becomes Alwen's Blood Warrior and instantly recovers from his fatal injuries due to his newly gained supernatural strength. When they meet again, Alwen explains that her home castle and magic were stolen from her by an unknown enemy and requests Ragna to help her reclaim them

Plus:
+Falcom Music Seal of Quality since Yesteryear
+Fun Dungeon
+Funny Dialog
+Ragna and Alwen Chemistry as Friend (No romance)
+Quirky Character
+Fun Collectibles

Negative:
-MONTBLAC BOSS BATTLE
-KAPPA MINIGAME CAN DIE TOO
-Sidequest indicator is nowhere to be found
-Some widget is useless
-There is some weird gimmick to get some treasure in the 2 last dungeon

Mixed:
=Character Exp by eating
=Polke and Pipiro ( i didn't play the first games, so take it with grain of salt)
=Villian Motivation
=Cliche Storyline

This is a good game from when falcom still not known and the transition phase from 2D to 3D..
Also when falcom in middle of 2000 when every last dungeon is "hexagonal" palace..

Like every falcom game, you can still overleveld if you "grind" enough..
Please try G-Colloseum and finish the challenge for ULTIMATE OPTIONAL BOSS..
My tips: Bring MANY FOOD..

There is new game + that increase boss level and new dungeon..
Falcom and their post content...

But alas, this series is now dormant..
Falcom some times still nudge this series too (See Tokyo Xanadu MC Weapon)

Next time... i feel want to play RPG in school setting...

Kalor_
Kalor_

A wonderful game with charming characters and tips on increasing your muscle power.

Anonymous
Anonymous

This game is really interesting. People who like Ys series will absolutely enjoy this game.
I'm longing for the sequel to this story!!

YamiKawaii
YamiKawaii

It is a good game with good story. I would recommend this game to anybody who enjoy YS game. Argghh I wish we can play using Tristan. It would be cool to use aeroplane and fight monster >

sgtwhiskeyjack
sgtwhiskeyjack

Really wonderful game to play. The pace is slower than other Falcom games and the fighting is pretty simple, but the battles are fun and some tactics are required. It looks great and the story is interesting and there is quite a bit of humour.
Thoroughly recommend it, a joy to play.

irg🤠
irg🤠

Very good action RPG with a dungeon structure that makes it easy to stop and go as you please. Tying Experience Points to healing items also makes for a unique and challenging way to manage your stats. Story has plenty cute and charming characters but still with a surprising amount of emotion as the narrative goes on.

Neogamer64
Neogamer64

I`ve never played Zwei before but it was a fun game overall. It`s basically an action RPG dungeon crawler. There are towns but very little. The gameplay is fun and I like how it makes use of both close-range and long-range combat, switching up different styles. The story is good but nothing too amazing. I did enjoy the character dynamic between Ragna and Alwen. It is nice that we get to see the former protagonists appear in this game. If I`d played the prequel, I probably would`ve enjoyed this game a lot more too. I feel like it draws a lot of influence from the Legend of Heroes series (Nayuta Endless Trails especially) and the Ys games.

Mualai
Mualai

Falcom never fail me.. the leveling and gameplay and rich storyline at its peak. very good and worth the money though.

capize01
capize01

a fantastic throw back RPG hack and slash. A great story and well developed characters. The game has a ton of tricky puzzles to solve and it gives you many reasons to revisit the dungeons. The combat can get a little tiring since it is mostly mashing the A button, but the dungeons are short so it doesn't end up getting boring. The story in this game is absolutely fantastic and makes you want to keep pushing on. Since the dungeons are short, you get that "just one more" feeling out of it, and before you know it hours have gone by. Good replay value and a great RPG. I would recommend this game to any fan of old school RPGs. I consider it a must play.

[LUE] TormakSaber
[LUE] TormakSaber

A much less serious, much more lighthearted game in the same vein as the Ys series, from Falcom. Things will feel familiar to fans of the series: Redheaded protagonists hard rock and orchestral music, frantic action nearing on bullet hell at times, and a never ending search for secret treasure. If I had to sum this game up in one sentence, it would be "Extremely Anime". The Power of Friendship abounds, and overdramatic monologues fill the story, interspersed by genuinely cute and funny moments.

The game takes place on the flying continent of Ilvard, where Ragna (Not-Adol) has crashed after fighting a pair of flying dragons. He is rescued by Princess Alwen, a prideful Vampire Princess, who puts him into a Blood Contract to help her reclaim her castle, which has been stolen by the same group that shot down Ragna's airplane. Along the way to recover Alwen's castle and magic, wacky hijinx ensure, plenty of NPC mini-plots happen, and many dungeons are dived.

