Black/Matrix II

Black/Matrix II opens from a strong tactical-RPG hook: you command a resurrected demon general who has forgotten his former life, then rebuild his strength while an endless war with the angels grinds on. Its battles are turn-based and structured in the familiar tactical style, so the early pull comes from working out how to make a small six-character deployment count rather than simply flooding the field with recruits.

The longer-term draw is growth and choice. Characters level individually, learn their own abilities, and a larger recruitment pool asks you to decide who truly deserves one of those six battle slots. Add several romance routes and multiple endings shaped by your decisions, and this is a good fit if you want a campaign with tactical party-building and reasons to replay it beyond a single ending.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Black/Matrix II gives you the satisfying problem tactical RPG fans know well: you may recruit a varied roster, but only six characters can enter a battle. That restriction is not a minor footnote. It turns party selection into a real commitment, especially once you start investing in individual characters and their abilities. You are not just collecting units; you are deciding which small team gets to carry the war.

The turn-based, isometric structure will feel immediately familiar if you have spent time with Final Fantasy Tactics-style games. That familiarity is a strength. You can settle into the rhythm of positioning a compact force and developing fighters one by one without having to learn an entirely alien format first. The game’s tactical identity comes from managing that limited deployment and making the people you bring along matter.

Individual leveling and ability learning give the roster room to become personal. The tradeoff is that recruitment can tempt you into spreading your attention too widely, only to remember that most of your new allies cannot accompany you into the next fight. Pick favorites with purpose. If you enjoy tuning a dependable squad over time, that friction becomes part of the fun; if you want every recruited character to see constant use, the six-unit cap may wear on you.

Graphics

Black/Matrix II uses an anime fantasy look with isometric battle maps. The angled viewpoint is a natural fit for a game built around turn-based tactical encounters, giving you a clear overhead-style view of where your small deployed force is operating.

Story

There is real momentum in beginning as Rage, one of the Demon Army’s former Great Generals, revived after death with none of his old memories intact. He has to recover his power while the demon-and-angel war continues around him, which gives the campaign both a personal question and an obvious military goal. You are rebuilding a fallen figure rather than starting with a blank adventurer who merely stumbles into a conflict.

The angel-versus-demon conflict is broad fantasy material, but Rage’s missing past gives it more bite. His lost identity makes his return to power feel like something you can uncover alongside him, while the continuing war ensures that rebuilding is never just private self-discovery. The stakes are pointed outward: Rage needs forces capable of striking back against the Angel Army.

Romance choices and multiple endings give your decisions extra weight. Several potential relationships can be pursued, and each has different endings based on choices made over the course of the game. That makes the story more than a fixed march from revival to revenge, and it is a meaningful reason to revisit the campaign if one route leaves you curious about another.

Overall Experience

Black/Matrix II is most compelling when you want a tactical RPG that makes a compact team feel important. Its central loop is easy to understand—recruit characters, develop them individually, select six, and keep pushing Rage toward restored power—but the limited deployment means your choices have teeth. It is less about amassing a huge army than trusting a carefully chosen core.

The payoff is strongest for you if character investment matters as much as winning the next map. Seeing individual growth, deciding who earns a permanent place, and steering relationship choices toward different endings gives the campaign a more personal texture than a purely battle-to-battle strategy game. The same features create the main frustration: there is always another recruit who may not fit into the active six.

Give it a chance if you like classic turn-based tactical RPGs, anime fantasy, and replayable story routes. Newcomers curious about the series can also look back at the original Black/Matrix. Black/Matrix II does not need to reinvent its tactical foundation to be worthwhile; its focused party limit, individual development, amnesiac lead, and branching romantic endings combine into a campaign with enough strategic and narrative pull to reward commitment.