Take the initiative! Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess.

During the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 eras, I felt like I had a pretty good pulse on any upcoming RPGs. So, imagine my surprise when I learned that the first Rhapsody on the PlayStation received a Japan-only sequel called Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess. Released in Japan as Little Princess: Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime 2, Rhapsody II was released alongside Rhapsody III as a collection in Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles for Switch and PlayStation 5. And to be honest, I had very low expectations for Rhapsody II. I mean, let’s be real. The original Rhapsody had heart but it was lacking about everywhere else. So, how did this sequel do?

Short answer? Great. I’m just as surprised as anyone. But, let’s break it down. Rhapsody II takes place years after the events of the first game. Cornett became queen, and then a mother. Her daughter, Princess Kururu, is a feisty and mischievous girl that believes it’s important to “take the initiative” to get things done her way. That oftentimes means escaping the castle and going on adventures with her best friend, Crea. Kururu hopes that her constant getaways will lead her to a chance encounter with a boy that will eventually become her true love. During one of her outings, her and Crea meet a mysterious boy named Cello. Sadly, Cello is cold and aloof. Kururu is bummed that this meeting didn’t go the way it did for her parents. But, Kururu won’t give up. She’s determined to find her true love no matter what even if it means chasing down Cello and getting some answers for his rude behavior.

The lightheartedness is in full bloom. Kururu’s campaign is a fun one that takes her across the Marl Kingdom. There is an evil lady named Akujo scheming behind the scenes with her cronies for reasons that don’t become apparent until later, but saving the world from her isn’t at the top of Kururu’s priority list. No, she wants to escape the stuffy castle and explore the world while looking for true love. It’s a story that will have you smiling from ear to ear. This is especially true when the plot is advanced by song and dance sequences. Continuing with the musical theme, Rhapsody II will often stop storytelling in a traditional RPG way so the plot can be advanced by a fun, fully sung and choreographed musical number. There are even some surprising twists and turns thrown in that can tug at the heart strings.

As mentioned, Kururu’s story is a fun one. But, so was Cornett’s. As enjoyable as it was to see Cornett succeed, taking control of her to do so was the opposite. Rhapsody II didn’t fix all of the issues, but it’s A LOT more pleasant. Non-combat gameplay remains relatively unchanged. While shopping, Kururu and her friends can purchase various pieces of armor. Kururu and Crea can keep up to three puppets attached to them to be used in battle. As puppets grow in strength, they add stat boosts to Kururu and Crea. Puppets can also equip accessories to boost their parameters. It really made me happy to see that Kururu isn’t fighting alone AND her party has a decent level of customization. Also, running around the various towns and villages (some familiar, some new) and chatting with the locals is great. The writing is excellent; some of the best I’ve seen. I’d go so far as to compare to something from Game Arts. Take the time to speak to the folks you meet after each new chapter to see if they have something new and fun to say.

That’s all well and good, but what about the combat? That was probably my biggest problem with the first Rhapsody. Not only were the SRPG-lite features silly, but the encounter rate was too high for combat that took longer than it should have. The bad news is the encounter rate is still too high. The good news is that combat uses a traditional, swift, turn-based system that makes most fights end in a flash. Kururu and her friends can do the usual: attack, defend, use items, etc. Kururu and Crea can summon puppets on their turn at the cost of Inotium. Inotium is also used as currency. But, don’t worry. You’ll always have enough Inotium on hand to buy the best stuff, and to unleash your favorite Puppet attacks. In fact, it’s encouraged to use Puppet attacks since doing so builds up a meter with music notes. Depending on how much power is stored in the meter, Kururu can activate special, screen clearing attacks like Flan and Pancake. Other characters that will join Kururu are Randy, a clumsy but hardworking knight, and Sonia, the knight captain and Kururu’s disciplinarian. Everyone will acquire new abilities as they grow in levels. This applies to Puppets attached to Kururu and Crea, too. And while the game is on the easier side, the battles are much more enjoyable than before.

The graphics use the same style from the first Rhapsody. They’re quite lovely. The presentation can be viewed in its original or HD format. I played on Switch and preferred the HD upgrade while playing docked, but would swap it for a classic look when playing handheld. Either way, the gorgeous, watercolor backgrounds and expressive sprites pop. There are also multiple character portraits used during the dialogue sequences; a solid and classic choice. The game is fully voiced (and sung) in Japanese. Sadly, despite the game’s namesake, the non-vocal tracks are forgettable. I was hoping for some bops but got a generic sounding OST.

Kururu’s quest is about 25 hours. There’s a serviceable amount of extra content; most of which consists of hidden Puppets you need to discover and/or fight before they join Kururu. Otherwise, the quest is linear. There’s a clear beginning, middle, and end that wraps everything up nicely. This was definitely one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. Not only did I learn about Rhapsody having follow up entries, I was able to play one of them. And, it was fun! Any RPG fan will find delight in Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess. Stay tuned for an eventual review of Rhapsody III. Here’s hoping the surprises continue!

Overall, 7.5/10: Take the initiative! Find true love! Save the world! Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess is a solid, classic RPG with a musical twist.