Each installment in the series combines standard tactical RPG gameplay with a pastiche of Judeo-Christian religious themes, particularly concerning the nature of good and evil and the interplay between Heaven, Hell, and Earth and the denizens thereof.
One title was considered for North American release in 1999,[1] and it is believed that it was eventually passed over due to its religion-derived themes.
[4] The victorious devils rewrote history and redesigned society to suit their purposes, reversing the concepts of good and evil.
Black/Matrix gives the player control of a group of playable characters who traverse various two-dimensional 3/4 isometric-view maps that represent towns and battlefields.
Progression through Black/Matrix is plot-driven, and the player has limited influence on the overall course of the game - evidenced by the absence of an overworld map mode.
Additionally, characters automatically respond by counterattacking, defending, or attempting to dodge when they are attacked; the player can switch the response at any time through the "Waiting Stance" command.
)[7] Additionally, the player can infuse a weapon with Blood Points to improve its effectiveness and possibly unlock a special attack[6] called a "latent ability".
Latent abilities function like spells in that they cost Blood Points to use and add various effects to the damage dealt by the weapon.
[4] Abel (アベル, Aberu) (Hiroshi Kamiya), is the amnesiac silent protagonist of Black/Matrix - his dialog is not shown on screen.
The choices are: There is an additional secret male master, Zero (ゼロ, Zero) (Kentarou Itou), who becomes available after inputting a code (which differs in each release).
He gained fame as "Gaius the Gale" for stealing from the rich to give to the poor, but is later imprisoned for the crime of "hypocrisy" as a result.
Phillipo (ピリポ, Piripo) (Hiro Yuuki) is a blond-haired boy whom Abel encounters in Golgoda Prison at the beginning of the game.
Johannes (John) (ヨハネ, Yohane) (Takeshi Aono) is the black-wing former high priest of the Temple of the Sun who lost his position after a power-struggle.
Marco (マルコ, Maruko) (Ai Orikasa), a white-wing, is known as the "Miracle Boy" for becoming the first person to don an Arch-demon Armor.
It is divided into three realms - heaven, home to white-winged angels; the human world, inhabited by relatively weak, wingless people; and hell, where black-winged devils reside.
Towns, a usual element of tactical RPGs that allow for the purchase of items and equipment, are omitted in Black/Matrix II and shops are accessible from the overworld map and pre-battle menus.
Widely known by the sobriquet "General Tempest", he is the younger brother of the master of Hell, and the leader of the "Fear Quartet" of top-ranking devils.
She possesses a power called Squeeze that drains the life from anyone who approaches her, inspiring a lifelong sense of isolation.
The angels rule the world via a religious organization called the Prodevon Church, which ensures both the cooperation and ignorance of the wingless people.
Cain (カイン, Kain) (Ryōko Shiraishi) is the main character, a wingless boy who always ends up opposing angels in order to rescue his friend Matia.
Johannes (John) (ヨハネ, Yohane) (Kazuhiko Inoue) is an angel with gray wings who associates with Cain and Matia.
Luca (ルカ, Ruka) (Nana Mizuki) is a devil girl who takes an interest in Cain at the beginning of the game.
Exal (エクサル, Ekusaru) (Takayuki Sasada) is a lively, black-haired fighter for the secret organization Cypherpunk which opposes the Prodevon Church.
Syria (シリア, Shiria) (Kumiko Izumi) is a double-winged angel and the younger sister of the powerful Seraph Beir Perendale.
Lilis (リリス, Ririsu) (Youko Nishino) is a wingless girl, a friend of Matia, whom the party rescues from prison.