This is a game that far exceeds my expectations in pretty much every way. Everything I can think of is a massive improvement over the previous game, and I can easily say without hesitation that if you didn't enjoy the last game that much or really enjoyed it, then this game will blow you away.
For one, the gameplay is SO GOOD. You finally get to toy around with Sophia's great controls in great level design. Along with new additions to the arsenal, your tank is gonna be flipping and dipping like a ninja but still have the firepower of a tank. The Gaia System is my favorite addition of all, you fall from a tall height and get weapon energy back from how hard you fell. Since Hovering gets you a fixed amount always, you have to be really creative.
Pilot side gets a massive improvement too with the counter mechanic. It turns combat scenarios into a tense practice of reaction time and knowing when to best set off a counter for an enemy or boss fight. Improved weapon balance is also a major boon with the most powerful weapons not being total game breakers like 1. Jason's also gotten way better level design on his end with some neat puzzles and the blessing of not having to wait for so many obstacles like 1.
The boss fights are also a huge step up. There is not one boss fight I didn't think was at least fun. The fights against the mutant bosses are all enjoyable on both sides, and the tank fights are exemplary. Remember that actually cool true final fight in BMZ1? Imagine getting to play that like four times but it's cooler each time.
This game also has a story worth caring about, too. While it's not nothing that much special, I genuinely found myself caring about the cast this time. It helps that their interactions with other characters are really interesting such as the quirky plant girl Kanna and the very angry rival Leibniz. It helps tie the story up together in a climax that is just really REALLY cool. Kinda.
There's a few parts of this game I wasn't that big a fan of. Stranga as a level is really weird to traverse and I got stuck there for hours figuring out what to do on multiple parts of the level. Its upgrade is also very lackluster with it being used for some occasional platforming and one situation against Leibniz. The true ending part where you take control of Eve is a really good idea on paper, in practice it really shows how unbalanced the on foot platforming sections are since you can get instakilled from falling too hard very easily and get comboed by enemies you can't defend yourself against very easily as well. It's really fun still, just really frustrating conversely.
Overall, this game is great. There's a few hiccups in the experience but on the whole this is a very solid action platformer. I recommend going for 100% just to see some of the more creative puzzles in the game and play around with all the toys you can. If you're looking for an experience that'll last you less than ten hours tops, then Blaster Master Zero 2 will do you very good.
For one, the gameplay is SO GOOD. You finally get to toy around with Sophia's great controls in great level design. Along with new additions to the arsenal, your tank is gonna be flipping and dipping like a ninja but still have the firepower of a tank. The Gaia System is my favorite addition of all, you fall from a tall height and get weapon energy back from how hard you fell. Since Hovering gets you a fixed amount always, you have to be really creative.
Pilot side gets a massive improvement too with the counter mechanic. It turns combat scenarios into a tense practice of reaction time and knowing when to best set off a counter for an enemy or boss fight. Improved weapon balance is also a major boon with the most powerful weapons not being total game breakers like 1. Jason's also gotten way better level design on his end with some neat puzzles and the blessing of not having to wait for so many obstacles like 1.
The boss fights are also a huge step up. There is not one boss fight I didn't think was at least fun. The fights against the mutant bosses are all enjoyable on both sides, and the tank fights are exemplary. Remember that actually cool true final fight in BMZ1? Imagine getting to play that like four times but it's cooler each time.
This game also has a story worth caring about, too. While it's not nothing that much special, I genuinely found myself caring about the cast this time. It helps that their interactions with other characters are really interesting such as the quirky plant girl Kanna and the very angry rival Leibniz. It helps tie the story up together in a climax that is just really REALLY cool. Kinda.
There's a few parts of this game I wasn't that big a fan of. Stranga as a level is really weird to traverse and I got stuck there for hours figuring out what to do on multiple parts of the level. Its upgrade is also very lackluster with it being used for some occasional platforming and one situation against Leibniz. The true ending part where you take control of Eve is a really good idea on paper, in practice it really shows how unbalanced the on foot platforming sections are since you can get instakilled from falling too hard very easily and get comboed by enemies you can't defend yourself against very easily as well. It's really fun still, just really frustrating conversely.
Overall, this game is great. There's a few hiccups in the experience but on the whole this is a very solid action platformer. I recommend going for 100% just to see some of the more creative puzzles in the game and play around with all the toys you can. If you're looking for an experience that'll last you less than ten hours tops, then Blaster Master Zero 2 will do you very good.