Gameplay consists of basic one button combos, and basic one button magic spell flurries, along with running and jumping about like a madman. There are special AoE magic attacks that can be unlocked for each element, but the only one worth noting is the Wind one, which gives temporary invicibility. You unlock new weapons and spells as you play the game, but the basic gameplay never changes too much. I found, during the game, that magic was generally the go to option unless melee was either mandatory, or once you get Ragna's final weapon, which turns every hit into automatic critical hits, neatly doubling or tripling your melee power.

Dungeons are all three levels long, and completing them unlocks new routes and bosses to progress the story. Each dungeon is full of enemies, and showcases the game's main progression gimmick. You don't level up by getting XP from monsters, rather by eating food. Food can be "levelled up" by turning in 10 of one food for 1 of a higher level, which gives more XP than eating ten of the lower variety. The game becomes a skillful balance of eating food to heal and saving it to level it up much faster. [Counter to the store's description, you will not be beating this game at level 1. Don't try it.] You also find treasures, and gain rank points by completing dungeons, which can be turned in at the museum for new equipment pieces, and money. You can also look at your treasures showcased in the museum as a nice touch.

Graphics are bright and colorful and evoke an anime setting classic to Falcom games. Voice acting is decent and each character is appropriately hammy in their delivery of dialog, from the over exuberant Ragna, the proud (but inwardly thoughtful and caring) Alwen, the lackey sidekick villain Montblanc, to the Southern wolf-huntress, Odessa. Music runs the usual mix of Falcom orchetral to the hard rock of combat, and each character's main themes are fittingly used throughout the story. NPCs are fleshed out, and after every main plot point, every NPC in the game gets new dialog, encouraging you to talk to them all and watch small ministories play out in each area of the game.

A strong recommend for anyone who likes Falcom games and the Ys series. It's simpler, a bit slower paced, and with a story that takes itself quite a bit less seriously (including learning the previously mentioned AoE magic spells from a masked superhero who is *really* into workouts and fitness), but was no less enjoyable to play through and complete.

S_Jake
S_Jake

Zwei: Ilvard Insurrection isn't a terrible game, but it's significantly weaker offering than most of Falcom's other games on Steam (apart from the original Zwei, which is probably the worst Falcom game I've played).

The graphics and sound are nice (except for the voice acting, which is mildly annoying) and the game has some interesting features and content, but it is ultimately let down by shallow combat and poor balance: Alwen is much more powerful than Ragna, so it's usually better to use her even when you're 'supposed' to use Ragna.

The result is that the game quickly devolves into running down corridors mashing the shoot button and watching enemies die, while occasionally getting struck by an attack that came from off the screen (because the camera is placed far too close to the main characters and cannot be changed).

I would recommend avoiding this unless it's on sale, you're bored/curious and you've already played all of the good Falcom games (Ys series, Xanadu Next and the Legend of Heroes games).

jierzyi
jierzyi

我玩过 大陆 ylt出版的 zwei II plus 中字,日语 体验比这好太多了,
we need Japanese voice pack!.

Mivey
Mivey

Great sequel, which builds on Zwei 1 in every single way. The dungeons are more coherent, and it's much easier to know where you need to be without having to keep notes (as I did for the first game). The overview screen, which also shows you which items you missed in each level, is a godsend.

This one has much more intricate story, where even small side characters often get their own cut scene esque events. The production values are way higher on this one, it's clear Falcom had high hopes for this one to kickstart the franchise. Sadly, it seems a PC only title in Japan in 2008 had the same chances as a snowball in hell, no matter it's quality.

A great PC title, which nobody should miss.

Mage129
Mage129

This was one of the games I played when I was a kid. The graphic is a bit outdated but the gameplay still holds up. But to me the soundtrack makes this game, every single OST is the best I have ever heard from any game.

Dr_Fail
Dr_Fail

I didn't know they made an Ys game where Adol talked...

Side note: it's hard to give combat variety to keep it interesting when your defensive/mobility options are "small jump" and "pause to eat a health item"

perpetualprawn
perpetualprawn

nothing to add that hasnt been said in other reviews...it really is Ys Lite (reminded me most of Ys Origins). it is silly and lighthearted and never too complicated. just great simple fun and definitely worth the asking price.

Kir
Kir

I found this game both fun to play and a good gaming experience. The style of gameplay is pretty unique, although the ranking requirements were really annoying in places.

MrVariant
MrVariant

I enjoyed the voice acting and how Ragna survived the crash in the beginning. Blood contract and fun bickering aplenty :)

Guess Alwen is worth going all in for in that dinner date to explain, just like when I got this game on Halloween sale (nice theme given a unique take on vampires). Definitely felt like I was bargaining like Ragna.

