Having seen
dynasties clash over and over again on the virtual battlefield and legendary
samurai warriors cross katanas in the fields of Japan once again, these battles
still manage to catch the attention of fans of both the Dynasty Warriors
and Samurai Warriors fans. So when Warriors Orochi brought these
two powerful forces together for the first time to pit Chinese warriors against
known Japanese samurais, you know you were in for an interesting clash of
swords. Warriors Orochi 2 for the PSP brings more of the same with some
additions that should draw in more fans.
The art
of a new war
Like the
first Warriors Orochi game, this second chapter brings back all the
familiar Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors cast together
again, as well as bringing new characters to the frontlines like San Zang and
Benkei. The Story mode takes place after the death of Orochi but the land, it
seems, has not seen many peaceful days. With Orochi’s army still not willing to
give up the cause and the forces of Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo as well as Masamone Date
still angry with each another, it is the Cao Cao of Wei’s act of raising an army
again that sparks a new confrontation.
Story mode
allows you to pick the dynasty whether you like to play as a warrior for the Shu,
Wei or even the Orochi side just to name a few of the available dynasties. Each
dynasty has its own unique story and, of course, set of characters. Playing as
Liu Bei of Shu Kingdom, for example, and you’ll follow Liu Bei and his trio on
their quest to stop Orochi’s subordinates from reaching a crucial area that
would give the enemy the advantage. You can even play as a key player we all
thought was dead.
In Story
mode, you’re able to pick up to three characters you would like on the
battlefield at once and you can always unlock more as you play each dynasty’s
story. You can always switch between each character by using the D-pad and
change their weapons in the options menu before tackling each mission.
Aside from
the game’s Story mode, there’s Free mode that offers you the freedom to play as
any dynasty using the available warriors that you unlocked during Story mode.
You can also use already upgraded characters from the first Warriors Orochi
game via your memory stick. With 96 playable characters the certainly is no
shortage of warriors you can use in your trio. Free mode also allows you to
tackle favorite battle scenarios with any of your favorite characters.
The new
dream team
Then there’s
Dream mode, a game mode that offers a dozen or so interesting battle scenarios
that have you doing everything from aiding a friend locked in battle with two
rivals or causing a distraction in a certain place on the map to aid your
comrades in breaching an enemy stronghold. The catch here is that you will be
completing the scenarios using characters you would normally not find on the
same side together. The strange alliance makes for an interesting combination
but it would have been cool if you had control over the character selection to
make your own dream team.
VS and
Survival mode are back and it’s still a blast inviting a friend to team up with
you in VS against the CPU or against each another. There are four multiplayer
game match types such as Elimination, Tower, Steeplechase and Tag Team. You can
even play co-op with a friend in Story mode, which is a big plus seeing as the
game is still rather difficult. Survival is like a typical fighting game mode
where you try to survive a sea of enemies that just keep coming at you.
The more
things change …
The problem
with Warriors Orochi 2 is that nothing has really changed in terms of the
core gameplay. While this is good news for PSP fans looking for a great port
seeing as the controls work wonderfully on the PSP, it is very disappointing if
you are looking for something different. The series hasn’t really evolved much
at all and it’s a shame seeing as KOEI does bring new things to the series.
Still, the hack-and-slash action is smooth and still fun.
On the
visual front, the game looks great on the PSP widescreen and is able to display
a lot of foes on screen at once. There’s still some annoying pop-up and limbs
mysteriously disappear from your characters but the environments and the
character models still look great. The Musou Attacks and the Team Attacks look
great on screen.
Another
aspect of the game that needs to change is the soundtrack. Occasionally the game
offers a beautiful Asian feel to the music but in the end, reverts back to the
super cheesy guitar rock. KOEI, we would love less rocking guitars and a
soundtrack with a more Japanese and Chinese feel to it instead. There’s voice
acting and it’s not great but then again it no longer sounds like they pulled
the actors off the street like in past games in the series.
Warriors
Orochi 2 is a
port worthy of the series and if you’re itching for more hack-and-slash action
on your PSP then you will want to pick this one up. On the other hand, those
looking for a different and better experience will not find what they’re looking
for in this sequel. That said, then, longtime fans of the series should buy this
one if you missed it the first time around.
Gameplay: 7.0
Story Mode offers
different stories for each dynasty and there are definitely more than enough
characters to use on the battlefield each with his or her own different unique
weapon and fighting style. Dream mode offers more interesting scenarios but, in
the end, the action remains relatively the same from the first game or any other
Dynasty Warriors or Samurai Warriors game.
Graphics: 7.5
Visually, the
game looks great on the PSP despite a few graphical glitches that pop up
throughout the game. It’s still impressive to see so many opponents on the PSP
widescreen and the visual effects that light up the screen.
Sound:
6.5
The cheesy guitar
riffs are back and the voice acting – while somewhat improved – is just as
cheesy as the music. You can always turn the volume all the way down, though.
Trust me, you won’t miss very much.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Like past games
in the series, you will go up against hordes that can easily surround you and
knock you around until you die. Then there are the many Lieutenants, Captains
and recognizable bosses that are a lot harder to bring down than the normal foot
soldiers.
Concept: 7.0
The PSP version
brings more to the table including a story for Orochi himself in the game’s
Story mode. You’re free to upload saves from the first Warriors Orochi
PSP game as well and upgrade your characters further. There’s co-op for Story
and Versus can both pit you against a friend or have them join you against the
CPU.
Multiplayer: 7.5
A friend can lend
a hand on the battlefield via Ad Hoc and the good news is that the game runs
smoothly with a second player. You can even go up against a friend in battle
thanks to VS mode that offers four different head-to-head game match types. This
is certainly a game you will want to share with a fellow Warriors Orochi
fan.
Overall: 7.0
While Warriors
Orochi 2 faithfully captures the feel of the console version, the new
additions make this a far more refreshing version fit for the PSP. On top of the
new content, the controls feel right at home on Sony’s handheld but if you’re
still expecting something new then KOEI’s hack-and-slash action will certainly
disappoint.
