Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection

Overall, Zwei was an exciting, funny, and occasionally frustrating and sometimes quite challenging game. I found the vast majority of my experience to be really great, and despite the small setbacks, and the gravity dungeon, I really loved Zwei and would definitely give it a recommendation to RPG fans.

65%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

94% User Score Based on 268 reviews

Critic Score 35%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection" is an action RPG following the story of a resurrected treasure hunter, Ragna, and a fallen angel, Alma, as they navigate the mysterious Ilvard kingdom to defeat the darkness looming over it. Players engage in fast-paced combat, solving puzzles, and managing their airship as they progress through the game. The title boasts a unique cast of characters, humor, and a compelling storyline that will keep players engaged.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection screenshot

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 274 reviews

story60 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game features a charming story with engaging characters, particularly the dynamic between Ragna and Alwen, which adds depth to the gameplay.
The unique leveling system based on consuming food for experience points adds an interesting twist to the traditional RPG mechanics, making resource management a fun challenge.
The game has a delightful art style and an excellent soundtrack, typical of Falcom's high-quality production values, enhancing the overall experience.

Combat can feel repetitive and simplistic, often devolving into mindless button mashing, especially during boss fights.
The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and unskippable cutscenes, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Some players may find the dungeon design confusing or frustrating, lacking clear direction and leading to moments of aimlessness.

