Fengshen Yanyi 2

Fengshen Yanyi 2 (封神演義2 Houshin Engi Tsu; 봉신연의2) is the sequel to Fengshen Yanyi and the first title of the series to be converted into 3D. While the game still retains its RPG elements, it acts more like an action title with Warriors inspired gameplay. It was going to be localized in the west as Fengshen Yanyi: Legends of Gods and Heroes, but plans seem to have been dropped.

The illustrations and character designs were done by Takeshi Okazaki. The character models in this game were used again in Mystic Heroes.

Plot
Once long ago, during the wars between light and darkness, a peculiar union between a devil and a human was born. They gave birth to a magically gifted child, a child who can neither be classified as a human, a devil, or a mystic. From these descendants began the formation of the Tao Clan. These individuals tap into and protect the world's long forgotten power of tao, the living energy of the world itself. Safe guarding the mysteries of tao, their presence has faded from history and into obscurity. They are now thought to exist only in legends.

Three years have passed since Taigong Wang and his allies have defeated the nefarious Da Ji and King Zhou. Morning Song has been restored as a peaceful capital, and the people enjoy a long forgotten peace. However, the rivalry between the two mystics clans still lingers. These clans are the Kunlun Sect, taoists who defied the Shang Dynasty, and the Nine Dragon Sect, mystics who once supported King Zhou. Unbeknown to the mystics and people, the members of the Nine Dragon Sect seek to rise again and conqueror the living realm with powers of darkness, manifesting as monstrosities known as Savage Beasts.

A young orphan named Ziya is swept away from his mundane village life when he and his childhood friend investigate a mysterious gate. There, they find an unconscious girl named Li Lan, whose conflict inevitably drags the young men into an adventure the spans throughout the human world and celestial realms.

Gameplay
Throughout the game, the player may only control the main protagonist, Ziya. Other party members follow his commands and movements in the world map and battle segments. His death during the game's story means the end of the game.

After one complete playthrough of the game, a Bonus section can be unlocked at the start screen. It includes a movie and music gallery.

Exploration
The main party can be controlled by moving around a world map from an overhead, birds-eye-view perspective. A total of five characters can be within the active party at any time, though Ziya has to be within each party combination. If a character is within the active party, they may activate their passive ability whilst wandering in the field. These skills include gradually healing party members, locating hidden treasures, increasing the difficulty of random encounters, and so on.

Pressing undefined opens the main menu to check on the party's status, levels, and equipment. allows access to the saving/loading for the console's memory cards, the game's settings, a help menu, or a game quitting option. If the player happens to forget their story objective, they can press R2 on the world map to initiate a conversation with their party members to remind them.

Entities within the world map are color coded for easy recognition and are designated by the mini-map at the bottom right hand screen. Ziya's location is indicated by a blue arrow with a yellow fan effect to note the direction he is facing. His party members are similarly color coded blue while mandatory story enemies are colored red. Towns and grottoes are colored green. White areas indicate places where the party can travel while black areas are banned from the player's entry. Important areas needed to progress with the main storyline have bouncing, glowing white dots above them. Travel is reminiscent of point-and-click adventures. When the player wants to enter an area, they need to direct their party close to the location's icon and press the affirmative option to enter it.

Towns behave in a manner not unlike Saiyuki: Journey West. A village offers minimal commands, but a capital city can offer a wide variety of spots. Towns may offer the following services through its own menu screen:
 * Inn - completely restores party's health, uses a mandatory day of game time
 * Jobs - optional side quests to obtain bonus experience or items for the party under a required time limit
 * Store - offers the chance to purchase paopei, or treasured items, to use or equip for the party
 * Grounds - talk with local residents. May also begin a conversation with party members to boost their affinity with Ziya.
 * Fortune - visits a fortune teller to reveal affinity level of party members with Ziya. A higher affinity level may affect a party member's willingness to help Ziya in combat. It may also slightly alter the game's script.
 * Story Location - necessary area to proceed with storyline. Always located at the bottom of the menu.

Another location of interest are grottoes, resting areas for mystics. These areas allow the party to purchase paopeo or upgrade their paopei. They automatically restore the party's health when entered. Once the player has found a grotto, they can use it to travel to previous grotto they have found. This is the game's equivalent to instant world travel, letting players backtrack to a whatever area they desire to revisit.

Sub events to obtain rare or unique paopei include talking to a random passerby on the map, locating a traveling monk, or by locating several precious items called "Lithograph of Sanctuary". The latter two will trigger a one-time quiz sequence based on the game's world. A correct answer will reward the player with the treasure.

