Rating

B+

Specific Ratings

GameplayB+
GraphicsB+
Learning CurveA+
Replay ValueC+
SoundB-

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Lots of missons and types of missons
  • Two playable characters this time
  • Better then the first game
  • New playable character
Cons
  • Can get repetitive
  • Some dumb Maison objectives
  • Not much of a good story
  • Once you finish it, you will be done with it

Crimson Sea 2 (PlayStation 2)

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Summary

Koei's newest hack n slash series still has that Koei charm.

Images


Description

Crimson Sea 2 is the sequel to Crimson Sea which originally appeared on Xbox. Crimson Sea 2 is a sci-fi game set in the future about an organization that is battling evil enemies called the "Menace". The main character Sho returns from the original, and in the sequel he finds a partner in Feenay. You can switch between both and you can only use one or the other for certain missons.

The gameplay is pretty good, but repetitive. You can choose to kill your enemies by using your sword, guns, or your special magic attacks. The disappointing thing about the swords is that the max combo strike you can perform is a four-hit one. It's disappointing to see that same attack combo over and over. I feel they could have put in a few different ones to spice it up a little. Sho and Feenay both have different weapons and attacks. That makes the gameplay a little different, but nothing too drastic. The gameplay is good for what it is, but it is pretty basic and straightforward. You can find items called "origins" to strengthen your weapon attacks. You charge up your magic attacks by killing enemies. Kill enough and you can use your magic attack. There are five different magic attacks to use and each of them can be upgraded.

The story has you fighting an alien menace. It's nothing too good, but it's told through some pretty good CGI. The voicework isn't too bad either. The story is decent enough that I wouldn't be surprised if a movie company tries to make a movie out of it. The real problem with the story is that we have seen enough games set in space, battling aliens. At least everything else in the game works good. Don't get me wrong, the story isn't terrible, but it is clichéd. The story also goes the same way no matter which character you use, Sho or Feenay.

The graphics are some of the better ones seen on the PS2. They are pretty crisp and clear, full of vibrant colors when you blow stuff up, especially when you use your sword and magic attacks. The only downside is that, even though it's a sequel, they are worse then the original's graphics.

The sound is great. You can hear the shells of your gun hitting the ground and all the sounds of your sword carving through enemy flesh. The music isn't much, it's basically just there so they could say they put music in the game. It's not going to win any soundtrack awards, that's for sure. Bottom line, you won't miss much if you play the game while listening to a CD.

The game is relatively easy. You can buy health packs and elixirs that heal and revive you. Also, enemies sometimes yield rations which heal you. It's easy and you hardly ever encounter a hard Maison - maybe a total of four out of all the missons. You can also play the game with another person, which is neat, but that also makes it easier as well. To cut it short, this game is no Ninja Gaiden in the difficulty department. The learning curve is very easy. You get the choice to train in the beginning to get the basics down. You should have the game down pat in no more then five minutes.

The missons in the game are pretty good. You mostly have to eliminate enemies in a certain amount of time or get a specific amount of items in a certain amount of time. Luckily, Koei learned from the first game and decided to make them a little different. They can get repetitive after a lot of playing, but they aren't bad enough to stop you from finishing the game.

In closing, this game is a great sequel. It's the start to a promising new Koei franchise. We all know Koei loves to make a ton of sequels, so I'm sure we will see a Crimson Sea 3. I hope we do and I hope they fix the few mistakes Crimson Sea 2 has. Go out and get this game.

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