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More isn't always better

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 26 / 26
Date: November 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Last year, Sega was gracious enough to publish Otogi: Myth of Demons in the U.S., allowing gamers to experience the mesmerizing destruction and mystical Japanese setting of From Software's nightmarish slasher. Well, send Sega a thank-you card once again, because they're repeating this year, with Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors.

At its core, O2 feels almost exactly like the original: you carve your way through gorgeously rendered levels, trashing swarms of bizarrely beautiful evil demons and reducing the environment and buildings to rubble, while mournful Japanese dirges swirl in the background. Raikoh, the resurrected silent warrior, returns for second round of purifying the land from the demon scourge, only this time, he's got some help.

The main difference in Immortal Warriors is the six playable characters. Four "generals" are called upon to, er, sacrifice themselves (in grotesque fashion during the game's opening cinema) in order to raise Raikoh from the dead once again to repel the invading forces of the evil Nine-Tailed Fox. In addition, the sorceress who summons the generals is also a playable character.

These extra characters are a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's refreshing to send a new character into battle, and they play just differently enough to keep the experience feeling new (a good thing, because at its core, Otogi is a simple hack-&-slash affair). Kintoki is a bulky, slower warrior who wields a huge axe, while Sadamitsu is a small and speedy robe-wearing female armed with a lightning-quick scythe. Seimei, the enigmatic sorceress, fights with twin bladed fans, and can grab and throw enemies. The best of the lot, however, has to be Suetake, a living tree stump who's "armed" with a wagon wheel. Yep, you read correctly. Before you laugh yourself to death, he's probably one of the most useful characters in the game - you'll see what I mean once you give Ol' Wooden Head a chance.

However, you cannot choose any character at any time during the main quest. Many of the 25+ levels are restricted to certain characters during the first playthrough (several are restricted to one character only), and this has several unfortunate effects on the gameplay. Even though you have six characters to play, you're unable to stick with a favorite, because if you neglect powering up Tsuna the Wolf Guy, when you reach a level where you have to play as him, you're going to have a hard time progressing.

This basically means you have to play and level up all the characters equally, and while they are similar, you're undoubtedly going to have your favorites. Being forced to play a character you don't particularly like can distance the player from the experience. Add to that the fact that some levels are obviously designed for one character in particular (which makes it more difficult if you want to play with a different one), and it can be more frustrating than it needs to be. However, once you manage to clear a level, you can then replay it as any character you like, which makes uncovering the many secrets easier....just be prepared to play most levels more than once, even if you're a skilled gamer.

For the most part, however, Otogi 2 feels like a natural extension of the original; a true sequel. The storyline picks up directly after the events of the first game. The love-it-or-hate-it floaty combat feels tighter and heavier, and huge stylish combos are only a few buttons presses away. You'll still harvest the souls of fallen enemies to buy new items, as well as to keep your ever-dwindling magic supply (if you run out of magic during a level, you start losing health - think of the magic as your power supply). And there's still nothing like blasting a creepy monster through a stone wall and making a huge crater in the ground. The combat is cathartic to say the least.

One welcome addition is the Forest of Havoc, a collection of mini-challenges that break up the constant pummel-fest of the main mode. Unlocked as you progress through the story mode, these challenges are quite different. One requires you to use enemies to sink ships. Another has you passing through arches without touching the ground. Overcoming each challenge gains you new items, and the final challenge will bring a smile to those who played the first Otogi.....

Otogi 2 keeps the same design and music styles as before. Some enemies are recycled from the first game (and the enemy design overall doesn't seem quite as inspired in Otogi 2), and the music, while a great complement to the mood, doesn't quite top the deeply haunting Japanese instrumentals of the original.

And again, as before, you'll struggle with the camera and lock-on, battle tough bosses, lose track of your character amidst all the onscreen chaos, and suffer slowdown. But these problems can be overlooked due to the beautiful levels and unique atmosphere that Otogi 2 presents.

Last year's Otogi: Myth of Demons was an incredible experience, and Otogi 2 retains much of the details that make the series stand out from the norm. Fans of the first will definitely want to play the second to see what happens to Raikoh and his crew. Just be prepared for a sequel that doesn't quite reach the immersive genius of the original, but still delivers the goods in dreamlike, memorable fashion.

Return to Mayhem

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: September 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The original Otogi: Myth of Demons floored video game reviwers when it was released on Xbox last year. Its spectacular graphics, great gameplay, RPG elements and great storyline impressed all who played the game which amounted to about 15 people as the game sold poorly. A release stateside for Otogi 2 was uncertain as the game has been available in Japan for nearly a year. However, the powers that be at Microsoft have decided to greenlight the project in the hopes that Otogi's good word of mouth will help make the second game a success.

