Xbox

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors

In some ways Otogi 2 is a little too much like the original, with certain missions bound to cause cases of deja vu. There were also flaws in the first that still remain, such as the inability to block attacks, and the lack of information on how to unlock the game's many special items, even after you receive them. The difficulty eventually tapers off as your characters gain levels and better items, especially in the second play, which could have been alleviated by the inclusion of multiple difficulty levels. All these are minor issues, but together they hold Otogi 2 back from becoming a perfect gaming experience. When a sequel exists as a perfect compliment to the original, it's easy to decide if it's worth your time. If you liked the first, then Otogi 2 is already deserving of your gaming affection. If you never tried the original Otogi, now is the time to take Raikoh's first adventure for a spin, and see if you want to continue his journey.

When a sequel exists as a perfect compliment to the original, it's easy to decide if it's worth your time. If you liked the first, then Otogi 2 is already deserving of your gaming affection. If you never tried the original Otogi, now is the time to take Raikoh's first adventure for a spin, and see if you want to continue his journey.

With great graphics, fun gameplay, and well done music and sound effects, Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors is one of the better games I have played recently. If you like fighting and action games that have a lot of Japanese influences and traditional Japanese music and mythology you should enjoy Otogi 2 a lot. If you don't like these things then I still recommend checking out Otogi 2, since it is still a great game that has a lot of good things going for it and only a couple of things that needed a little more work.

As the videogames continue to rival the motion picture industry in the scale of their production and the investment it takes to get a AAA title to market, there really aren’t many diamonds in the rough to be found from year to year. We may see two to three games each year that see very little publicity, yet manage to wow us nonetheless. In 2003 one title that would definitely fall into this category would be the action title, Otogi: Myth of Demons. Developed by From Software and brought to the States by Sega, Otogi arrived in stores with very little fanfare, but knocked most gamers off their rockers with its beautiful visuals and all out action-oriented gameplay. Since then, the game has become somewhat of a cult classic with many folks praying that Sega would bring the sequel to North America despite the original game’s tepid sales. Thankfully, Sega of America has obliged the Otogi lovers out there and the result is the captivating Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors.

Since the day I signed my life away to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I have had many opportunities to enjoy the expansion of the action adventure genre. Since those days, games like Castlevania: Lament of Innocence and Devil May Cry have received so much hype that many new titles come and go, never being given their due respect! For instance, last year Otogi: Myth of Demons was released. Though its debut had been small, its surreal and fantastic setting had distinguished it from other such hack ‘n slash titles. Regrettably, as great as the game had been, very few people followed through upon its release. I myself missed the mark and let the game slide by for nearly half a year before finally going back to it. Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors offers close to twenty hours of gameplay that should not be set aside. Its air combat is superb and character designs (Yeah, all six of them!) are immaculate.

The original Otogi was an unexpected mini-marvel. Developed by FromSoftware, the game featured incredible visuals and non-stop button-mashing action. A mild success in North America last year, Otogi's addictive gameplay and dedication to throwing as many particles on screen as possible earned it a dedicated fan base eager for a sequel. Fans, your prayers have been answered with Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors.

Last year's Otogi: Myth of Demons distinguished itself from other Xbox action games on account of its beautifully surreal setting of a medieval Japan overcome by demonic infestation, as well as for the immense measures of destruction possible within that setting. That the game looked and sounded fantastic didn't hurt, either. Developer From Software has since delivered a follow-up to Otogi, which has finally made it to these shores courtesy of Sega. Fortunately, the game is a worthy successor to the original, and it delivers a similar experience but with a number of interesting, new playable characters, new challenges, and new levels. It's enough to make Otogi 2 easily recommendable to fans of the original, as just like its predecessor, this is a great action game in its own right.

Rares sont les beat'em all empreints de poésie, mais dans le genre, Otogi 2 pourrait facilement obtenir le prix du meilleur. Soutenu par une majesté graphique d'un grand art et par son action effrénée, le titre de From Software nous offre un très beau voyage en orient teinté de folklore asiatique. Dommage que les quelques faiblesses de gameplay et les soucis de visibilité entachent un peu cette toile de maître.

Commonplace mission objectives and a confusing premise only bring about greater disinterest. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game to play, but the monotony of it will drive you batty.

No one can argue the deep visual and aural allure of this title. But personally, I found myself frequently resisting the urge to throw down my controller in frustration. This wasn't my cup of tea, but I can't help but admire its dramatic artistic sheen.

It's hard to imagine that the first Otogi did particularly well here or in Japan, yet From Software has made a sequel. Otogi 2 is a solid game that offers a little more variety than the first with equally amazing graphics, but doesn't do much to improve upon the first game or address its problems.

Otogi 2 turns From Software's usual tendencies a couple of notches clockwise. It's a little like an engine in search of a game. In that regard, it's in some ways the opposite of From games like King's Field, which might be able to flash the better aspects of their artistic and design ambitions if they weren't powered by completely backward technology. Otogi 2, on the other hand, has seemingly limitless technical resources at hand, but it needs to put some more effort into doing something interesting with them.

After playing Otogi we questioned our sanity. We considered it a poor man's Shinobi with a bunch of Crouching Tiger cloud-hopping stuff thrown in; most other gaming pubs heralded it as the best thing since edible underwear.

With the right amount of variety and a glass of milk to wash it all down, even a sugar-holic can keep things tasty long after the sweet feast has turned unhealthy. Unfortunately, Otogi 2 is the video game equivalent of a bag of M&M's: candy coating on the outside, mindless hack'n slash on the inside, and not a lot in between. That was fine the first time, but we expect a little more nutrition out of our sequels.

One of my big complaints about the first Otogi was how it never prompted you to save your game. Believe it or not, Otogi 2 doesn't either. Instead, it "reminds" you that you need to go to the options menu if you want to save. Would an autosave capability be asking too much? I mean, I know it's only 2005, but throw me a bone here! Otogi 2 is certainly a good-looking game, and that might be enough for some people. But it wasn't enough for me. Sorry.