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(More customer reviews)Last year, Sega was gracious enough to publish Otogi: Myth of Demons in the U.S., allowing gamers to experience the mesmerizing destruction and mystical Japanese setting of From Software's nightmarish slasher. Well, send Sega a thank-you card once again, because they're repeating this year, with Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors.
At its core, O2 feels almost exactly like the original: you carve your way through gorgeously rendered levels, trashing swarms of bizarrely beautiful evil demons and reducing the environment and buildings to rubble, while mournful Japanese dirges swirl in the background. Raikoh, the resurrected silent warrior, returns for second round of purifying the land from the demon scourge, only this time, he's got some help.
The main difference in Immortal Warriors is the six playable characters. Four "generals" are called upon to, er, sacrifice themselves (in grotesque fashion during the game's opening cinema) in order to raise Raikoh from the dead once again to repel the invading forces of the evil Nine-Tailed Fox. In addition, the sorceress who summons the generals is also a playable character.
These extra characters are a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's refreshing to send a new character into battle, and they play just differently enough to keep the experience feeling new (a good thing, because at its core, Otogi is a simple hack-&-slash affair). Kintoki is a bulky, slower warrior who wields a huge axe, while Sadamitsu is a small and speedy robe-wearing female armed with a lightning-quick scythe. Seimei, the enigmatic sorceress, fights with twin bladed fans, and can grab and throw enemies. The best of the lot, however, has to be Suetake, a living tree stump who's "armed" with a wagon wheel. Yep, you read correctly. Before you laugh yourself to death, he's probably one of the most useful characters in the game - you'll see what I mean once you give Ol' Wooden Head a chance.
However, you cannot choose any character at any time during the main quest. Many of the 25+ levels are restricted to certain characters during the first playthrough (several are restricted to one character only), and this has several unfortunate effects on the gameplay. Even though you have six characters to play, you're unable to stick with a favorite, because if you neglect powering up Tsuna the Wolf Guy, when you reach a level where you have to play as him, you're going to have a hard time progressing.
This basically means you have to play and level up all the characters equally, and while they are similar, you're undoubtedly going to have your favorites. Being forced to play a character you don't particularly like can distance the player from the experience. Add to that the fact that some levels are obviously designed for one character in particular (which makes it more difficult if you want to play with a different one), and it can be more frustrating than it needs to be. However, once you manage to clear a level, you can then replay it as any character you like, which makes uncovering the many secrets easier....just be prepared to play most levels more than once, even if you're a skilled gamer.
For the most part, however, Otogi 2 feels like a natural extension of the original; a true sequel. The storyline picks up directly after the events of the first game. The love-it-or-hate-it floaty combat feels tighter and heavier, and huge stylish combos are only a few buttons presses away. You'll still harvest the souls of fallen enemies to buy new items, as well as to keep your ever-dwindling magic supply (if you run out of magic during a level, you start losing health - think of the magic as your power supply). And there's still nothing like blasting a creepy monster through a stone wall and making a huge crater in the ground. The combat is cathartic to say the least.
One welcome addition is the Forest of Havoc, a collection of mini-challenges that break up the constant pummel-fest of the main mode. Unlocked as you progress through the story mode, these challenges are quite different. One requires you to use enemies to sink ships. Another has you passing through arches without touching the ground. Overcoming each challenge gains you new items, and the final challenge will bring a smile to those who played the first Otogi.....
Otogi 2 keeps the same design and music styles as before. Some enemies are recycled from the first game (and the enemy design overall doesn't seem quite as inspired in Otogi 2), and the music, while a great complement to the mood, doesn't quite top the deeply haunting Japanese instrumentals of the original.
And again, as before, you'll struggle with the camera and lock-on, battle tough bosses, lose track of your character amidst all the onscreen chaos, and suffer slowdown. But these problems can be overlooked due to the beautiful levels and unique atmosphere that Otogi 2 presents.
Last year's Otogi: Myth of Demons was an incredible experience, and Otogi 2 retains much of the details that make the series stand out from the norm. Fans of the first will definitely want to play the second to see what happens to Raikoh and his crew. Just be prepared for a sequel that doesn't quite reach the immersive genius of the original, but still delivers the goods in dreamlike, memorable fashion.
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Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors combines real-life folklore and mysticism with an incredible fantasy stoy and amazing combat action! In the first Otogi, the famous warrior Raikoh gave his life to defend Japan from demonic invasion. In this sequel, five new warriors bravely sacrifice their lives to resurrect Raikoh. As Raikoh rises, the warriors rise with him -- giving him an army to command against a new demon threat.
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