A clear step down from the original which at least keeps the core appeal intact. Small mechanical improvements like combining the katana and guns into one weapon are absolutely points of progression, but the level and boss design provide absolutely nothing that you didn't get before. The spectacle and action movie vibe fall away as the game progresses, and by the end I was kinda happy to be done, even though it was absurdly short and what I played was a good time. The extra characters and arcade mode might bring out what's supposed to be better about this one, but I haven't taken the time to play with them much.

Worth a play if you like the first game, but ends up feeling more like glorified dlc than anything.