Otogi 2 amazing graphics similar to the first game and even improves upon them. The story is a continuation of undead warrior Raikoh's journey which ended in Otogi 1. In Otogi 2, five warriors give their lives to bring Raikoh's spirit back so that he may do battle with the demons again and this time seal them away forever. The game offers you the choice to play any of the six characters, each with their own set of abilities. The game promises approximately 30 levels in which you can slash, jump and beat every possible monster in Japan's mythical pantheon (not to mention every temple, rock and village). The second game features a different game engine which really gives you better control of the character (which isn't saying much as controil in the first game was near flawless).
I would recommend this game for anyone. The game has numerous puzzles and tough battles. Levels arents terribly huge though so the game can be enjoyed by those who like to casually knock out a level or by those who commit some serious hours to gaming. The eye candy alone is worth giving the game a couple of hours of play.

Limbless torsos fused with stumps are awesome.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: October 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The first Otogi was great. It had huge environments that could be destroyed, which was also a lot of the fun in playing the game. The story wasn't that impressive, and the hero of the game was pretty generic, but it was still a damn good game. Of course, it wasn't perfect. There were a lot of camera problems, targeting issues, and it was relatively short. My main gripe was probably the targeting- there were a ton of times when I knew I was within range of an enemy, and my attack still missed. It got old. With Otogi 2, a lot of the old problems have been fixed, but there are still some minor camera problems. But that's ok, as this is the most fun I've had playing a game in recent memory. In fact, I've went through it 5 times so far, and it still remains fresh. Granted, it's basically more of the same, not giving us a lot in the new features department, but it's much better this time around. And if you got anything out of the first game, you'll absolutely love Otogi 2.

If you didn't play the first game, it doesn't really matter if you play this one first. There's hardly a connection between the games aside from the main character, Raikoh. In the first game, he was summoned from the grave to clean the world of evil spirits and demons, and get rid of a very powerful sorcerer. This time, he's brought back again by a female summoner, Seimei, and 4 other warriors. Things are crazy in the world again, and it's up to them to make things right once more. You'll go through almost 30 levels, destroying everything in sight. You have three main attacks: light, heavy, and magic. The first two of course, are physical attacks using your character's weapon. Magic is handy, but it drains your magic meter, which is also your time limit. Once the meter's gone, your health begins to deplete, and then it's lights out for you. So you don't want to spend a lot of time screwing around the first time you play a level. You have a standard jump and a double jump, and a very useful teleport dash activated by the right trigger. Finally, the left trigger targets enemies. There's not much to the gameplay aside from smashing enemies and destroying the levels, but it's so fun that you never worry about it.

The best part about the game has to be the 6 playable characters. Raikoh is the most balanced, being the hero and all, but not nearly as fun as the others. First up, there's Kintoki: the strongman of the group. His light attack is a heavy attack. The Y button instead acts as a grab, and Kintoki can throw enemies into objects and other demons. Very handy. This more than makes up for his lack of a double jump and low magic. He sports a huge axe. Tsuna is a half-human, half-dog, and my second favorite character. He attacks with a double bladed sword and a blade strapped to his left arm. He's pretty quick, can create shock waves with his attacks that cause even more damage, and hits well over 5 times with each attack. If you're surrounded by enemies, one tap of the Y button will almost always take care of the situation. It's sick how much this guy can hit people at the same time. Sadamitsu is basically a female death bringer. She has a huge scythe that's capable of freezing foes in some of her combos. She's very fast and has a high jump, but her health is VERY low. I had to replay a few levels to strengthen her in order for her to have a chance in the later levels. Next is my absolute favorite character, Suetake. I demand you look for pictures of him, because words can't do him justice. Take a limbless torso, and fuse it with a tree stump. Blindfold it, and arm it with a huge ring with daggers on it. That's what he is. He has an infinite jump, the widest attack range in the game, is great with magic, and is bad-ass. His only cons would probably be that he's the slowest of the group, and his attacks aren't as strong as even Raikoh's. But the wide attack range makes up for this, as he can knock demons out to the point where they hit a mountain or something and die. I love this guy. The last character is Seimei, the summoner. She's pretty boring. She's weak, but the best magic user. In fact, the first time you play through the game, she's the only one that can use some of the advanced spells. She also has the ability to throw, but she jumps up when doing it, making it acquired at first. Honestly, I never used her aside from the few levels that force you to. The game does a good job of not making you one-sided with anyone: if you use Suetake in one level, you can't use him in the next, giving you a better feel for the others. At one point later on, you won't be able to use a few of them due to something that happens in the plot.

The game looks beautiful. While it is a little grainy, and some textures aren't as good looking as other games that came out around the same time, it all looks good. I'm impressed at how much went on at the same time. Granted, there's slowdown that you're going to run into because of this, but it's not much of a problem. Level 5 comes to mind right away. The end of this level throws thousands of demons at you at once, and as you're destroying them, the particle effects slow everything down to what looks like 5 frames a second. Haha, one level had such detail in a magic attack a boss used on me that the screen almost froze for 15 seconds while getting all the data for it. I thought the game itself froze, but it was just too much detail to handle. The music, sound effects, and voices are just as memorable as the first games'. I found myself humming some stage tracks even after I turned it off. And make sure you're playing with the Japanese language track on. The English ones are alright, but the Japanese ones are of course, much more dramatic. Tsuna's voice is classic.