I do admit it's a bit story heavy (would've been better to play the plane battle rather than watch in the beginning since the 1st dungeon is about an hour into the game), but it's definitely worth a try.

I recommend using character switching to swap (doesn't seem to be customizable controls) as the attacking mode has you memorize the left/right clicks for their respective attacks, and double clicking with the wrong one will have you change or attack inadvertently. The 2 characters for long/short range definitely add to the gameplay.

With the attack character switching mode, Alwen has to attack by double clicking, as regular left clicking has you move. It feels unintuitive in my opinion, but at least they had the option, as opposed to some switches/busted walls that may take a few hits to break.

Wish I could reduce the battle chatter as it gets repetitive. Fortunately that's my only big complaint as the Navigator (Navi) in the menu lets you warp between town and dungeon, which is important to get more money so enemies aren't damage sponges; fight the first boss after you get enough to buy earrings to power up Alwen's magic, which doubles damage. Food does level you up, so that's a cool concept.

I do like how the NPC's have entries in your journal to make them feel they matter, and dialogue fleshes them out, like the below screenshot; I was there!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1904572846

Queen HawlSera
Queen HawlSera

This English Release of a previously Japan Only Dreamcast/PS2 classic is the bee's nipples and a product I endorse on my hat

Rufus
Rufus

Great old school JARPG my only bugbear is it doesn't remember my chosen controller settings so I have to open config. every time I play and re select my XBoxone control pad.
Reminds me of the JARPG's I used to get on PS1 & 2.
Odd little story about restoring a "Fullblood" Fairy's magic with each returned magic giving access through a barrier preventing you from entering a new dungeon. Controls are good once you get used to them with your two person party. X brings your swordsman into action and makes him attack and Y does the same with the magician with them automatically changing over instantly upon pressing their respective buttons. Great fun and really has me hooked.

Heizee
Heizee

A classic jrpg dungeon crawler. I recommend playing in spurts though so the dungeons don't get stale and soil this hidden gem.

Cang423
Cang423

We need Janpanese voice pack,Falcon. English version of voice is weird.Sounds like some 30-year-old women makd it. Every my friends believe it totally suck.

CurlyFry
CurlyFry

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is a great action RPG that improves on its predecessor (Zwei!! The Arges Adventure) in almost every way. (The Arges Adventure was an enjoyable game in its own right) The central mechanic of this game is you control 2 main characters, and you can swap between them at will with the press of a button. One of the characters is a magic user with a variety of spells you unlock, and the other is a melee fighter with his own set of upgrades. In certain ways, the character progression is traditional for an RPG, with leveling up, upgrading your gear and choosing accessories to customize your character 'builds'. This series deviates from the norm with how you attain experience. Experience is gained by consuming food - which also happens to be your method of healing. The better the food, the more healing and experience you will receive from consuming it. Additionally, if you collect 10 of one variety of food, you can exchange it for 1 higher-tier food that is better than the previous 10 combined. So, this adds a certain risk/reward factor with regards to food where, if you avoid healing, you can get more experience in the long run (although this can be easily circumvented by grinding).

The level design is much more fun and varied in this game than from its predecessor, and in general, the game play feels much less tedious. The main characters in the Ilvard Insurrection are extremely likable (which is a relief, because I found that to be a weak point in the previous game). Additionally, the game play in general feels much more refined. There is a built in ranking system that awards you with medals based on how well you clear dungeons. You also unlock a widget that makes it really clear as to how to attain the highest ranks, and this never feels unattainable. Later in the game, there is the option to 'Level Up' the previous dungeons so they are much more challenging but also are much more rewarding. All of this is completely optional but gives you a reason to revisit the content and it manages to not feel stale.

One of the real strengths of both Zwei games (and I gather this is a theme of most Nihon Falcom games) is how alive the world feels. As you progress through the game, every single NPC you encounter will have unique dialogue that changes and isn't all centered around your protagonist. It is completely optional to read all of this dialogue, but if you do, you find that every single side character has their own small story the occurs throughout the game. Every time I progressed the plot, I would do a trip around the world, catching up with every single NPC for my own interest.

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection has a much more engaging plot than the previous game in the series. It has twists (although they are generally all pretty predictable) and you do get invested in the characters. And while the tone at points gets serious, the game generally feels pretty light and is full of levity. An important thing to note is that, while this game is technically a sequel to Zwei: The Arges Adventure, it follows different characters in a different area of the world, and is essentially a stand-alone game. There are some overlapping characters and plot references that can be neat if you played The Arges Adventure first, but you aren't missing out on a whole lot by starting with this game. All in all, I would probably give it an 8.5(or 9)/10. It's not perfect, but it does so much right, has so much character and just feels really good.

