So, uh, have I ever mentioned that I like the No More Heroes franchise? Because, uh… I really like it. I like it a whole lot. I know the franchise isn’t the best thing ever, but that won’t stop me from talking about it. So let’s talk about it some more.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a game set three years after the first game and takes things in a different approach than the first one. Travis Touchdown comes back to the world of the assassin ranked fights in order to become Number 1 again, but this time, things are different. After the Rank 1 assassin kills his best friend, Travis is out for revenge, and there is nothing that is going to stop him. Now while I will say that No More Heroes 2, in some ways, does things inferior to the first game. For starters, the symbolism is far lacking. Also, the levels are pretty lackluster, and some times, you get no levels. Just a straight up boss fight. And I really do miss the overworld feel of the original game. I know the first games overworld wasn’t perfect, but I still prefer it than a big empty map where you pinpoint your location and go from there. But that being said, what this game does do right, it does real damn right. The bosses in this game, at least the good ones, are real damn good. I love fighting the insane bosses in this game, from the lolita with a sniper rifle Margaret to the amazingly beautiful fight with Alice Twilight. Some of the bosses you even get to fight as Shinobu and Henry, both characters that I wish got so much more. Well, at least Shinobu is going to be in Travis Strikes Again. The game also gives you far more interesting beam katanas. I don’t hate the first games Beam Katanas, but when I got the best one, I stuck with it. With No More Heroes 2, you get variety, and more options to try them out. You got the best sword in the first game, the Tsubaki. A heavy as hell Beam Katana that gets bigger with your combo called the Peony. And my main, The Rose Nasty, a dual wield Katana that is perfect to combo the fuck out of enemies. And can we talk about that soundtrack. This is a soundtrack I have been listening to and loving for almost ten years now, and I still can’t get enough of it. From the hard punk anthem of Sub Crazy to the atmospheric Subata No 2. The soundtrack is so damn good and I just… Oh, I just love it so much.
It’s hard for me to say anything I haven’t already said about this franchise that I have been gushing over since I played it ten years ago. And I assure you, we aren’t done with this franchise just yet. But for now, No More Heroes 2 may not be as good as the first, but it’s still real damn good if you ask me.