Kessen II (PS2) is a HUGE letdown! buyer beware!
In the beginning things were going well. Then the cutscenes began. As a gamer as I was ASHAMED to be even looking at or listening to such trashy dialogue. It's as if the characters in the game were 2 yrs old instead of ancient Chinese warriors looking for conquest and domination. Don't even get me started on
*SPOILER* the live action chick in the crystal ball. Heh, okay you can keep her I don't want to save her anymore. It's all good we all need to work but, *ugh*
So, you start with the control of Liu Bei and to be honest this guy only cares about is his precious girlfriend Diao Chan was kidnapped by Cao Cao (that's my dude!) so let me ask you this: would you follow a guy into battle, risk your life, to save HIS girlfriend? me either. This guy's priorites are messed up. Speaking of messed up....
The graphics during the explanation of army movement, who has what castle is good. It's the UGLY cut scenes that really annoy. I have never seen such crappy animation! Guan Yu looks like his arm is 9 feet long (at least Zhang Fei looks the way he should) and believe me when I tell you you'll want to turn the game off after hearing everybody whine. It's just too much.
The tutorial was not much help. I got the button presses to do certain things okay but, where are the rest of the graphics?! I enter the battlefield and I'm expecting to see E.T. from the Atari 2600 game come walking through any minute. THIS...IS....SPARSE!!!!! oh, and combat is a NIGHTMARE! you are ALWAYS outnumbered and though you get to control the generals it's not much help because you CAN HIT YOUR OWN PEOPLE. I guess this is where friendly fire came from. The controls are ABYSMAL! I try to hack and slash the enemy I end up taking out my own guys. The MAGICIANS in the game make me want to throw up. Not the magic itself (which looks very cool) but, the cheap magicians themselves. Might as well throw the controller down because they hit you with multiple spells say goodbye!
You can't "gang up" on the armies either. On one occasion I saw one of my generals in trouble so I decided to go and help. Oops! "can't enter" it says! WHY NOT?! at least in Kessen I was able to send multiple armies to one location or enemy army with, heh, great results. Not here! the armies have to take turns. Let's just hope your main army (Lui Bei) is not in the mix because as you know your main army dies it's game over. So, I tell him to retreat and he doesn't! go this way.. no he says I wanna go that way! *ARGH*
Why Why Why did they change the formula?! I understand they were trying to give us more control (which is horrible) and make an epic game (which I'm sure it is but, since its so hard to get anything done I'll never know because I can't advance past the 5th or 6th fight!) all they had to do was make it like Kessen and I would have been fine. But, instead I obviously get a rushed product (Koei I am sad) U G L Y game in alot of areas, the control is broken (as well as my spirit)
If you are a fan of the genre at least you can get this game cheap but, just prepare for anger and frustration especially when you get to a certain level involving ships! what A mess! so, I never thought I'd say it but after a long night of playing this game I like what the game is about but, I hate the game itself, the controls, the graphics, the weak dialogue, and the lack of effort and polish on an awesome series:(
A word to the wise (move over Confuscious): stick with Kessen I, a true gem. Oh, and though I've only played it for a short time Kessen III (PS2) is WAAAAAAAY better than II by miles trust me on that one. I'll be here with a review on that one as well once I've played it for a bit. Until then stay far away from Kessen II. A letdown in every sense of the word.