《光明與黑暗續戰篇Ⅱ：古代的封印》是SEGA於1994年在Mega Drive推出的戰略角色扮演遊戲，由Sonic! Software Planning製作，是《光明與黑暗續戰篇：神們的遺產》的續作。雖然故事依舊發生在同一世界觀，但舞台移轉到不同大陸，劇情發展與前作並沒有直接延續。角色設計由動畫家與漫畫家SUEZEN負責，風格相較前作更加輕快、色彩明亮，呈現出截然不同的視覺氛圍，也因此在發售後形成兩派玩家的觀感差異。

故事開端圍繞在帕爾梅基亞大陸的一處古代遺跡。盜賊闖入遺跡後，不慎解除封印，釋放被封存於遠古年代的魔王之力，讓沉睡的邪惡氣息重新溢出。主角是一名名為鮑伊的少年，他在格蘭瑟爾王國接受劍術訓練，原本的生活平靜而規律，然而封印崩解引發魔界的惡魔軍團入侵，王國接連遭受災禍，人民被迫逃亡。鮑伊與同伴在混亂之中捲入更大的陰謀，隨著王國崩落與土地裂開，他必須踏上尋找聖劍與封印寶石的旅程，試圖重新封印魔王，阻止世界最終陷入黑暗。

玩法延續系列的戰略回合制風格，並在許多細節上進行調整。取消前作的章節設計，改以自由度更高的探索方式構成整體流程，在世界地圖上自由行走，往返已經拜訪過的地點，尋找隱藏物品、與NPC對話或觸發特殊事件。隊伍的管理由城鎮內的總部改成以「卡拉班」這輛移動本陣來運作，類似一個帶著全軍物資與人員的移動基地，使整體的冒險感大幅提升。

角色成長系統也有重大變化。轉職條件設定為20級，且未轉職前最高可升至40級。由於升級後的能力值會在轉職瞬間追加，因此轉職不存在能力下降的問題。部分角色能透過特殊道具轉職成不同於一般職階的上級職，讓隊伍的構成方式更加多樣化。在戰鬥方面，新增的召喚魔法讓戰鬥畫面更具視覺亮點，雖然其威力高，但只要範圍內敵人過多，造成的傷害會平均分散，使得其使用策略更具深度。

戰鬥本身依然採用格子數的移動方式，不論盟軍或敵軍都依循敏捷度決定行動順序。戰鬥結束後，只要主角鮑伊未死亡，無論勝敗，獲得的經驗值與道具都會被保留下來，即使全滅也不會產生遊戲結束的處罰。這項設計降低挫折感，能多次挑戰困難戰鬥。而隨著冒險的深入，會逐漸遇到具有不同背景的同伴，許多角色需要特定條件才能加入，每名角色都有獨立的個性與能力，使隊伍的組成方式具有高度的自由度。

雖然本作內容龐大，也追加鍛造系統等新要素，只要將素材與金錢交給鐵匠即可打造高階武器，但生成結果完全隨機，常會出現令人懊惱的情況。此外，遊戲中的隱藏道具有些被放置在毫無提示的地點，甚至包含轉職道具或重要素材，造成許多玩家在第一次遊玩時容易錯過，也形成難度上的不均衡。

遊戲進行到後期，角色與敵人的能力值明顯膨脹，HP與攻擊力普遍超出前作許多，這導致後期戰鬥變得相當激烈，魔法師由於魔法傷害固定，在敵人HP偏高的情況下容易變得不受青睞。敵軍的AI亦有所改動，不再盲目衝刺，而是會緩緩逼近並保持隊形，使戰鬥節奏變慢，特別是在地形不利的關卡更容易感到拖沓。部分地圖存在的隨機遭遇戰更是備受批評，因為許多遭遇戰經驗與獎勵甚少，常造成玩家無謂的時間浪費。

在表現方面，戰鬥動畫比前作更加流暢，但角色尺寸縮小、畫面張力下降，使許多前作粉絲覺得不如上一代來得震撼。遊戲整體風格傾向童話色彩，角色台詞中偶爾出現的搞笑語氣也讓部分玩家感到違和。