JukePlz
JukePlz

A fantastic game, sad to see that one of the few decent action RPGs on Steam doesn't get any visibility.

This game has 97% positive reviews (at the time I write this) for good reason: it's almost flawless, it's cheap, it's long, has good replay value, lots of secrets, can be easy to play but has a hellish endgame difficulty in NG+ content, the characters are all very well designed and almost every NPC in the game has their interesting personality and carefully crafter design (as oposed to the modern final fantasy type design where everyone has the same hairstyle in different colors and the same school outfit).

The game is very light hearted, humurous and colorful but has some specks of adult humour, references to other media and perverted jokes carefully camouflaged.

The negatives:
While there are very few bugs (none game breaking) a couple are a bit annoying like the game only detecting controllers if you plug them in before starting the game or food items getting randomly used without input. More importantly, the community seems to see two big issues in Zwei2 that will probably remain unresolved: the game is locked at 30FPS (60FPS with internal frame doubling done by the engine) and the original japanese voices aren't included (only japanese subtittles). More importantly, even after 2 years after release the community documentation on this game is almost non-existant, there are no guides for anything in english, only a very old japanese fansite that you have to scrap for info with google translate, but even that doesn't include any help for NG+ extra content and unlocks, so you will have to be very persistant and self-reliant for this one.

Katana
Katana

I've been a big fan of Falcom's other games so far - the Trails in the Sky trilogy, plus what I've played of Ys, but I can't help but feel this wasn't one of their good ones. Note that I didn't play the first Zwei - I heard this one was a bit more polished and didn't really have important sequel elements.

Even with some old-fashioned appearances, the art and writing of the game are pretty endearing. I even found myself enjoying the look of Ragna and Ilwen's walk-cycles, as weird as that sounds. But there's enough issues with the game I just couldn't enjoy myself and stopped partway through.

I'm struggling to define what it is I found so uncompelling about the dungeons, since if I'm being honest, they're only about as linear as the ones in Trails in the Sky - a game I didn't mind. It may be that even when you discover new abilities within the world, they don't really change your approach all that much.

Defensive options are limited, and taking damage is especially perilous; while you might have healing items ("might" meaning they're entirely up to RNG), they also tie into the game's most important way of leveling up - save up 10 of one food to get another that provides you more XP. Fall behind in this, and you'll quickly find yourself underleveled.

I sort of liked racking up combos in order to trigger powerful duo abilities (which could then earn you another duo ability through their combo potential) but since they're basically brief passive abilities they don't feel very involved or exciting compared to, say, S-Crafts (Trails reference again). But Ragna hardly has any sort of interesting variance to his move options - I found myself spamming jump, attack, again and again, being far more effective than attempting the "critical hit timer" I unlocked. And with all the damage sponges you face off against, you'll be doing this a LOT. There's a grab attack that's better used for just cornering someone at a wall which feels cheesy, not to mention glitchy.

For such a simple game, it has "guide dang it" moments relatively frequently; moving a big block with a sun symbol on it after obtaining a new claw weapon, pushing a mushroom onto a circle because it's apparently a pressure plate; at one point the characters found an impassable thicket, and said "This thicket looks impassable" - but then I could not leave the area. Turns out I had to just keep slashing at it until they went "Yup, as we thought, it's impassable." At time of writing I had just stopped after giving up on a target-shooting area that had just failed outright after a platform you'd shoot from had floated off past the rope/pulley it was supposed to be suspended by.

The bosses are difficult affairs, but they're terrible at forecasting their attacks, and move in very vague ways, not helped by the game's framerate issues. So to me, they felt more frustrating than challenging. For instance, the first spider boss has two jump attacks - one that hits everywhere except under his feet, and one that hits almost everywhere including under his feet. I even thought to watch a better person than I try one online, and their strategy for the water temple's boss was apparently to sit in a "cheese" part of the arena where most of its attacks miss.

I gave the game about 7 hours. I eventually decided that I didn't really need this "Wait until it gets good" time for Trails in the Sky - even when it was slow, there were parts of it I enjoyed. Can't quite say the same for Zwei, and I sadly realized when I was sort of dreading giving it another go that I should write this review.

Specter
Specter

Excellent game I would call it a masterpeice.

kitekirby
kitekirby

Fast-paced action, treasure hunting, and an interesting narrative to tie it all together. This is another nice Falcom title, not quite as grandiose as its mainstays of Trails/Ys. I liked the dungeon designs for the most part, and the characters are fun and quirky. Combat is easy to pick up, and the two characters provide a great dynamic to fit most playstyles. I do find it weird that there's a ranking system for traversing dungeons...and hunting for treasure often clashes with attempting to score well. I also have reservations about the food system, won't go into detail here. But fun game, would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a ARPG!

