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Desperate Struggle. Desperate Review.

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Desperate Struggle. Desperate Review. Empty Desperate Struggle. Desperate Review.

Post by RollingSilver Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:03 pm

This is a long read. Scroll down if you want just the review.

Here we go:

I FINALLY got this game after my desperate struggle of balancing my budget on what games to buy -- this year has really torn a hole in my wallet -- and it doesn't disappoint. Not. One. Bit. For. Me. At. Least. Though I've only played about for only an hour, I've watched the cutscenes and gameplay walkthroughs so much that after finally playing it, I already love it since I can pour all my excitement that I already had before playing it. I'm awaiting to play as Shinobu or Henry since I'm such a big fan of No More Heroes.

The graphics as far as I'm concerned are a huge leap from the first game; the character models look very detailed and the physics have greatly improved seeing how Travis' coat and hair or Naomi's (among every female character's) breasts along with the trash bin in Travis' motel room bounce or move smoothly. I'm not entirely fond of the game's gritty look since it takes away that obscure and surreal aesthetic that made the first game so notorious to the eye, but nevertheless the game looks artistic in its own merits with its use of dark shadows and pale lighting, giving the game its noir-like feel. My problem lies with the cutscenes in which the frame-rate is so choppy and makes the animations look really shitty. I'm guessing it's a few random bugs that appear out of nowhere because the choppiness is really damaging to the game's quality.

During the gameplay, there hasn't been too much lag, which is a huge relief considering how problematic it was in the first game. It's shocking to experience all the new things Grasshopper's added in the game like how you get to perform a slash attack much similar to the first game where you swing the nunchuck except you swing your Wiimote downwards, or how you get to perform a hand-to-hand melee combo and even stomp your foes like Edward Norton curb stomping a dude in American History X. I also noticed that the camera is totally free from your control, which is convenient since it saves the trouble of fumbling to the D-pad to switch the camera and makes dodging much easier, but it's also frustrating since you're only reliant on your map to explore areas to find treasure chests. Plus it makes it's harder for intense situations where you're trying to run for safety. I do love, however, that you don't have to use the Z-button all the time to attack your enemies since the fighting's become more accurate. But that doesn't make the game any easier unless you know what you're doing. The biggest gripe I have with this game is that there aren't any more hitman jobs or free missions like in the first one since it was more fun to kill people and make money than taking sidequests; the 8-bit sidequest missions are very fun, but it's less satisfying since you're eager to kill people.

I also noticed this game's a lot harder than the first one. The game's AI is very relentless and will stop at nothing to kill you, and I had a very hard time with Nathan Copeland (Rank 50) during my first try as his rockets deplete a half of your battery power. It was very annoying with all the additional environment traps or those fucking red-laser things I hate so much, but the fact that he's beatable makes the game challenging (and he's only the second boss!). I only hope I have the stomach enough to play Bitter Mode. The Quick-play elements obviously makes a return with the finishing moves and wrestling moves, which appear more stylishly brutal with the enriched blood-effects and beam katanas running through their guts and it's as satisfying as ever. Perhaps the biggest surprises are the mini-games that appear in 8-bit retro fashion and Travis transforming into a Tiger when you get 3 BARS in your roulette. The sounds could get a little repetitive with all the goons screaming, but their screams of agony and ball-busting music makes the kills very satisfying.

The game's voice-work is as good as ever and it's no surprise that this game has a very good cast and voice director; it's the same person who directed the English version of Metal Gear Solid after all (Kris Zimmerman). So it's wonderful to see the same actors reprise their roles from the first game in addition to see some new faces to voice these characters. The music, like the voice acting, is no disappointment since there is a larger variety of music ranging from lyrical, electronic, funk, rap, and even punk that is upbeat as it is rebellious. My undying curiosity for this game has led me to discover that the music is also menacing as it is haunting depending on which boss you fight. The choice of music for this game confuses me as the game has a gritty overtone due to its theme of revenge and visual style, but the music is upbeat at times that its hard to categorize the game's overall feel.

I felt this game was more straightforward in terms of plot than the first game since No More Heroes felt like a high-speed bullet-train heading for a brick wall only to get faster from every wall it hits before it drives off a cliff. It was so nonsensical at every turn as every event in the game's progression is as unpredictable and strange; an underdog story turned revenge tale with a plot twist and a kinship reveal/epic boss fight/cliff-hanger ending... oh yeah, weird indeed. Desperate Struggle does share a lot of the same wackiness as the first title, but it's central theme prevents the game to have that same trainwreck story and is limited due to actually having a narrative structure. But even then, having obscure antagonists with weird names, backgrounds, and weapons reinforced with obscure dialogue shows the limitless creativity one could have even with having narratives.





Buy this game. It's 29 bucks at Gamestop, 19 bucks used, and much cheaper online. I bought mine online for about 17 bucks. NEW. You're doing yourself a huge favor to buy a game like this for less than 20-30 dollars. But this game doesn't exist since Wii's got no games, right?
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Post by Gyoza Thu Sep 30, 2010 8:26 pm

How about I just rub my balls on it to absorb it's essence.
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Post by RollingSilver Thu Sep 30, 2010 8:31 pm

Gyoza wrote:How about I just rub my balls on it to absorb it's essence.

Then poor Sylvia's gon' get AIDS. Though I wouldn't be surprised if she already had AIDS.
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Post by nintendorocks Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:23 am

i've been wanting this game i think i'll get it soon
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