Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana 2 from Japanese giant Koei is the latest stage in Gust's RPG series about an alchemist out to prove himself and make use of his great skills. If you are a fan of quality Japanese RPGs, then you are probably going to want to book some time off work once you get hold of this one!The game introduces an entirely new cast of characters to get to know (for fans of the series) and two different worlds to explore, where the actions in one can have a massive effect on the other. You play the roles of two orphans in a desperate struggle to save their land from destruction. The deal is that one needs to travel to the world of Belkhyde to uncover the reasons behind the fate of their land, while the other must stay behind on Eden to try to delay its impending doom (plus create some pretty cool weapons and other bits and bobs).The key to saving Eden is for you to cleverly switch between the two to aid each other's cause, with the two constantly communicating with each other as the game progresses.Technically, the game is also a real step forward, with Gust having created a brand new 'Active Time Battle System' which gives you the chance to see who is going to strike first. It also enables you to enter 'break mode', which magnifies hits and allows attacks to be strung together to unleash some serious damage. Watch yourself though, 'cos if you take a blow from your enemy you could be knocked into the 'break zone' yourself, making you vulnerable to chained attacks and much bigger damage. Charge attacks also enable characters to pull off truly spectacular attacks, depending upon the skills that individual has developed.Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny also boasts more powerful monsters, which of course means even more thrilling battles, with much more of a strategic element to the game this time around. It all means you can't just rely on simple brute force anymore!