Mr. Matt
Mr. Matt

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is an Action JRPG that's colorful, pretty fun, and much shorter than many games in that sort of genre, which was a plus for me. It's always great to enjoy playing a game, but what is very disappointing for me is when the game outstays its welcome and bores me. With this game, however, it bows out before really hitting the point of boredom, and that's great for me.

I played for a few minutes with mouse + keyboard, but wasn't really feelin' it, so I switched to a Steam controller, and that mostly worked very well. I will say, however, that immediately after using a healing item, the game sometimes forced me to use another healing item if I pressed a direction on the movement joystick, which was weird and annoying. You can get tons and tons of healing items, however, so it's not a massive problem, but it's worth mentioning.

This is a pretty warm/fuzzy game; a happy/joyous locale where the problems and even the villains are rarely all that awful. Virtually every character has some redeeming qualities. though I will say that the characters are pretty basic. They do a good job making each NPC - even the minor ones - have something about them that's memorable, but it's nothing amazing. The more important NPCs are fairly decent, with the male protagonist and a character he's curious about both being pretty well-written.

The female protagonist, Alwen, a vampire princess, was likable, but I would like to point out that she will not really satisfy most people's anticipated cravings for vampires or any anime girl trope cravings. Despite being a vampire, she takes no penalties or damage from sunlight, is awake during the day, can eat garlic, can cross running water, presumably has no problems with crosses or holy water, and so on. Heck, she doesn't even need to drink blood to survive. This means that Zwei's vampires have zero drawbacks whatsoever and that it's even rougher being a Twilight vampire, because at least they crave blood and can lose control of themselves. I never thought I'd find a setting where being a vampire is even more beneficial than in Twilight... Anyway, Alwen just lives forever and has red eyes, bat wings, and can use magic just like any other mage in the game can. And although the game starts her off as an arrogant sort of anime trope (seems like she might be a tsundere or just a full-of-herself "Ohohoho!" sort of girl), her arrogance is gone about 5-10 minutes after you meet her, and from then on, she's borderline flawless.

Alwen is fairly likable, but that near-flawlessness makes me appreciate her less than the male protagonist and the character he's curious about. I'm trying to avoid spoilers, so I won't use the name. Those other two characters' flaws make them more intriguing and allow for character development. No one else in the game really develops. But that's fine, in my opinion. The game is brief enough, has enough pleasant gameplay, and left me fairly content with my time with it. There's a New Game + mode for those who want to keep playing after the end (save your clear data after the credits finish then load it from the main menu), so if the game is too brief for ya, you can indulge in some more stuff.

Last but not least, though...dat soundtrack. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, but each dungeon/combat zone has its own music, and I found myself humming and whistling with the tunes in most of the locations. The music is just downright catchy. Now, it's no Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VIII in terms of music, but I really, really liked Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection's music.

Well, that's all I've really got to say here. It's a cheery, warm/fuzzy feeling Action JRPG that I didn't find to be too long, that I had some fun with, and that delighted my ears with its soundtrack. ~$9.99 on a Steam sale would be a pretty awesome price if this sounds like something you might enjoy. =)

Vassago
Vassago

Talk about improvement! This one is so much better than the first Zwei game.
Gameplay, story, characters, everything is so much better in this one. A very good action-RPG.
I totally recommend it.

Acqua
Acqua

Now I realized where did that penguin costume came from in Zero no Kiseki.

Campa
Campa

its a really good game. for your kids to play. or when you are bored.

Pros:
- great characters, dialogues and interesting narrative.
-visuals are great, i love the world and how quirky it is.

cons:
- combat is repetitive, enemies dont feel varied or interesting enough to fight, just mash those two attack buttons.
- control setup on keyboard is unergonomic, so play this game on a controller like the 360 one(wireless i hope).
- level design feels stretched mroe than it should have, just to force the walking to add more hours to the gameplay.

its an interesting game, but not one you should play before some of the most well reviewed rpgs that follow modern design or has better production values. Another thing that got me to lose interest was that it wasnt 2D handdrawn anymore, the 3D is still interesting but not as charming, guess they chose this new art because of how expensive and time consuming it would be. well its still one of the better chibi 3D art i have played so far.

Plutoo
Plutoo

One of the childhood memories series. Finally unlocked for all achievement~ Although 10 years past, still makes me kinda addicted to it.