儘管如此，本作仍然被許多玩家視為Mega Drive時代最優秀的戰略RPG之一。廣闊地圖、自由探索、豐富角色與細緻的系統深度，都讓作品在系列中佔有重要地位。它的規模遠大於前作，玩法更加自由，亦被IGN收錄於史上百大遊戲榜之中。只是，在偉大的前作光芒籠罩下，雖然是高水準的續作，卻也因為偏向輕量化的世界觀、部分系統的不均衡與節奏問題，最終形成一部評價兩極、但仍然值得肯定的佳作。

Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal is a strategy RPG released by SEGA in 1994 for the Mega Drive and developed by Sonic! Software Planning. Although it follows the same world as the first Shining Force, the story is set on a different continent and does not directly continue the previous plot. The character design was handled by the manga artist SUEZEN, giving the game a brighter and more playful visual tone than its predecessor. This stylistic shift made the game distinct, and even today players remain divided over whether the approachable, colorful aesthetic is an improvement or a step away from the original’s atmosphere.

The story begins on the continent of Parmecia, where a group of thieves triggers a disaster by breaking the seal of an ancient ruin. Their intrusion unleashes a demonic power that had been confined since ancient times, allowing the influence of the Devil to seep back into the world. The protagonist, a young swordsman named Bowie, is living a peaceful training life in the kingdom of Granseal when the resurgence of evil begins to corrupt the land. As the kingdom falls into chaos, natural disasters strike, and demonic creatures appear across the continent, Bowie becomes drawn into a much larger conflict. He and his companions soon discover that the only way to restore peace is to recover the sacred jewels and reclaim the legendary sword capable of sealing the Devil once more.

The gameplay preserves the turn-based tactical system the series is known for, but expands many aspects of exploration and progression. Unlike the chapter-based structure of the previous game, Shining Force II allows the player to freely roam a wide world map, revisit earlier towns, search for hidden items, and trigger optional events at any time. Instead of managing the party from a stationary headquarters, players use a traveling wagon known as the Caravan, which acts as a mobile base. This approach creates a stronger sense of journey and adventure, and gives the game a far more expansive feel than the original.

The class and leveling system also underwent significant changes. Characters may promote once they reach level 20, but they can continue leveling all the way to level 40 before promotion if the player prefers to maximize their stats. Promotion never reduces abilities, as promoted characters gain stat bonuses upon advancement. Some characters can take unique promotion paths if specific items are found, allowing for specialized advanced classes and more varied team-building strategies. Summon magic was added to the game, providing visually impressive attacks that hit multiple enemies at once, although the damage decreases when too many targets are caught in the same spell, adding nuance to its use.

Combat still relies on grid-based movement, with turn order determined by agility. Victory is not required to keep progress; as long as Bowie survives, the player keeps all items and experience even when defeated, which encourages experimentation and reduces frustration. As the journey continues, more characters with diverse backgrounds join the Shining Force, many of whom require special conditions before they can be recruited, giving each playthrough its own sense of discovery.

Despite its depth, the game introduces elements that remain controversial among fans. The forging system, which allows the blacksmith to create powerful weapons using rare materials, operates entirely on random outcomes, often forcing players to repeat attempts. Many crucial items, including promotion materials, are hidden in obscure locations with no hints, causing first-time players to miss important upgrades. As the story progresses, enemy and ally statistics grow dramatically, resulting in very high HP and attack values in the final battles. This stat inflation makes late-game combat intense but sometimes unbalanced. Spellcasters especially suffer, since their fixed damage spells cannot keep pace with the rapidly rising HP of late-game foes. Enemy AI was also modified so that enemies no longer rush recklessly into combat, instead advancing cautiously in formation. While more realistic, this change slows battle pacing significantly, and combined with rough terrain and mandatory random encounters on the overworld, the overall pace can feel dragged out.

Although battle animations are more fluid than in the first game, character sprites were reduced in size, diminishing the impact of combat scenes. The lighter, sometimes comical dialogue tone also divides fans, as some players feel it clashes with the more serious themes of the story. Even so, Shining Force II remains widely regarded as one of the finest strategy RPGs of the Mega Drive era. Its vast world, open exploration, rich cast, and elaborate systems give it scale and ambition far beyond its predecessor. The game’s reputation has grown steadily over the years, earning a place on IGN’s list of the top one hundred games of all time. While it may not escape comparison to the original’s iconic design, and despite its imbalances and pacing issues, Shining Force II endures as a deeply beloved classic and one of SEGA’s defining achievements in tactical role-playing.