story
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
61%
2%
The story of "Zwei: Ilvard Insurrection" is generally well-received, praised for its engaging characters and a blend of quirky humor with serious moments, though some find it predictable and lacking depth compared to its predecessor. While the narrative is described as simple and occasionally cliché, it is also noted for its charm and emotional moments, with side characters having their own mini-stories that enrich the experience. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs, making it enjoyable despite some criticisms of pacing and plot predictability.
- “A hidden gem JRPG with fantastic story, dialogues, and character developments.”
- “The story in this game is absolutely fantastic and makes you want to keep pushing on.”
- “The story, characters, setting, and music are top notch.”
- “- the story was predictable and honestly pretty boring.”
- “Story is whatever, and it doesn't really have the same charm as the first game, but the gameplay is great.”
- “The simple plot kinda drags on halfway through the game where you expect things to happen just a little beforehand.”
gameplay
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
3%
The gameplay is generally described as simple yet enjoyable, featuring fluid mechanics and a mix of action elements that keep players engaged. While some reviewers appreciate the unique character-switching mechanic and the fun food-based experience system, others note that the gameplay can feel repetitive or uninnovative over time. Overall, it strikes a balance between accessibility and entertainment, though it may not hold long-term interest for all players.
- “For myself, I enjoyed it even more from having played the first game beforehand, and the warm familiarity of so many aspects and visuals from before, combined with more engaging gameplay, were a real treat.”
- “Exploration and battles are very enjoyable, worlds are beautiful, interesting, and imaginative, mechanic/gameplay is solid, fun, and diverse with awesome boss battles.”
- “The gameplay is fun, and I like how it makes use of both close-range and long-range combat, switching up different styles.”
- “Otherwise, the gameplay itself might not hold your attention for long.”
- “There's a lot to like about this game, but as a completionist, I ultimately feel it underperforms in the gameplay department.”
- “But it is the moment-to-moment gameplay between the cutscenes that really drags Zwei down into the Falcom boring morass.”
music
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
38%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its catchy and diverse soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the quality of the compositions, often attributing them to the renowned Falcom music studio, and note that the soundtrack is a standout feature, even if it doesn't reach the heights of classics like "Chrono Trigger" or "Final Fantasy VIII." While some voices in cutscenes may be overshadowed by the music, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack is still excellent.”
- “Music is possibly the best music studio in gaming right now and they go hard on this one.”
- “As expected of a falcom game, the OST is outstanding, and never failed to deliver.”
- “There's some music in the game I didn't like much, but some I very much liked.”
- “The music runs from okay to bland and the action is rarely intense, but there's something about it I always liked.”
- “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.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
53%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and colorful, featuring a cute chibi art style that evokes a nostalgic anime aesthetic. While some reviewers note that the visuals feel a bit outdated compared to the hand-drawn graphics of the first game, the overall design is still considered pleasant and engaging, with improvements made for HD resolution. Despite some criticisms regarding the clarity and polish of the graphics, many players appreciate the quirky character designs and vibrant environments that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Graphics are bright and colorful and evoke an anime setting classic to Falcom games.”
- “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 art style is charming and cute, like an anime.”
- “Very simple stuff and could have been better if the visuals were much cleaner and were more HD.”
- “The graphic is a bit outdated but the gameplay still holds up.”
- “The art style may appear simple and cute at first, but the wide variety of facial animation and often suggestive humor really gives it an identity with a cast of quirky and funny characters throughout the game.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever dialogue and quirky character interactions, particularly highlighting the comedic chemistry between characters like Alwen and Ragna. Players appreciate the energetic cast and the blend of cute, suggestive humor with overdramatic monologues, making the writing both entertaining and engaging. Overall, the game's humor adds a delightful layer to the experience, enhancing its charm and appeal.
- “The star of the show 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.”
- “Explore the beautiful land and mysterious dungeons, solve puzzles, hunt for treasure, meet new lovable characters, and enjoy the hilarious dialogue.”
- “The art style may appear simple and cute at first, but the wide variety of facial animations and often suggestive humor really gives it an identity with a cast of quirky and funny characters throughout the game.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be more manageable and less tedious than in previous iterations, with a well-balanced risk/reward system tied to resource management and experience gain. While leveling up can be time-consuming initially, the polished mechanics and varied dungeon design make repeated runs enjoyable rather than monotonous. The ability to skip optional dungeons further alleviates any potential grind fatigue.
- “It takes a little while to get used to managing resources for leveling up, and grinding for levels is a little more time consuming.”
- “Since your healing items are tied to your experience 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 experience gain.”
- “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).”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game is praised for its exceptional character development, with intriguing flaws that enhance the depth of the characters. Reviewers highlight the combination of a fantastic story, engaging dialogues, and superior character and world designs, all contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience. Overall, the character development is considered a standout feature that adds to the game's charm.
- “A hidden gem JRPG with a fantastic story, dialogues, and character development.”
- “Those other two characters' flaws make them more intriguing and allow for character development.”
- “It has a beautiful art style, great character development, and it's just so much fun to play.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting a significant transformation from an initially average story to a deeply engaging narrative that evokes laughter and tears. Reviewers highlight the heartfelt and inspired nature of the experience, making it a memorable journey throughout its extensive playtime.
- “I laughed, I cried, etc.”
- “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.”
- “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).”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive content, numerous secrets, and engaging characters, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore players. With a challenging endgame and a variety of gameplay options, players are encouraged to revisit the game multiple times. Overall, it is praised as a great RPG that offers a fulfilling experience beyond the initial playthrough.
- “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 crafted design.”
- “Good replay value and a great RPG.”
- “Now seriously, this game is a blast, plays like a Japanese Diablo/Torchlight (you even have pets), okay story/graphics, nice dialogue, lots of secrets, lots of replayability, get it, you won't regret!”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report improved stability with fewer bugs and glitches, reduced grinding, and polished core mechanics, contributing to a more enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “I recently back-graded to Windows 7, and for giggles I wanted to see if that fixed any of the glitches.”
- “There are fewer bugs and glitches, grinding has been reduced, and the core mechanics have been polished to a tolerable level.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is highly praised for effectively enhancing battles and creating an engaging environment for various events, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “Hypes up battles and sets the atmosphere for most events.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users feeling that the advertising does not accurately represent the gameplay experience. While the combat system shows potential for improvement, the overall monetization strategy may not align with player expectations.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the game's optimization is not directly addressed, but the focus on the script and voice acting suggests that the overall performance and delivery are well-executed, enhancing the gaming experience. Players particularly praise the English voice cast, especially the chemistry between characters Ragna and Alwen.