Last Blade 2 |
Dreamcast |
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Review by Matt Paprocki |
SNK |
Fighting |
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Graphics: 9 |
Sound: 9 |
Gameplay: 9.5 |
Overall: 9.5 |
![]() Set in the late 1800s, Japan is a nasty place. Sixteen characters, each representing a different form of fighting, battle it out in sword swinging death matches. The fighters are at times generic (i.e. the typical big, slow guy with a large weapon, speedy woman fighter with short range, etc.), but each has a distinct personality. Once the battle has begun, players are forced to use every tactic available to battle their foes. The stunningly deep gameplay may not be noticeable to first time players, but with some experience, the depth becomes its greatest asset. Countering moves is not simply luck in this game; it's a learned skill. Every move can be countered with precise timing and a quick press of the Y button. Successfully performing a counter will leave your opponent stunned, waiting to be slashed. Dodging and charging are also necessary skills that need to be mastered in order to beat this one. The 4 button controls handle all of this flawlessly with uncanny precision, a must for this game.
The games stunning animation may be slightly out of date as games like Mark of the Wolves have surpassed it, but it's still no slouch. Characters still animate fluidly and a majority of the time look better than most anime'. The characters also appear slightly blocky due to the low-resolution, but most will easily overlook these minor flaws. Larger characters are handled without slowdown and the speed of the game is set perfectly. Backgrounds are all meticulously detailed with plenty of small detail to admire. Some backgrounds hardly feature any animation at all except for some grass blowing in the breeze, creating a strange stillness and providing atmosphere. Extras include an art gallery with some great pre-production artwork and a cinema gallery with plenty to unlock. Take note that this game suffers from Super NES Mortal Kombat syndrome.....all the blood is white.
Any self-proclaimed fighting fanatic owes it to themselves to find a copy of this one. Hours can (and will) be spent simply figuring out all of the different game mechanics. Some may not have the patience for all of this and will write it off as yet another Geo fighter. They don't know what they're missing. It may have taken them 10 years, but they finally did it. Capcom, stick your tired Street Fighter franchise in a closet. It doesn't belong in a world with fighting games like this. |