GamesRelay

Name: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Like a futuristic television show, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle puts the idea of a world where assassination and brutal beatings make for great entertainment, and putting this entertainment on TV is pretty much the norm. You are Travis Touchdown, the reigning champion of the show, who wields a beam katana which he purchased over the internet. Three years ago, during the events of the first game, Travis managed to reach the top of the Assassin Association's leaderboard, his notoriety has made him somewhat of a legend throughout the underworld and now he's back, but this time he's back for revenge, revenge against the villain that murdered his best friend, only the killer he is after, happens to hold the current top spot on the murderous leaderboard.

Unlike the original game, No More Heroes 2 has been slimmed down, removing some of the unnecessary baggage which came with its predecessor. Gone is the Grand Theft Auto sandbox style gameplay, this time around you can go wherever you please at the touch of a button, making things much simpler and keeping you in the action. Ranked matches have also had their entrance fees removed so you can jump straight in without having to worry about currency, however, currency is still an important asset to have, and thankfully it has become a much more enjoyable experience while acquiring it. Collecting cash involves playing various 2D mini-games such as delivering pizzas and collecting trash in space, they're simple, and they're fun, providing a nice break from the constant onslaught of katana-chopping action you'll be thrown into.

If you played the first game then you'll remember the side jobs which you had to complete if you wanted to keep upgrading your equipment, these are still there and are pretty much a necessity if you want to reach the top spot unscathed. If these mini-games aren't your cup of tea however, and you prefer the sword swinging action, then you can take off and hunt down those responsible for your best friend's death. These are a little disappointing however since they just boil down to being timed deathmatches and each has the same thugs, fighting in the same way, and acting no different than the majority of the other thugs you'll come across throughout the game.

No More Heroes 2's main staple is its over-the-top combat, where you'll have to weaken your opponent in battle before slicing them in two, or performing one of 13 different finishing moves, bringing down a rain of blood and notes as they fall. If you've played other sword fighting games on the Wii then you'll probably be thinking you'll have to swing your arm around like a crazed lunatic in the hope of slicing and dicing your opponent, this isn't the case, your attacks are done via the A button, making you look less like an idiot stood in front of the TV playing with your Wii. One addition which is new to the game is the ability to use a Classic Controller instead of the Wii Remote, making the game devoid of any motion controls, a most welcome option if you're not one for flailing about.

Each finishing execution you perform on one of many unfortunate enemies causes a roulette wheel to spin on screen; this wheel is used to activate one of Travis's dark side powers, that is, if the three slots line up. These powers are a comical addition to the action and Travis will shout out some fairly random names for his powers such as "Cranberry chocolate sundae". These come in all shapes and sizes, such as Travis transforming into a tiger, or just simply slowing down time around him to make dispatching anyone unlucky enough to be caught in it easier. If your roulette wheel doesn't line up then there's no need to be disappointed since new to No More Heroes 2 is a hyperspeed mode which is available once your ecstasy gauge is filled, allowing you to, as the name suggests, go into overdrive and kick some bad guy ass.

Throughout your mission to find and take down the evil friend murdering villain you'll take on rival assassins in what is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game. As you head to each rival and slay armies of thugs all hell bent on your death you'll earn the right to face the rival assassin in a duel. The rival assassins are a mixed bunch and appear in a variety of fashions, like the hip-hop dancing cult leader, quite a combination if ever there was one. Each has their own locale as well which serves as the arena to which you'll fight them in, these range from haunted houses, to sun sets, and give each battle a more individual and unique perspective from which to do your business. This, however, is where one of No More Heroes 2's most disappointing aspects appears, that is, that the assassins themselves, while varied, lack any sort of backstory or personality to which you can attribute to them, bar the odd few. Fleshing out these characters would have given some insight into each and made the battles seem much more worthwhile, but don't let that put you off because they're excellent fun.

The Wii is an ageing machine this year, and it shows when you compare it to the current HD consoles out in the market, but, if done right, a Wii game can be as equally impressive, such is the case with No More Heroes 2 and its cel-shaded graphical look. The none-stop action and battles go without hitch and even when you think it's starting to look like more than the Wii can handle the game runs smoothly without any noticeable drop in frame-rate. The only real complaint is the camera, it moves where and when you least expect it too which can become quite distracting, especially when you're in the heat of battle. Though you have the ability to lock on to any enemies in your vicinity which also moves the camera towards them, so it isn't a huge issue when you do, it's just mildly distracting at certain points.

Minus a few negative points, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a very enjoyable game. It has taken what did work from its predecessor and left behind the bits that didn't, giving the game a much more streamlined approach. The game should last roughly around 12 hours, give or take, unless you fancy finding the hidden collectibles scattered throughout, or unlocking various items you might have missed first time through. If you played the first game and enjoyed it then you'll love the sequel, but even if you didn't, No More Heroes 2 is a katana handling violent fight fest which shows that not all Nintendo Wii games are for kids.