Puppy Czar
Puppy Czar

I loved this game! It was like a diet Ys, with all the retro JRPG goodness.

I really disliked the first game, so I was surprised to enjoy it, they're super super different.

RobinCat13
RobinCat13

Great game. Nice soundtrack. Very 'old school cute'

jason
jason

get the full jrpg experience in around 20 hours.
story is great cliche fun. music (falcom jdk), characters, monster design, are all very good. oozes that falcom charm.
combat is fun enough--it's like gurumin but way better. easy to just mash your way through a dungeon, but the gameplay loop is fantastic. food is the only way to gain XP. you get food through dungeons. food also heals you. if you save up 10 pieces of a certain food, you can exchange it with an NPC for a food that gives way more XP. so, do i push through this next mini-boss on 5hp because i only have 10 fried rice on me and i want to trade it in after the dungeon for a wonton soup that'll level me up, or do i play safe and eat the fried rice now for health...
i never had to grind. i finished two levels under the games recommendation for final boss.
localisation is mostly good, but comes from a time where they'd go with "m***et" instead of say "pipsqueak." english voice acting is also mostly great.
easy recommendation to any jrpg fan. must play for falcom fans.

RainbowSonic
RainbowSonic

Another good game from Falcom :)

decafs_art
decafs_art

If you loved the Y's series then you'll really love this game. There's a lot of fun things to do near the end of the game to get extra equipment that comes in handy. I will say weird thing about this game is you eat food to gain experience (you do not get exp from killing enemy's but they do drop food occasionally just a heads up). Other then that its a solid game with an entertaining story.

AdolEmelys
AdolEmelys

If you're a Falcom Fan, you'll LOVE this game. Great character interactions, Peak Falcom OST, Good Gameplay. And LOTS OF FUN AND SAVAGERY

Єноти🦝
Єноти🦝

In this age of Cold Steel this is a prime example of a game that made me a Falcom fan. Unfortunatly, it doesn't seem we are going to see anything like this in future.

Hallonpuré
Hallonpuré

Short summary for Ys players: It's a strictly worse Ys game. I've completed every Ys game except for 1 and 2 and I reaaaally wanted to scratch my itch by playing this game, but it just didn't do it. Not even when considering the fact that it was on sale when I bought it.

TLDR: If you want an Ys game, look elsewhere. If you're fine with a worse Ys game, then you might wanna pick this up when it's on sale.

RotaryEvaporator
RotaryEvaporator

The best game ever made by Falcom

chillin
chillin

tbh, this game deserves more attention than it is now.
the combat system is very fun and makes me feel relaxed to play.
for anyone who hesitates whether to buy it or not, around 15 bucks is not that expensive for this game, so just try it.

Turtle Zeno
Turtle Zeno

The English dub is kind of cringe, I wasn’t able to continue after a week or so.

Drilling Uranus
Drilling Uranus

its a simple but good game. small but unique. main character has full metal alchemist edwards dub voice actor and a few other characters have notable voice actors as well. this gave me the nostalgic feeling of a good quality ps2 rpg.

an Azumarill
an Azumarill

Bought this by mistake as I intended to get Zwei: the Arges Adventure, which looks a lot better than this one. But since I had already purchased it, I figured I might as well try it out.

In short, the game begins with about 30 minutes of unskippable cutscenes, which outline an anime story that is less interesting and more cliche than the average porno plot. As for gameplay, apparently this game is similar to the Ys games, which means you move around and attack things, but I wouldn't know. The opening was so boring I quite literally fell asleep and left it on for 5 hours, exceeding the refund window. Oh well. At least it was cheap.

Dahrasz
Dahrasz

Now, after playing half of the Kiseki series and all but one of the localized Ys games, I've begun to intuitively understand Falcom's M.O. As Nippon Ichi is to complexity and Atlus is to mood, Falcom is to a) characters, and b) pacing. Indeed, what makes Falcom games so eminently playable is the fact that each game lasts just as long as it needs to an no longer, hitting beat after beat and leaving just as things run the risk of getting stale. This style has its risks of course, as does any. Nippon Ichi games have amazing progression systems but often fail to make core gameplay similarly appealing. Atlus can build games that drip with style and mood, but sometimes that mood can lapse into self parody, or hide week content. And Falcom, well, for all their craft, at their worst they are boring.

That isn't to say that Falcom games are aggressively boring. Falcom is never boring in the way that Ubisoft is, making the same game over and over again, stuffing it to the gills with the same content that no one really wants to play anymore. Falcom's boring is much more respectable than that. Falcom boring is a game that does nothing wrong, but gets nothing especially right, blending into the mass of other Falcom games with similar structures, mechanics, and even characters. Is Zwei!! Falcom boring? I'm not sure. I can tell you that since beating Zwei, my opinion on it has dimmed faster than any other game I've played recently. But in contrast to normal Falcom boring, I do think that it does a handful of things especially well. The problem is how most of the rest is mediocre.

