<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
Covenant	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Nautilus	O
(	O
Sacnoth	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Covenant	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
1915	O
,	O
six	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
height	O
of	O
World	O
War	O
I	O
,	O
German	O
Army	O
lieutenant	O
Karin	B-Application
Koenig	I-Application
is	O
drawn	O
into	O
a	O
conflict	O
between	O
original	O
protagonist	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
and	O
the	O
secret	O
society	O
Sapientes	O
Gladio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
redesigned	O
the	O
battle	O
system	O
and	O
altered	O
the	O
story	O
's	O
tone	O
based	O
on	O
feedback	O
from	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
's	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
title	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
the	I-Application
New	I-Application
World	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
(	O
RPG	O
)	O
where	O
players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
party	O
led	O
by	O
either	O
Karin	B-Application
Koenig	I-Application
or	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
as	O
they	O
progress	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
progress	O
is	O
split	O
between	O
a	O
linear	O
story-driven	O
first	O
half	O
and	O
a	O
second-half	O
which	O
allows	O
greater	O
exploration	O
and	O
access	O
to	O
optional	O
areas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
reality	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
1915	O
during	O
World	O
War	O
I	O
,	O
and	O
mingling	O
historical	O
events	O
and	O
people	O
with	O
supernatural	O
elements	O
including	O
divine	O
beings	O
and	O
cosmic	O
horror	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
takes	O
place	O
six	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
,	O
following	O
on	O
from	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
bad	O
"	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
protagonists	O
are	O
Karin	B-Application
Koenig	I-Application
,	O
a	O
German	O
Army	O
lieutenant	O
;	O
and	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
which	O
culminated	O
in	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
his	O
lover	O
Alice	O
Elliot	O
,	O
a	O
depressed	O
Yuri	O
buried	O
Alice	O
in	O
Domrémy-la-Pucelle	O
,	O
taking	O
it	O
upon	O
himself	O
to	O
defend	O
the	O
town	O
from	O
the	O
War	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
characters	O
include	O
Roger	O
Bacon	O
,	O
a	O
12th	O
century	O
philosopher	O
who	O
achieved	O
imperfect	O
immortality	O
;	O
Kato	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
ally	O
of	O
Yuri	O
's	O
;	O
Jeanne	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
girl	O
from	O
Domrémy	O
;	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
antagonist	O
Albert	O
Simon	O
,	O
who	O
appears	O
as	O
a	O
vision	O
in	O
Yuri	O
's	O
mind	O
;	O
Jovis	O
Abraham	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
co-founder	O
of	O
Sapientes	O
Gladio	O
;	O
the	O
Japanese	O
foreign	O
minister	O
Kantaro	O
Ishimura	O
;	O
and	O
Ouka	O
,	O
a	O
cloned	O
version	O
of	O
Kato	O
's	O
dead	O
lover	O
Yoshiko	O
Kawashima	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
overcome	O
Rasputin	O
's	O
power	O
,	O
the	O
group	O
finds	O
Abraham	O
;	O
he	O
reveals	O
that	O
Albert	O
Simons	O
 '	O
actions	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
were	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
foil	O
Rasputin	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Covenant	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Sacnoth	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
studio	O
that	O
had	O
handled	O
both	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
and	O
series	O
predecessor	O
Koudelka	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
sequel	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
the	O
staff	O
wanted	O
to	O
maintain	O
the	O
serious	O
atmosphere	O
from	O
the	O
prequel	O
,	O
while	O
still	O
containing	O
punchlines	O
as	O
comic	O
relief	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
feedback	O
from	O
players	O
who	O
felt	O
the	O
storyline	O
and	O
overall	O
tone	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
too	O
dark	O
and	O
disturbing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
monster	O
designs	O
drew	O
inspiration	O
from	O
H	O
.	O
P	O
.	O
Lovecraft	O
's	O
Cthulhu	O
Mythos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
system	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
revamped	O
for	O
Covenant	O
,	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
's	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Machida	O
estimated	O
the	O
gameplay	O
content	O
as	O
being	O
around	O
40	O
hours	O
,	O
twice	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
three	O
composers	O
were	O
asked	O
to	O
examine	O
and	O
deconstruct	O
the	O
sound	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
shift	O
in	O
tone	O
,	O
Hirota	O
made	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
more	O
dynamic	O
and	O
emotional	O
without	O
surrendering	O
the	O
signature	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
2CD	O
soundtrack	O
album	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
II	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Team	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
March	O
24	O
,	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
existence	O
of	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
first	O
revealed	O
in	O
early	O
June	O
2003	O
by	O
the	O
Japanese	O
video	O
game	O
website	O
Quiter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
under	O
its	O
official	O
Japanese	O
title	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
II	I-Application
two	O
weeks	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Western	O
release	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
from	O
Midway	O
Games	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
April	O
2004	O
as	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
Covenant	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
English	O
script	O
was	O
written	O
by	O
returning	O
translator	O
Jeremy	O
Blaustein	O
,	O
returning	O
from	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dunham	O
cited	O
the	O
general	O
presentation	O
as	O
a	O
step	O
up	O
from	O
that	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
despite	O
console-specific	O
graphical	O
faults	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gann	O
generally	O
lauded	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
as	O
a	O
significant	O
improvement	O
over	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
,	O
and	O
praise	O
the	O
character	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
met	O
with	O
general	O
praise	O
,	O
although	O
some	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
inferior	O
to	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famitsu	O
lauded	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
unique	O
and	O
detailed	O
"	O
battle	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
expanded	O
breadth	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fahay	O
found	O
the	O
turn-based	O
mechanics	O
refreshing	O
after	O
recent	O
action-oriented	O
titles	O
like	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
Till	I-Application
the	I-Application
End	I-Application
of	I-Application
Time	I-Application
,	O
and	O
praised	O
the	O
Judgement	O
Ring	O
mechanics	O
despite	O
it	O
feeling	O
old-fashioned	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
similar	O
turn-based	O
system	O
of	O
Final	O
Fantasy	O
X	O
.	O
Mason	O
again	O
praised	O
the	O
Judgement	O
Ring	O
and	O
combo	O
system	O
,	O
saying	O
they	O
made	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
slow	O
character	O
progression	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dunham	O
again	O
called	O
the	O
system	O
superior	O
to	O
the	O
first	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
giving	O
praise	O
to	O
the	O
battles	O
and	O
wider	O
customization	O
options	O
available	O
to	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
RPGamers	O
2004	O
staff	O
awards	O
,	O
Covenant	O
won	O
in	O
both	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Overall	O
"	O
categories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
IGNs	O
RPG	O
Vault	O
PS2	B-Device
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
,	O
IGN	O
PS2s	B-Device
The	O
Best	O
of	O
2004	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
for	O
Best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
RPG	O
Game	O
,	O
and	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
for	O
Best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Game	O
That	O
No	O
One	O
Played	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Machida	O
,	O
plans	O
were	O
made	O
for	O
a	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
continued	O
Yuri	O
's	O
story	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
never	O
materialised	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
the	I-Application
New	I-Application
World	I-Application
,	O
was	O
produced	O
by	O
Nautilus	O
.	O
</s>
