Visceral, mental and brilliant. Three words that sum up No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle perfectly. It’s not a game that gently eases itself onto your Wii, it bursts onto the screen with a huge bang and never lets go. At least not until you’ve risen through the ranks of assassination and clinched the top spot.
Much like the original No More Heroes, you play Travis Touchdown, an assassin working his way up the ranks in order to be the best killer around. It’s a plot line that would make the Daily Mail recoil in horror but it makes for some terrific and insane fun. Travis starts out at a lowly number 51 in the rankings suggesting that there are a lot of assassins to kill along the way. This isn’t quite the case as due to various events that will soon unfold; there are only really 15 bosses to compete against. It’s no bad thing though as it ensures that No More Heroes 2 never runs the risk of outstaying its welcome.
Levels are frequently short but sweet with no sign of the open world feel of the original. This time round exploration is conducted through a menu system making it easier to leap straight into action. Each level typically consists of a few rooms full of grunt type foes, followed by a more fleshed out boss battle. Action is certainly the name of the game with plenty of violence to be had. Anyone who’s foolish enough to still think that the Wii is a child’s console will be very surprised by the game’s appropriately mature content. It’s not just the combat that’s mature either with a fine peppering of expletives and sexualised content. Surprisingly then it never feels overly gratuitous. The sexual innuendo is frequently entertaining thanks to the game’s quirky sense of humour. There are some great examples of Japanese pop culture parodies which really make No More Heroes 2 feel much more intelligent than initial expectations would suggest. It’s got the mature vibe of something like Bayonetta which was tremendously wacky and over the top but terrific fun.
Combat is simple to get to grips with. Unlike the first game, players can opt to use the classic controller but I found it much more satisfying to use the wiimote and nunchuk combination. There’s a fair amount of button mashing involved but the true satisfaction lies with using the wiimote to slash enemies up with the beam katana. Yes a beam katana, a lightsabre by another name basically, and oh so much fun to use. Even better, eventually you can use dual katanas. Perfect!
The key throughout No More Heroes 2 is to play offensively. Guarding too often against foes drains the beam katana’s battery, invoking the need to shake the wiimote furiously to recharge it. Not a great idea when in the midst of a boss battle. While frantic at first, the format works beautifully making each level feel like bite sized organised chaos. Things can become even more chaotic with the ecstasy gauge. This gauge comprises of a sleeping tiger in the corner which gradually gets livelier depending on the amount of hits the player’s dealt. Once the tiger goes red, it all goes a touch mental with the action much faster and all the more fun. It’s refreshing to see that the enemy AI throughout is pretty bright. Frequently I found myself having to adapt my tactics against foes that learnt from my previous moves.
Besides controlling Travis Touchdown, there are also opportunities to play Shinobu (not quite Shinobi but nearly), a high school female assassin as well as Travis’ brother Henry. It’s a shame that you can’t spend more time with these two characters but the brief offerings are great fun and a welcome change of style.
While combat provides the focus to No More Heroes 2, there is a little more to proceedings, namely the side jobs available. These are typically retro in nature and distinctly reminiscent of 8-bit NES games of old. They range from the likes of a gym game that helps boost stats to a Tamagotchi-esque cat care game. All of them provide suitable distractions from the main part of the game and are quite compelling. A few of them in particular do a fantastic job of adding to the quirky feel of the game. Lifting the cat up in the air to help it is particularly bizarre yet worryingly compelling. Or maybe that was just me.
No More Heroes 2 is wonderfully unique. From the buzzing J-pop soundtrack to the insanely, fast paced combat everything feels frantically entertaining. It’s a game that’s clearly intelligent in its attitude but does it in a much more subtle manner than you’d expect from the average game. Best of all it feels like a refreshing breath of air compared to pretty much anything else I’ve played in recent months. It’s twisted beyond comprehension at times. The gaming equivalent of Kill Bill that throws fun in your face and demands you enjoy it. Twisted and tremendous.
VideogameUK verdict: 9/10