So, what does Zwei get right? One thing mainly, its story. In a way, that's actually kind of shocking. This is, after all, a game so arcade-y that if features an XP system based a) on food and b) on getting 10-stack combos of said food that can traded in for bonus XP. It's a game about a vampire princess feuding with a talking cat, a werewolf, and a campy demon. And yet here it is, telling a story about guilt and shame and the weight of history and family expectation. The game even masterfully uses its game mechanics to deepen its themes, frequently adding and taking away mechanics in order to make the player emphasize with their avatars pain, loss, and shame. I also appreciate how the elements of Zwei's story are given room to breathe,. Its a surprisingly powerful and deftly told fairy tale.

But it is the moment-to-moment gameplay between the cutscenes that really drag Zwei down into the Falcom boring morass. The biggest issue here is game feel. Enemy attack animations and player hitboxes feel inconsistent and the former frequently lacks proper telegraphing, especially in melee range. A lot of the time damage feels unavoidable unless you play boring and safe. But even boring play has its issues. Rather than using a toggle like Ys does with it's weapons/party members, Zwei actually pauses combat while players choose which spell to use, breaking the player from the flow of combat and sometimes leading to frustrating situations where control is lost coming out of a pause. Neither of these issues are game-breaking, but they do encourage button-mashing. Since it's hard to avoid damage, it's usually better to just bum-rush enemies, trying out stat them and bring them down before they can do much damage to you. Since switching spells is clunky and only provides limited advantage, it's usually just better to spam the most damaging spell.

Oh and about that healing system. Zwei has the interesting idea to use the aforementioned food XP system, which combines healing and XP gaining items. Ideally, this system would create an interesting dynamic between using food or saving it for bonuses. The problem is, though, that it's too hard to avoid damage so saving all your food is a one-way ticket to Game Over. But since each area only drops certain food, and even low level food can heal a significant percent of your health, you can safely eat leftover food that will no longer drop without losing too much XP. Furthermore, since food is valuable, I often found my self entering the pause menu to carefully consider each time I had to heal, which is yet another design element that kills game flow.

Of course Falcom is too good at what they do to let Zwei be bad. Rather than persist with a system that wouldn't work in-context, Falcom adjusted food XP curves, healing curves, and drop rates such that the system wouldn't be frustrating and grind-y. Rather than keeping things combat oriented as in Ys, Falcom avoided focusing on Zwei's weakest systems by mixing in a large number of puzzles and secrets in their dungeons. And rather than dragging out the story to the expected 20-25 hours, Zwei!! ends at the 16 hour mark, before anything gets stale.

So, why recommended? Think of it as a provisional mixed rating. Zwei!! The Illvard Insurrection probably won't knock your socks off. You won't miss out if it settles near the bottom of your backlog. But I got this game for $10 on sale, which is less than the price of a meal at Chipotle. At that price, this game is worth it. Save it for a weekend you feel like playing a breezy ARPG with an A+ story. You'll probably have fun.

Coffeo
Coffeo

From YS to Legend of Heroes, I love all of Falcom’s games. Zwei is not an exception.

I bought Zwei II due to my childhood nostalgia. Once I picked it up in steam, I can not put my controller down. I forgot how much fun I had with this game.

The story line is nothing ground breaking, but some of the twists and turns definitely make it enjoyable. The characters’ dynamics are fun to watch and the English voice acting make the character more alive. It is interesting that you actually get to know the town people with collected information. I know a lot of people complain about the long cutscenes, but hey some body likes it! (just me?)

What really makes me like this game is the battle system. It is an action RPG game with dungeon crawler. You can control two characters: one for melee attack and the other for magic/range attack. The different varieties of the enemies force you to interchange between the characters. Through out the story, you collect new upgrades for weapons and magic. These allow you to go back to the previous dungeons to unlock more levels and areas that you can not enter before. The characters level up by eating food rather than defeating enemies. Be mindful to save ten of the same type of food and exchange to a better food which grant you more experiences.

I did not finish revisiting this game on steam, but I will definitely come back and try to complete all the achievements.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Xaus123
Xaus123

As any other falcom game. Its a masterpiece

Edgar
Edgar

If ya liked the Ys series then you should give this game a try. Good music thanks to the boys in Falcom, the combat is nice and satisfying to just increase the shit out your combo. An underrated gem that needs more attention.