Like the first Otogi, there's the 2nd play option, which lets you play through the game after you beat it with your old save file's data. Weapons, costumes, magic and accessories are brought back in addition to each characters' stats. You can get a slightly different ending this way, and this is probably the easiest way to purchase the Moonlight Sword this time around. It should be noted that there is a lot more detail here in Otogi 2. There are multiple endings depending on who you use for the final two levels, and bonus cut scenes for nearly every level depending on who you clear the stages with. An example being if you fight the first real boss, a headless swordsman on horseback, with Kintoki, you'll get an extra scene where we see how honorable Kintoki is. This makes for more replay, and of course, you'll want to max out all your characters. I highly reccomend Otogi 2 if you're looking for a good action game. It's the best game you've never played.

Pre-Halo, Best game of the year so far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: November 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

1. Best Graphics.
2. Best Sound and Music.
3. Non-stop gaming action.

What more could anyone want?
Seriously though, its NOT an RPG, so if thats the sort of depth that you are looking for, this game isn't it. But it is great fun in combat and there are plenty of unlockable that kept me playing the game for weeks. I also have the original which I now feel like replaying...

Great game. Unfortunately it will be a "sleeper hit" as it just doens't get much publicity.

The return of Raikoh

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors - Circa 2005

GOOD:
- Good/tight controls (slightly different from the original)
- Uniquely stylized world and environments
- Lot's of weapons/magic to buy and find
- Every stage can be utterly demolished
- Really great use of surround sound
- Play as six different characters (including Raikoh)
- Level up and customize each character (even equip different weapons and magic spells)
- Game loses the weapon-sharpening option, which was in original (an annoying effect where you had to spend gold to re-sharpen your weapons after so many uses)
- Forest of havoc mini-game/bonus levels, which really test your skills and abilities

BAD:
- Not much different from the original (game play wise)
- Simplistic game play
- Liner level design, or small arena type levels
- Sparse and cryptic story, although as meager as original story
- Not having ability to play entire game with only one character, certain characters have to be used on certain levels making it necessary for you to level up all your characters or levels will feel very unbalanced

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- Game is broken down into small stages each with a slightly different look and feel
- Exceptionally stylized world feels like and ancient Japanese paintings come to life
- Game music and sound has old-time Japanese Shinto shrine feel to it
- Game play is easy to master
- Environments can (and often will) be completely destroyed, entire buildings will be torn down and hitting enemies into structures obliterates both the enemy and the structure
- Play as six different characters each with a very Unique look and slightly feel

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Otogi: Myth of Demons
- Shinobi (PS2)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- This game is based on ancient Japanese mythology; actually this game is loosely based on the legend of the legendary samurai Raikoh and the members of his crew
- The creators of this franchise are known for the Armored Core series (on Playstation and Playstation 2), note that the special sword (which can be bought for a high amount of gold) called the Moonlight works similar and has the same name of a popular energy sword in the Armored Core franchise

This game is underrated.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Words cannot adequately describe the sublime blend of exhilaration and delight one feels at playing this game. That is... if one really enjoys destroying things. And I do.

The six playable characters in this game can destroy anything and everything in the environments. Outside of Katamari Damacy, I haven't found a game in which the surrounding environments are involved so much in the gameplay. Trees, rocks, buildings, statues -- nothing is spared. But you don't just destroy them; you destroy them in style. The visuals are gorgeous. All the characters can fly to some extent, making one feel completely free to move about anywhere in the environments. To this add the sheer power of blasting apart everything in sight, and you'll see where much of the appeal of this game lies. These characters feel invincible; what player wouldn't want to be in their shoes?

Some people, however, might be turned off by the strong cultural influences of Japan in this game. It doesn't exactly require familiarity with Japanese history; but that certainly helps. For those gamers who have an interest in japanese mythology, the story will be engrossing and fun, and seeing enemies like the impressive Nine-Tailed Fox is just cool. For those who are totally unfamiliar with japanese culture, the setting might feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I'd suggest giving it a chance, because the game is just beautiful, and I haven't played a hack n'slash title that I've enjoyed more (and that includes the Dynasty Warriors series).
Players will doubtless have different favorites among the six characters, but all of them are worth trying out. They include:

Raikoh - the main character, who manages not to say an entire word throughout the game. He's the most balanced, and with his final weapon arguably the most powerful.

Tsuna - a wolf man with an attitude. He is excellent in combat against multiple enemies, has strong attacks and good range.

Suetake - One of the most interesting characters, he's essentially a floating tree trunk. Very slow, but his range is unmatched, and his ability to jump infinitely is fun.

Sadamitsu - The fastest character in the game, she's a bit low on health, but there are a few levels in which her speed is essential.

Kintoki - The heavyweight of the game, he can throw enemies (fun!). His inability to double jump is a bit of a drag, but his power makes up for it.

Seimei - The sorceress. Her magic is unstoppable, and since she can replenish her mp by stealing it from demons she can cast powerful spells constantly. After the other hand-to-hand combat characters, she takes some getting used to, but her high-level spells crush enemies so fast it's almost laughable.

The combination of excellent graphics, beautiful music, and an interesting story make this game one of my top favorites. It also has epic boss battles, and the cutscenes are beautiful. If you're skeptical, rent it and try it out.

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