PlayStation

Bushido Blade 2

This game is a definite winner and will make your blood pressure soar in excitement if you're a gamer who enjoys fighting. The realistic fighting, great graphics and entertaining story line deliver value for its price. This title would make a great Christmas gift for just about anyone.

Bushido Blade 2 verschilt op het eerste gezicht niet zo verschrikkelijk veel van zijn voorganger. Maar bij nadere inspectie blijkt het spel toch met sprongen vooruit te zijn gegaan. Er zijn veel meer moves, characters en battle grounds en het is daardoor gewoonweg een veel beter spel. Een aanrader voor alle serieuze salontafel samourai's.

If you follow the path of Bushido, you're compelled to master Bushido Blade 2. If you're a rookie warrior, you'll have to learn patience and be prepared to die more than once before learning this game'' secrets.

When I first popped in Bushido Blade 2, I was surprisingly disappointed with the game. The controls seemed totally foreign, and it really seemed like they made a few small improvements to the original and shoved it out the door. But once you give it a few hours, you too will come around and realize that the things missing from this version were taken out to better the overall gameplay. The additional characters and stances really make Bushido Blade 2 a winner. It's taken quite some time to come out in the US, but the game still holds up after seven months as a Japan-only title.

I was slightly disappointed with Bushido Blade 2. My expectations were high following the original game but the sequel just didn't seem that much fun to play. I found the early fighters a little short on AI, especially when the fighting arenas were a multi-level design. All you had to do was jump off a ledge, turn around, climb back and then lunge into your opponent every time they attempted to climb back onto your level. The boss characters offered a sterner challenge but once again, when you realised that they could only be killed from a rear attack it was simply a matter of timing and endless chasing in circles. Overall, it's certainly worth checking out but I personally prefer Tenchu Stealth Assassins.

It's not the worst fighting game by any means, but I was expecting a lot more. Fans of the original will no doubt want to stick with what they've got. If you found Bushido Blade too difficult for your tastes, however, this might be right up your alley.