No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle Review

So basically, to start off, if you loved the first "No More Heroes", don't even bother reading this review. The sequel brings back everything you loved about the first one, and omits the buggy parts, such as the over world "GTA"ish thing and the annoying side jobs.

The game stars Travis Touchdown, and he is back again to...well...chop people up with laser swords! The town of Santa Destroy has been monopolized by the pizza company from the first game. Travis is angry that his rank has been dropped all the way to 51, a shout out to Suda51 no doubt, and after some persuasion from Sylvia, he is back in the killing game.

The gameplay is solid. It can get repetitive at times, but with the different weapons, you most likely won't mind. One thing returning fans will notice immediately is that the game is a much faster paced game. So if you're the type of gamer who wants to get in there and kill things after a day of work, well this is just spiffy isn't it? As a consequence of this fast paced gameplay, the game seems to fly by rather fast.

The dual wielding in the game is cool, because Travis looks cool swinging two swords at once. Other than that it isn't much different. However, the ecstasy gauge plays a larger role in this game than the last one, or at least is easier to understand. When the tiger on the bottom right of the screen gets agitated, crazy things happen, from going into a slow motion like sequence to actually turning into a vicious tiger!

Now lets get down to the main part of the game, the assassins! Each boss in the game has their own quirk or downfall. Knowing this is vital, much like in the first game. What some of these characters lack in personality, they make up for in difficulty. There is one boss in particular that is downright frustrating, but the feeling you get when you beat each boss makes it all worth it. Whereas the first game expanded the concept of Santa Destroy, a town of assassins, the sequel dives into Travis Touchdown and fleshes out his character a lot more. Therefore, the bosses aren't as memorable, but are in some ways more challenging.

Remember the side jobs from the first game? They were often annoying, especially because they were absolutely necessary to pay for the ranking battles. Well in "No More Heroes 2", forget about all of that. The side jobs have now been converted to 2D mini games that are actually somewhat enjoyable. Most importantly they are optional. You can blast through the game and do nothing but kill kill kill if you want to. The side jobs are there to earn money for clothing and weapon upgrades. Thumbs up to Suda51 there.

There are quite a bit of extras scattered throughout the game however. The introduction of playing as other characters (the ninja chick from the first game and Henry) mixes it up for the player. These two characters play a little differently than Travis, so the experience is enjoyable. I'd much rather play as Travis though. Fortunately, the play time with these characters is not too long and is short enough so that it does not get boring.

One thing I love about "No More Heroes 2" is the subtle references to other games and even the first game. A handful of the original bosses make an appearance in this game, somehow they aren't dead! 

Also, if you're a fan of Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid, you'll notice some very odd level designs inspired by the two. I think one of the boss levels is inspired by the canyon in Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess, but not entirely sure yet. Check the video to the right to see the "Metal Gear level", its funny.

Graphics/ 9 - overhauled since the first game, nice textures, nice effects, some blocky faces

Gameplay/ 8 - A blast! But can be repetitive at times, difficult game to play

Story/ 7 - Honestly who plays this game for the story line? The characters are amusing though

Replayability/ 9 - You'll want to play this game again, its funny and relieves stress, not to mention there are extras worth messing around with

Overall/ 9 - So all in all this game is very cleverly designed and deserves to be played. This game is a MUSTHAVE title for any respectable Wii owner, go buy it!!

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Buy No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle