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No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle |OT| of Ultimate Vengeance (loli too)
- Thread starter hellclerk
- Start date
I just finished the game and I was quite underwhelmed and disappointed by it. Not enough improvements were made over the original (the combat and visuals are better... I can`t think of anything else right now), but so much was lost. Especially the personality of the bosses. Most of them were generic. I did like a few, though:
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I liked the 8 bit games at first, but they got quickly annoying after the first time you play them. I'm one of the few who didn't mind the overworld in the first one, but I do agree that it could be improved upon. Suda's solution for NMH2 was not an improvement at all, though. I think it's even more tedious now, just selecting in a menu. All the grinding in the first NMH eventually payed off when you got to see another awesome boss battle. I know not everyone liked it that way, but it did work for me. I was way more bored in the sequel with practically going straight to another not that great ranked fight, most of the time.
And I must say that the way they set up the Revenge Missions sucked. I haven't played a single one of them, nor the little girl mission (forgot the name). Why would anyone go back to the motel before starting a ranked match? How was I supposed to imagine that? I didn't do that a single time and now I haven't seen any of that part of the game.
The loss of the opening narrator voice saying the name of the boss and of Sylvia's cell phone calls just before the fight, Shinobu's terrible platforming sequences, underwhelming ending, much worse music... Blah. It seems to me that Suda must have been barely involved in this one. It seems like it was designed by someone copying Suda's style, and not by himself. Weak game overall, even it's still fun at times.
Power Ranger robot fight was awesome, the crazy kid inside the haunted house too, Destroyman steals the show once again, Letz Shake coming back was cool, the girl in Henry's dream too and I really liked Captain Vladmir
I liked the 8 bit games at first, but they got quickly annoying after the first time you play them. I'm one of the few who didn't mind the overworld in the first one, but I do agree that it could be improved upon. Suda's solution for NMH2 was not an improvement at all, though. I think it's even more tedious now, just selecting in a menu. All the grinding in the first NMH eventually payed off when you got to see another awesome boss battle. I know not everyone liked it that way, but it did work for me. I was way more bored in the sequel with practically going straight to another not that great ranked fight, most of the time.
And I must say that the way they set up the Revenge Missions sucked. I haven't played a single one of them, nor the little girl mission (forgot the name). Why would anyone go back to the motel before starting a ranked match? How was I supposed to imagine that? I didn't do that a single time and now I haven't seen any of that part of the game.
The loss of the opening narrator voice saying the name of the boss and of Sylvia's cell phone calls just before the fight, Shinobu's terrible platforming sequences, underwhelming ending, much worse music... Blah. It seems to me that Suda must have been barely involved in this one. It seems like it was designed by someone copying Suda's style, and not by himself. Weak game overall, even it's still fun at times.
To Far Away Times
Member
Rafaelcsa said:
No More Heroes 2 is probably a better game in the traditional sense (better combat, improved pacing), but it lost a lot of the little things that I really liked about the original. Overall, I enjoyed the first one a bit more, but both games are well worth playing.
FlashbladeGAF
Member
G.O.O. said:
cheap ass Ubi
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
So, I'm replaying this as a refresher for my PALGN review, and while I still agree with some of the complaints shared by others here, especially in terms of the game missing some of the charm of the original, I've come to appreciate it much more on this extra outing.
Especially the issue people have had with boss characters, complaining they lack the strong personalities found in the original game. While this is something I still agree with, I no longer consider it an issue and instead moreso the direction of this game's story.
Where NMH was very in-the-moment, DS is presented as much more of a legendary story. Boss characters still get a significant amount of introductary back story, but it often comes from other sources rather than the characters themselves.
The game feels less like we're playing through Travis' eyes, and instead as if we're being told a story. The jump to extra characters helps enforce this.
Especially the issue people have had with boss characters, complaining they lack the strong personalities found in the original game. While this is something I still agree with, I no longer consider it an issue and instead moreso the direction of this game's story.
Where NMH was very in-the-moment, DS is presented as much more of a legendary story. Boss characters still get a significant amount of introductary back story, but it often comes from other sources rather than the characters themselves.
The game feels less like we're playing through Travis' eyes, and instead as if we're being told a story. The jump to extra characters helps enforce this.
VistraNorrez
Member
To Far Away Times said:
It really only lost the novelty factor. Which can be really important of course.
Rafaelcsa, it seems like you missed some of personality of NMH2. You didn't go back to hotel room at all? Then you definitely missed a boss fight, and one that many considered to be thebest, character wise. I really liked going back to the hotel and seeing all these little items build up in my apartment from collecting them in the battle levels. Plus there is shooter game to play on the TV. And if you like the battle system, the revenge missions are really fun to play. They were just some bonus time to play around with the game more, plus beating them unlocked the ability to wear no jacket.
And as far as memorable bosses I think I like and remember about the same amount from both games, didn't think one really excelled over the other.
The battle improvements are very hard to ignore. The forward evade move is really missed in the first game when going back to play.
Personally, I prefer Desperate Struggle over the original but mainly due to the convenient pacing (streamlined overworld map & fixed mission structure) and more enjoyable retro mini games. It's just an easier game to get back into for multiple play throughs when compared to the original game.In terms of pacing, the only real issue with the sequel is that some levels are drag on for too long.
The first game had a better story, unlockable content (clothing, weaponry accessories and concept art) and boss presentations in my opinion.
The first game had a better story, unlockable content (clothing, weaponry accessories and concept art) and boss presentations in my opinion.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
G.O.O. said:
Thats kinda what I mean. Many of the bosses in the game are presented less as individuals and more as stories, and are given a bit more personality thanks to the environment you fight them in.
Million Gunman, for example, has a really short introduction, but fighting in a vault helps create the kind of character he is; a crazy, rich killer.
And even then, for every character without a dramatic introduction there's another with great personality. I think the balance is pretty good.
Giolon
Member
Philistine says you're wrong.Mafro said:
Giolon
Member
Korigama said:
If you wanted me to pick a standout track from the first game that stood out, other than the main theme or Pleather for Breakfast, I really couldn't. Both games do a good job of using to set the mood, but have few gems.
Giolon said:
Steel Python (pretty much what helped the debut trailer for NMH1 stand out as well)? Season of the Samurai? Samurai Summer? Rocket Surgeon? We Are Finally Cowboys? Though not made for the game, I even enjoyed Heavenly Star.
That said, I intend to give another listen to NMH2's OST before making a final decision on it, even if I felt that Masafumi Takada's work was better overall.
To be fair, Nathan Is Our Boss is one other I did like from NMH2.
I've put in about three hours today. I'm liking it so far.
The open-ish world of the first game was hardly an asset, but the menu-based navigation does lack personality.
The ranked missions have been fairly quick and easy. I honestly can't remember if the early stages of the first game were this slight, but at least the fights have been entertaining.
The open-ish world of the first game was hardly an asset, but the menu-based navigation does lack personality.
The ranked missions have been fairly quick and easy. I honestly can't remember if the early stages of the first game were this slight, but at least the fights have been entertaining.
VistraNorrez said:
Since you're always sent to the hotel room after a ranked match, that's when I did all that messing around in the hotel room. Once I got out of the room, I always did the training in the gym, got some money from the mini games, bought some clothes or a new sword when available, then went straight to next battle. I never saw any point in going back to the hotel room in between 8-bit jobs and shopping around. The game never let me know I was missing something by playing it like that. That was a really messed up design.
The game was really fun while I was playing it, I can totally admit that. But it just never reached the highs of the first NMH.
And as far as the combat goes, the nerfed sidestep (dark step? I'm not sure of the name) was a bigger deal to me than most improvements NMH2 brought to the combat. I really loved that move in the first NMH, even if it indeed was a bit overpowered.
ElAlcesDiablo
Member
What happened with censorship - there was some talk of two versions in Europe. What did we get in the end?
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
ElAlcesDiablo said:
Only one version ended up being released, and its uncensored.
ElAlcesDiablo
Member
Ah, cool. Thanks.EatChildren said:
darkpaladinmfc
Member
It's still in.Wiseblade said:
I AM JOHN!
Banned
I just finished it. I'm probably going to write something a little more long form in the next couple days, but I'm pretty disappointed with the game. Admittedly part of the problem is that, like any sequel, it's a known quantity so that sense of maniacal wonder is difficult, but it feels so also-ran in numerous ways and lacking a lot of the depth that I saw in the first game. When the first game ended, I was amazed to see where they'd go next. Though I did enjoy the after-the-credits scene (which I totally saw coming, but whatever), the ending just left me mostly cold.
It's kind of surprising that No More Heroes 2 is one of the most improved sequels of all time solely on a mechanical basis, but lost a lot of the flavor that got me to fall in love with the first game.
It's kind of surprising that No More Heroes 2 is one of the most improved sequels of all time solely on a mechanical basis, but lost a lot of the flavor that got me to fall in love with the first game.