Dont judge this by what you have heard, allow yourself to get cuaght up in this game and you will love it.
Alright I am sorry for ranting...On with this review. This was my first PS2 game that I actually played to experience an adventure. I got my PS2 during christmas of 2002 and played 007 Nightfire (a fun diversion) until I got this game. I was only 10 years old at the time, but I grew to appreaciate and be amazed by this work of art that should have been glorious while circumstance sentenced both the game and the franchise
Visuals: For a PS2 game, this is top notch. The locations are dark, yet beautiful. The backrounds look absolutly top notch as Paris looks like Paris while the developers could be creative with the underground levels both beneath the Louvre and in Prague
Audio: The music of this game is the best music you can find in a game made in the western world... period. It is on par with some of Nobuo Uematsu's work in the Final Fantasy Titles. The edgyness and ominous atmosphere this music influences is subtle yet astounding. It is really quite an amazing work of art and fits this game perfectly.
Controls: This is what hurts the game for most people. The PC version is awful and full of bugs. Avoid it like the plague! The PS2 version is much better but even so, some bugs can be found so save a lot. The controls may seem sluggish at first but once you play it for an hour or so, you get used to it. However, this game deserved better controls.
Story/Atmosphere/Level Design: I have neevr seen another game like this. It is astounding how deep it is on every level> I will not ruin the story, but lake my word for it. I have played every Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Valkyrie Profile. This story is as good if not better then all of them. The atmosphere is all there as well. It is dark, even terrifying at times. The level design is so original. The vision behind this game really is amazing.
Closing Comments; IF this game used Legend's engine, it would have a 10. Unfortunatly, its controls prevent it from being so. Still, you MUST play this game. It is such a great experience. The reason it gets low scores is becuase many people give up at training mode. Do not do this! Experience this one of a kind game and you will realize why it is the most underrated game, possibly ever.