Combat
Here are the default settings for battle commands:


 * - weak attack
 * - strong attack
 * or undefined - magic from paopei
 * L1 - dash
 * L2 - request
 * R1 - defend
 * L2 and R2 - group attack

Battles take place within their own designated areas, separate from the field screen. Unless they are mandatory battles related to story events, monsters may also attack the party randomly on the world map. The player can view the overall layout of the battlefield before each battle. Enemies and allies start in predetermined positions within the map and are indicated by colored icons on the game's lower right minimap. Yellow icons indicate enemies and blue icons are for allies. A three tiered difficulty gauge (easy, normal, hard) for enemies is also available at the top of the pre-battle screen. Characters will say special quotes based on the battle's difficulty. Before the party engages a battle, the player can swap their current party members, save their game, or change their equipment at whim.

At a glance, movement and controls looks similar to the Warriors series. Lifebars for the current party are located at the top of the screen, and the current health for enemies hovers above their heads. The player can move Ziya within the field's boundaries and can combine his normal attacks to create various combos. In the beginning, he can only create four hit combos by combining the weak and strong attacks (i.e:, , , ). Once he obtains better equipment, he can perform a longer chain of attacks. The dash command allows Ziya a quick burst of speed compared to his normal running animation. Critical hits can be dealt by circling around an enemy to hit their backside, which are called "Rear Attacks" within the game.

Ziya's magic gauges and the group's skill gauge are located at the bottom of the screen. As Ziya successfully hits an enemy, his magic gauge will increase. Once they are fully charged, he can use his equipped paopeis' magical ability. Magic may either be varying degrees of elemental attack magic (light, sound waves, fire, ice, lightning, wind) or healing spells. If the paopei is purely for stat boosting or special defense effects, they will not have magic available.

During combat, a party character may ask permission to use a certain spell or attack. Their request will appear as a flashing text command on the map, which the player may choose to ignore or fulfill (by pressing L2). Ziya can alternatively shout for a party member's assistance by pressing L2, which a character may or may not act on. When these requests are successfully fulfilled, it can charge the group's skill gauge at the bottom of the screen. Requests occur based on a character's affinity for Ziya, which can be altered by conversations in villages or by keeping party members within the party at all times.

When the skill gauge is completely filled, the player can initiate a devastating group attack with the characters in their party. Though only one level of the gauge is first available, it can be maxed to a level four setting. Special attack combinations can then occur based on Ziya's affinity level with party members and specific characters with the current party.

Rewards for winning a battle include experience points to level up characters and colored gems. In order from most common to rarest, the gems are white, red, green, blue, yellow, and black. These gems can be used to purchase items at stores or to upgrade a character's paopei at grottoes. Players will be awarded bonus gems for performing certain actions during battle, such as quickly eradicating enemies, performing Rear Attacks, or by using magic.

Characters
For players who may have the played game, the Japanese pronunciation and the Chinese/Japanese characters of their names will also be included.

Main Party

 * Ziya - Shiga (子牙)
 * Bai Chang - Hakushou (白唱)
 * Li Lan - Reiran (麗蘭)
 * Taigong Wang - Taikoubou (太公望)
 * Hua Ling - Karin (花鈴)
 * Wen Zhong - Bunchuu (聞仲)
 * Huang Tianhua - Koutenka (黄天祥)
 * Huang Feihu - Kouhiko (黄飛虎)
 * Deng Chanyu - Tousengyoku (鄧嬋玉)
 * Yang Jian - Yousen (楊戩)
 * Hai Tang - Kaidou (海棠)
 * Ne Zha - Nata (哪咤)
 * Lei Zhenzi - Raishinshi (雷震子)

Nine Dragon Sect

 * King Shou - Juuou (受王)
 * Lingbao Tianzun - Reiboutenson (霊宝天尊)
 * Duobao Daoren - Tahodonshin (多宝道人)
 * Chun Lei - Shunrai (春雷)
 * Ling Ya Xian - Reigasen (霊牙仙)
 * Qiu Shou Xian - Kyuushuusen (虯首仙)
 * Wu Yun Xian - Uunsen (烏雲仙)

Others

 * King Wu of Zhou - Buou (武王)
 * Zhuogong Dan - Shukoutan (周公旦)
 * Uncle Guan - Kanshuku (管叔)
 * Uncle Cai - Saishuku (蔡叔)
 * Zhong Li - Juurei (重黎)
 * Taishang Laojun - Taijourokun (太上老君)
 * Yuanshi Tianzun - Genshintenden (元始天尊)
 * Taiyi Zhenren - Taiitsusujin (太乙真人)
 * Baihe - Hakkaku (白鶴)
 * Emperor Ling - Reitai (霊帝)