No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

In 2008 the Nintendo Wii seen the release of a surprisingly violent game in "No More Heroes". This game had brutal violence, sex, bloodshed, and seemed out of place on the otherwise squeaky clean Nintendo Wii console. Suda 51 invented a unique world which felt half-way between his previous works and something far into the future, mashed-up with Japanese cinema, punk style, and classic spaghetti westerns. While the game lacked polish and had far too many issues to be considered a modern day classic, it became a cult-fan favourite and deservedly so.

It should come as no surprise that the highly anticipated sequel "No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle" follows in the blood-soaked footsteps of it's predecessor, improving in almost all disappointing aspects of the first game and delivering a much more solid experience this time around. You return as Travis Touchdown to the world of ranked assassin battles, after walking away from it all two years ago having reached the #1 spot. The world of Santa Destroy, and the people in it, have gone through a hell of allot of changes in Travis's absence and this time there is more to fight for than just the #1 ranked assassin spot.

For the most part, Desperate Struggle doesn't change too much about the No More Heroes formula. Combat is still extremely frantic which does provide some intense pressurised action sequences, however the lack of any guard-break or option to roll out of the way means you will constantly be trading shots with enemies. You also don't have any camera control and in the modern day some people might fight this just awkward but in my personal opinion everything here works very well for this game. I am not trying to put you off the game, but if you really didn't enjoy the first game then it's likely you won't enjoy the second. The game has many changes to help improve the overall experience but the core of the game is as it always was.

As for the rest of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, every aspect of the game has been turned on it's head. While i had fun bursting through the world of Santa Destroy on my overcharged super bike, the clumsy overworld really made it feel like more of a chore than an enjoyable experience. Thankfully this is gone and the whole game feels much better for it. Everything is more streamlined, allowing you to head out of your No More Heroes hotel and instantly find what your looking for. Of course you still have load times, but with one easy-to-use vertical menu, you'll spend less time in transit and far more time decapitating enemies in gruesome ways that seem unsuitable for the Nintendo Wii console.

Everything is where it was in the first game and with the option to fast-travel from the menu, you can go straight to the beach and play the coconut mini-game. This also means no more stressing out when you screw up a battle-based revenge side-mission. The game is much more fluid and feels like everything we hoped the first would be. Those who hated the cash system in the first game are going to absolutely love the changes made in Desperate Struggle. Ranked missions are free to enter and cut scenes can be skipped (although i would advise you don't as they can be hilarious). There's never anything holding you back and if all you want is to blow through the main story, then you can. The game allows players to play the game how they want, rather than forcing you to do countless things you have no interest in, however it's extremely likely that you will want to spend time on more than just the story in this fantastic game.

What No More Heroes 2 does more than any other game, even the first game as well, is that it oozes personality and originality. It's extremely refreshing to see a game which feels unique and Desperate Struggle is certainly just that. There is a huge variety of extra thing's you can do, in your apartment alone you will have plenty to do, such as working out with your overweight cat Jeane, a free-to-play arcade game on your TV showcasing a fictitious Anime called BJ5 (make your own jokes with that one) complete with a fully-animated faux intro to the series as a reward for beating levels, and much more. You can even read up on wrestling moves and switch out your gear at the dresser, before hitting the road. You can also unlock more decorations and items for your apartment as you play.

You will also have the Job mini-games (like old-school classics) to complete which can be responsible for some of the most satisfying sections in No More Heroes 2. Bug-Out for example, is a combination of Luigi's Mansion and Pac-Man, as strange as that sounds, but it's absolutely brilliant fun. Coconut Grabber is amazing as well and it's my personal favourite, as well as the space-themed Getting Trashed level. The others are pretty basic, even emulating previous No More Heroes mini-games, but everything has been improved and i found myself spending countless hours on these side attractions and this really added to the value of the whole package. Once you earn cash it can be used for whatever you want. Due to the fact you no longer have to pay to unlock story missions, you can spend all this hard-earned cash on new clothes for Travis, new weapons, and sink cash into Travis's gym. The two games at the gym are also much like old-school retro games and add more entertainment value.

On the other hand, while No More Heroes 2 is all about pushing style before anything else, this does create a few problems, but very little. The up-side to this is that you are constantly bombarded with new areas, new bosses, hilarious story elements and cut-scenes, new playable characters, and simply off-the-wall insane situations that will have you addicted to this game for months. It's obvious that the developers had great fun developing this game and when that happens, you will usually find that the final product is a blast. Travis transforms into a Tiger during battle, there is a gigantic super robot fight in Santa Destroy which will have you towering above the city in one of the most insane, yet great moments in recent gaming history, and the Anime scenes are just down right hilarious. When all this is put together you get one of the most unique, stylish, brilliant games to ever hit the Nintendo Wii. You instantly know to expect the unexpected throughout this 12 hour experience, however the amazing thing is, the game still manages to shock and amaze you countless times.

But like i said, all the insane out-of-control action is not without it's shortcomings. The main problem is the lack of camera control you have, creating problems during battle and leaving you with no option but to run around in a circle just to get a direct view of your opponent at times. You can centre and lock-on but at times it just didn't work very well and i found myself looking at the wrong thing allot of the time. The other main issue is due to the fact that No More Heroes is a straightforward beat-em-up at heart, which means you will be fighting the same old enemies for hours on end. This can lead to some stages that drag on with spawn after spawn. I was never bored, annoyed, or frustrated while playing this game, but i did wish for a few areas to end earlier than they did at times just to avoid the same overused enemy facing me. Don't let this fool you into thinking that No More Heroes doesn't have a good list of creative and unique enemies to decapitate, because it does, it's just that some are overused in areas far too much.

The most noticeable thing about No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is the artistic style which oozes with creativity and beauty. It's simply just a feast for the eyes and it will likely be the reason most people pick up this game, it's that good. The game is bright and bold while managing to capture the dirty gritty nature of the assassin battles extremely well. It's arguably the best looking Nintendo Wii game alongside Mario Galaxy 2 and Red Steal 2.

Overall No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle has managed to correct and improve upon the mistakes and shortcomings of it's predecessor. The game is an outstandingly beautiful sight and it is full of entertainment from the start. The characters, fights, and locations are all unique and creative and the whole game feel extremely refreshing from the rest of the games we have on the market today.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is simply brilliant 9/10