This is just a straight upgrade over the original in pretty much every way. Better combat, better level design, better bosses, better story. If I were to have one complaint it would be that it’s greatest new addition is introduced in the very last level so it doesn’t feel like it gets as fleshed out as it could so I hope a sequel comes out that revolves around it.

This is one of the most feature complete action games ever made. It also has really boring level design that is either a bunch of ugly flesh hallways connected with ugly flesh arenas, or ugly city hallways connected with city arenas. The pursuit of realism also comes at the expense of things that have been standard in the series since the first game (jump canceling not being frame one). It’s a good game. It’s just nowhere near as good as 3 and especially nowhere near as good as 1

This game is neat conceptually but as a strategy game it feels woefully undercooked. 99% of the maps are incredibly tiny and take under a minute to clear, the game is piss easy, there’s no class customization, and pretty much every continent plays out the exact same. A real disappointment when stacked up to VanillaWare’s previous game. Save me George Kamitani.