The original Otogi was an excellent but overlooked adventure. While it contained plenty of action packed moments, sales were poor and many gamers didn’t even know about it. Thankfully Sega still decided to release the sequel in North America and Europe, and Xbox owners should definitely check it out.

One thing that the sequel brings back is the beautiful art style and scenery. The amazing Japanese style artwork returns and graces everything from the loading screens to the character designs. Environments seem even bigger in Otogi 2 when compared to the original, and they also have a little more variety to them. And just like in the original, all of the environments have many elements that can be completely destroyed.

In-game music is soft but very nice, and never gets in the way. However, as soft as it may be it definitely adds to the atmosphere of the game. Voice acting for the characters is about average, and while some of the characters have decent voices others have some rather embarrassing ones.

Rather than just playing as Raikoh, players can now use five other warriors in addition to them (one of them must be unlocked though). Each character has subtle differences (for example, Kintoki can’t jump as high but has a more powerful attack than some of the other characters). However, you can’t use every character for each level, and some levels are suited towards a particular character. Each of these characters can gain levels once you use them, and this is definitely recommended, as you’ll need to use more than one character for different levels.

Otogi 2 is certainly a very stats based game, even if it may not seem like it. Not only do your characters gain stats for completing levels, but they also change based on your play style. If you use magic more often, then your intelligence will rise while your attack power will fall. Gamers can also equip the characters with various weapons and other items, giving them freedom to choose how their characters develop.

Essentially Otogi 2 isn’t that different from the original game. You explore the various levels while destroying objects and enemies. Control is fluid, although the camera sometimes seems a little sluggish at times (I would suggest leaving the auto lock-on feature off, as it will get in your way on several missions). Breaking from the mold however, are several levels that have time limits and require you to break a certain number of objects. These are a little repetitive, but they are a fun diversion from the main quest.

One thing that hasn’t changed would have to be the difficulty level. Otogi 2 is definitely not an easy game, expect to replay many of the levels before you are able to move on. However, unlike in the original game you can choose the order in which you would like to complete a set of levels, giving you other things to do if become stuck on a particular level. This is a great feature that helps out a lot, as you will likely get stuck.

Gamers expecting a Ninja Gaiden like experience may find themselves a little disappointed. While the action can get intense, it is slower than Gaiden’s, which could turn a few people off. However, there are levels where you will be facing so many enemies that it is hard to tell what is going on, and there is no slowdown at all. This is one of the more amazing parts of the game, and helps keep players interested.

Otogi 2 is not perfect, at times it can get a bit repetitive and it could easily frustrate the casual gamer. But if you can bear with those two things, definitely go and pick the game up. The action has been refined and the sequel is a great action game. With six playable characters, Otogi 2 is a lot more fun to play than its predecessor.

Chris Dahlberg