Developer(s): Koei
Publisher(s): Tecmo Koei
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU
Review Platform: Xbox 360
Release Date: December 20, 2013
Just like the yearly reiterations
of sports games, Koei’s brawlers follow a similar route of providing nearly
identical experiences with conservative upgrades and changes. Even so, fans of their
button-mashing extravaganzas fall into a selective group of gamers who’ve
supported this derivative tradition for decades. The Dynasty Warriors series in
particular has seen endless sequels and spin-offs that, while extremely fun in
small bursts, never evolved beyond their basic mechanics. Don’t get me wrong,
nearly every one of those titles shared shelf space with my PS2 collection, but
considering how much the genre has evolved, it’s time to change the formula and
brush up on the aging production values.
Fist of the North Star: Ken’s
Rage 2 is only cosmetically different from the Dynasty Warriors franchise, with very few noteworthy tweaks differentiating the gameplay. You’re still brawling
through wave after wave of identical, brainless thugs with the occasional super
move sprucing up the action. The problem with the sequel is that it actually takes away certain elements that made
the original so much fun. Previously, the pacing was significantly slower
making the combat feel more organic and strategic. Pulling off signature moves
is no longer announced mid battle which makes them less spectacular and too
easy to execute. Enemies swarm you in larger hordes and each encounter becomes
a tiresome exercise in dodging and pounding the attack buttons. It’s less about
careful evading and precise timing and more about repetitive mashing.
Despite the odd changes, the
game can be fun when played in small increments. I hate to call it a guilty
pleasure, but it’s just that. Ken’s special moves are absolutely outrageous and
watching your enemies’ heads explode is hilarious. You’ll probably appreciate
the premise more if you’re familiar with the Manga the game is based on, but
the charm of Tetsuo Hara’s drawings is completely lost in the bland and
underwhelming presentation.
Visually, the game would be
regarded as below average if it was a first generation I-Pad title, but for a
fully priced console release it’s devastatingly ugly. Character models are jagged
with terrible textures and awful lip-syncing and the environments are so poorly
designed that you can’t tell them apart. Before each level, you’re treated to awful
comic-style pages that use in-game character model stills…it is utter laziness
and I was really hoping to see the original comic book art carry the narrative.
On a brighter note, the frame rate remains solid throughout regardless of how
many characters fill the screen, but it can’t hide the sloppy aesthetics and
poor art direction. The best part of Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 is
the audio. Fast paced heavy metal guitar riffs carry the action superbly and
the authentic Japanese voice acting fits the game perfectly.
In terms of content the game
is surprisingly packed with value. With over 20 playable characters, each
bringing their own small narrative, you’ll stay busy for a while…if the
repetitive action doesn’t bore you. Despite the move/combo upgrades, solid
co-op and multiplayer, and a ton of stages…the gameplay mechanics are
undeniably stale and archaic. My final gripe is with the game’s price. If this
was a budgeted release, I could easily recommend it to fans of old school
brawlers, but at a full 60$ the game offers nothing to justify its price tag. I’ve been a loyal supporter
of Koei’s brawlers in the past, but Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 is an
alarming sign that a massive overhaul is paramount if they want to keep any
fans.
| Final Score | “Time to Change the Formula” | 4.0 |
| Graphics |
This is probably one of the ugliest Xbox 360 games of 2013. Poor textures, jaggies around everything, disastrously bland presentation…it's shockingly bad.
|
2.0 |
| Gameplay |
The classic Koei brawler charm is still there, but the formula is showing its age. The beat em up genre has evolved beyond the monotonous button mashing and this title makes no effort in keeping up with the times.
|
6.5 |
| Value |
There are plenty of characters and plenty of baddies to fight, but once you pass the first few stages you'll feel like you're running in circles…the gameplay never evolves and you can only mash the attack buttons so much before your hands tire.
|
4.5 |
| Sound |
It's the game's strongest element, but that's not saying much. The awesome guitar riffs are completely overshadowed by simplistic sound effects and repetitive enemy moans.
|
6.5 |
Review by Tin Salamunic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tin Salamunic is the founder of The Game Scouts. He is a Video Game
Journalist during the day and illustrator by night. He's been obsessed with
video games since the early NES days, collecting every major system and game on
the market. Video games are the reason he pursued the illustration career and
he hopes to be creative director for a video game company one day. All Artciles by Tin.
Posted in: 
0 comments:
Post a Comment