TGS 2001 Fall: Kengo 2 impressions

While it wasn't playable at this fall's TGS, Genki did release a new trailer of the game. Consisting of a mix of real-life sword-fighting footage and in-game sequences, the extended trailer was light on details, but it did perhaps hint at the direction that the series will take.

The first few minutes consisted of alternating shots of real-life swordsmen practicing moves with mock weapons, as well as in-game models pantomiming. The models displayed showed nice levels of detail, especially as far as faces were concerned; one grizzled warrior in particular was especially in need of a shave, and the rogue hairs on his face were rendered with sufficient attention to detail.

As far as gameplay is concerned, several things were hinted at. First, there will be many instances in which you'll battle several foes at one time. One sequence depicted the player fighting a group of enemies outside of a manor, dodging attacks and altering stances here and there while dispatching foes. Another, featuring the same sort of thing, was set on a bridge, with the player taking on a larger group of enemies. During the one-on-one matches displayed, though, was where we were able to catch a glimpse of the game's most promising potential element: the apparent lack of a life bar. During these scenes, the player was shown dispatching his enemies by means of quick sets of incisions--an element that hearkens back to the Kengo series' down-home Bushido Blade roots. This will most likely please fans of the short-lived, albeit classic fighting series.

Unfortunately, such a confirmation will likely wait until we have some playable code to work with. At this point, the brief video is all we have to go on, but we will say that it does show a bit of promise. We'll have more for you as it develops.