No More Heroes 2 is unique, fun, and entertaining. Definitely worth a playthrough.
The first No More Heroes game was a cult classic. It was one of the few mature games made for the Wii, and it had a very quirky style that many people seemed to enjoy. I was one of those people. Despite the repetitive gameplay and a combat system that lacked depth, I had a blast playing that game. I loved the humour, the voice acting, the boss fights, and the simple, yet enjoyable storyline. The premise of the game was that the main character, Travis Touchdown, wanted to become the number 1 assassin in the world by killing off all the other assassins above him, thus making his way to the top of the list. There were some twists and turns in the game, but in the end, it didn't matter that much because these twists weren't fleshed out enough. The good thing was that the game didn't try to take itself seriously, so the over the top storyline that didn't seem to make much sense at times was acceptable and somewhat entertaining.
The developers of No More Heroes 2 took the formula that made the first game so successful, and improved upon it in almost every single way. The result is a game just as enjoyable and unique as the first one, but with some flaws that keep it away from perfection.
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Thumbs Up:
+Wonderful and unique cast of characters
+Superb voice acting
+Very catchy and memorable soundtrack
+Fun combat, although it lacks depth
+You'll get to play as two other characters in the game
+Excellent and challenging boss fights (although a couple of them are a little bit cheap and annoying)
+Solid controls (and responsive most of the times)
+The ability to buy/unlock different weapons during the game.
+Besides the main missions (they are called Ranking Battles) there are other stuff to do including side jobs and revenge missions.
+Being able to buy clothes and change the appearance of your character is a cool addition to the gameplay.
+You can also go to the gym to upgrade your strength in battle and your health.
+Great visual style
+Different collectables to be found during the story missions
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Thumbs Down:
-The combat lacks depth. You only have two types of attacks, and you don't unlock any combos during the game. Sure, there are different types of finisher moves that you can preform by doing the motion that is shown on the screen, and all these finisher moves are indeed satisfying, but in the end, the combat can get repetitive at times. Don't get me wrong, it never gets boring because it's so fast paced and bloody, but it would have been better if it was a little more complex. And yes, there are also wrestling moves that you can preform by going next to your opponents and pressing B when they are dizzy, but those wrestling moves are all the same. They even look pretty much the same. So, they don't add that much variety to the combat.
(0.5 points reduced)
-The side jobs are fun to do, and they are basically designed like retro games, but some of them are very frustrating because of control problems, and many of them just don't fit in the game. I personally think the developers could have added a lot more interesting side missions with actual stories behind them, but instead we get these trivial side jobs, which are somewhat enjoyable, but you wouldn't want to spend a lot of time on them.
(0.5 points reduced)
-While the characters are charming and likeable, the story itself is pretty much identical to the first game (Travis wants to become number 1 once again, but this time to avenge the death of his friend). I was expecting something a bit more different after playing No More Heroes 1. Another thing that was really underwhelming for me was the ending. It was confusing, and it didn't seem to answer any of the questions that were left unanswered.
(0.5 points reduced)
-A few control/camera issues can hinder the gameplay at times. For example camera might get stuck in the corner, making it difficult for the gamer to see what's going on.
(0.5 points reduced)
-There is pretty much no replay value.
(0.25 points reduced)
-The game is not that long (around 7 hours on "Sweet" difficulty level)
(0.25 points reduced)
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Verdict:
All in all, No More Heroes 2 is an extremely fun and challenging game with an excellent cast of characters. Sure, the game is repetitive in nature and the story isn't the best, but these issues can't hold you back from enjoying No More Heroes 2. Give this game a try. Unfortunately, there is pretty much no replay value, so I wouldn't recommend buying the game, but it's definitely worth a weekend rental.
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Final Score:
7.5/10
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