YoMamaG
YoMamaG

Story is whatever, and it doesn't really have the same charm as the first game, but the gameplay is great.

minstrelofmoria
minstrelofmoria

Like the treasures Ragna searches for, this is a lost artifact, a relic of the time before game balance was invented. You keep unlocking attack spells that are less effective or more situational that just using the one you started out with, and the control scheme gets in the way of any tactic more advanced than spamming either one spell or one physical attack. Secrets and quest rewards are completely out of whack, so slooowly escorting an NPC to a gate, then solving an obtuse puzzle based around a seemingly useless quest reward ten hours ago, gives less of a reward than beating up an oversize chicken. The plot gets in a few good jokes, but I never really bonded with most of these characters, not helped by unskippable pre-battle cutscenes that made me wish everyone would just shut up and let me fight. And there are way too many gameplay elements that are never explained unless you look up an online walkthrough.

Samesame tbhtbh dogdog
Samesame tbhtb…

I didn't expect such a fun game looking at the cover of this one

+The gameplay is simple yet very very fun. There is only jump and attack really in terms of moves. Nothing fancy yet its in their level design where this simplicity really shines. By limiting their options, You are really forced to traverse the dungeons and they really did a good job with the dungeons. The dungeons are fun, engaging and not thoughtless. You will honestly put on your thinking hat for some of these puzzles.

+The levelling system is cute and fun. The levelling system is just eating food you get. Honestly, I find it really nice how even a single level makes a big difference in this game so grinding didn't feel terrible. You immediately felt the results of your hard work. On top of the fact that grinding isn't too difficult for the most part as you can easily just leave any dungeon if you get too low for some reason.

+The soundtrack is really good. Hypes up battles, sets the atmosphere for most events. Generally Falcom games from my experience have insane soundtracks.

+On the note of Falcom games, like their other games, this one has very good world-building. I said it about Trails in the Sky, Tokyo Xanadu ex+, Ys 8 and I will say it once more for this game. The world is filled with life. They really build the lore with the NPCs, and all the NPCs are really fun to talk to. I found a lot of the time, I was talking to everyone and learning more about the world and as always, they did an excellent job here.

+The dialogue and character relationships are very funny. The word choice and the goofy interactions are really reminiscent of Disgaea. I am a fan of this and it's really just some light-hearted fun. A nice change of pace from the regular characters who take themselves too seriously.

+LETS EXERCISE

-Visually this game is a masterpiece... if it was a psp game. The character models look awful. This game was released in 2017 yet it looks worse than Kingdom Hearts 2 for some reason.

-The story was predictable and honestly pretty boring. As much as I liked the characters, the plot itself wasn't very captivating.

Overall a nice charming game that people who are into dungeon-crawlers should give a go

Juna S. Bright
Juna S. Bright

Pushes to the already great first game into greater heights. Falcom outdid themselves, a true hidden gem.

alarion
alarion

Great action-rpg game, as expected from Falcom.

Decadence
Decadence

It's a classical JRPG. No modern political correctness & diversity nonsense. The graphics has been improved to HD. The music is enjoyable. Voice acting is good. The humor is on point. Is there anything better to do other than saving a princess?

Erdie
Erdie

If you've played Gurumin or Nayuta no Kiseki, this plays in a similar style. I really enjoyed this one, I liked the characters, the story isn't particularly deep but it's entertaining and the character dialog is great. The localization is the star of the show here, they did an absolute bang-up job. Bravo to that team. This is not an overly serious game. The main plot may be serious, but the dialog is full of lighthearted stuff (and a few classic video game references for good measure!)

Typical Falcom game, characters and NPCs (even insignificant ones) have plenty of dialog. And you can expect nearly every NPC's dialog to change after every event. I love the world building, but if that's not your thing it can be ignored.

I don't care for difficult games, and this one is certainly not difficult. You level up by eating food, and it drops a lot. Suggested levels are displayed at the start of each new stage, so if desired you can repeat a stage or hunt for a missed treasure if you want to increase your level. Just be warned, stats and modifiers in this game are all tiny, so 1 level means a LOT. If you over-level, you'll be crazy strong.

Oh, and special props for having a great ending. There's nothing worse than a "we ran out of time or money" ending where they just smack the credits up after a boss. Not this game!

Looks like I took around 33 hours to finish it up (I gathered all the stage treasures and completed the optional dungeons). About what I'd expect from a game like this. Still didn't want it to end... There is New Game Plus though.

Hydra Dominatus
Hydra Dominatus

The gameplay isn't the most innovative, but I found it enjoyable. The real standouts are the characters, story, and all the collectibles and items to find hidden everywhere! Overall this is a solid game and I recommend it!