If you haven’t been paying close
attention you may have missed it. And really, it’s not your fault. No doubt your Wii collection is primarily made up of offshoot “games” like Wii Fit or first-party Nintendo titles such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Fun, sure, but they’re
definitely lacking a certain sizzle that is so readily found on every other
platform. Fortunately, Ubisoft’s newest entry, No More Heroes 2: Desperate
Struggle, is a game for when the girlfriend is gone or the kids are in bed and
you need to unleash some wicked swordplay in gratuitous fashion.
For those unfamiliar with the
original title, Desperate Struggle centers on Travis Touchdown, a beam katana-wielding assassin full of quips and pent-up testosterone. The game centers on
moving up the assassin rankings to the number one overall to reclaim your
rightful place at the top. This time Travis is looking for revenge as well as
the recognition; especially since he’s been the target of vengeance by many
others.
Obviously, as a Wii game, it’s not
going to have the same graphical power behind it other console games. That said,
Desperate Struggle looks fantastic. Developer Grasshopper Manufacture cranked
the art and style up to 11, continuing to give the series a unique look in a
world otherwise dominated by realistic graphical one-upmanship. Instead of
fighting that losing battle, Desperate Struggle is reminiscent in style to Sin
City with the characters and atmosphere to boot.
Concerning gameplay, let me offer
one brief piece of advice if you are taking your first step into the series with
Desperate Struggle like I did. Take five minutes to read the manual on how the
control scheme works. I understand the “I’ll figure it out as I go” mentality,
as that was my thought, too. But before long I was swinging around the controller
in a fashion harkening back to when people played Wii Sports Tennis for the
first time. Suffice it to say, the controls are not complicated and are
intuitive, provided you have the time to learn them.
Combat is enjoyable and varied in
boss battles, but can get a little repetitive in stages when clearing room after
room of baddies. It’s never unbearable, though, it can get a bit monotonous when
you’re forced to wait for the next wave of grunts to die with minimal effort or
danger to self. The automated camera works well enough and allows for quick
repositioning and target locks. In a third-person action titles such as this,
camerawork can often be a frustrating downfall for otherwise solid games but I
have yet to stumble across any significant problems.
From time to time I ran around
unable to see my next direction, but it never affected anything significantly.
And as one of my pet peeves are gimmicky controls thrown in haphazardly, I am
happy to say the motion controls are integrated well in both the main combat and
mini-games – they don’t feel superfluous and/or unneeded.
Voice-acting and dialogue are some
of the best parts in the entire game. They follow the motif of the rest of the
game in that you never know what is going to happen or come next, and even when
prepared for that, it doesn’t disappoint. From innuendo-laced conversations that
wouldn’t fool a third-grader to a propensity to break down the fourth
wall and speak to the viewer, cut scenes are something you’ll never want to
skip, although you do have the option if you are fun-impaired. The only
exception to this is in combat when you’ll hear many of the same taunts thrown
your way ad nauseum. But this is a minor concern when surrounded by the rest of
the excellent voice over work.
For those that can get tired of
doing the same sword swinging without a break there are plenty of things to keep
you busy and earning extra cash for your wardrobe and other enhancements both
practical and novel. When back at Travis’ apartment, you have access to a fat
feline that could use a workout to stay trim and healthy. Or any number of side
activities to keep you busy such as laying pipe … for sewage and waste
management, of course. The city map lists worthwhile destinations that are a
click and load screen away, doing away with the free roaming of the original to
bring you immediately to the points of interest.
For whatever reasons, I had my
doubts. Yet, in no more than 15 minutes, my attitude did a complete 180 and I
found myself completely hooked. Desperate Struggle is a fantastic experience for
the adult crowd that is both chaotic and extremely likable. While in no way a
game for younger gamers it provides a stylized visual experience, laugh out loud
dialogue, fun boss battles, and varied mini-games and goals to mix things up.
Few games, if any, can claim to have as much personality as this and it shows
from the beginning.
Gameplay: 9.0
While often simple and relatively
straight forward, the combat is still fun and enjoyable. Mix in loads of
mini-games and things are broken up enough to keep it fresh.
Graphics: 9.0
It’s hard to imagine a better visual
experience on the Wii. Creative maneuvering around the systems limitations made
way for a wonderful artistic style.
Sound: 8.5
Repeated taunts and effects are the
only hiccup in otherwise hilariously written and voice-acted dialogue.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.5
I am hard pressed to think of a game
that has more creativity and personal style.
Overall: 9.0
Desperate Struggle is so
unpredictable it’s like the punch line to a parody of Japanese pop culture.
Frantic and all over the map, it somehow makes it all work and gives Wii owners
an amazing game for an older audience – a rare treat to find on Nintendo’s
console.
