One Finger Death Punch 2 (REVIEW)

All hail the return of the ultimate test of reflexive combat! Packing more punch than that hammer scene from Old Boy, and more martial arts prowess than the IP Man himself (dare I say it) we find the journey of a pupil in training returning for yet another barrage of badass brawls. Utilizing attacks and defense that require precision timing along with the game's single button per side mechanic that in itself harbors multiple functions the path to perfection isn't so easily earned, but once it is achieved it is the most satisfying feeling you'll ever get from a kung fu video game experience. 

Along with the return of the series' staple mechanics tied to various enemy types and threats comes new modes of play, and newly added animations not seen since the first entry. New bloody bone crunching finishers finish off foes while background combo characters pop-up in time with the players' skilled application to further add to the visually pleasing spectacle of carnage. Also included in the mix of mortal combat is a newly introduced skill list of 26 skills that can all be added to effectively dumb down the challenge at hand with what amounts to earned and unlocked cheats. cheats so underhanded it might very well undermine the entire point of the game, but I digress ... You'll find returning as well the introductory tutorial which will give you a hands-on lowdown on controls, and mechanics. All just outside of the main single player journey mode that is stretched across several themed maps. Each map with points of interest that will reward you for your efforts. You'll also find lying in wait a new gauntlet mode which is the game's newer rogue-like feature that has you, and one life's worth of health, trying to best a set route of combat based challenges which incorporate the game's enemies and their mechanics. There's that, and survival. Survival, as it were, comes in a few different varieties. Each with their own gimmick centered around the single life series of fight until you die battles that take you up the tiers of an ancient tower per kill count. Increasing the overall challenge, and score rewards for the feat. All for bragging rights, no less.

Reflex, reaction, and execution are the three principle things you'll need to master in this mob brawler of a game. There is no mashing your way through it as the game promptly reminds you at every misstep. As a stick man turned martial arts pupil you'll find yourself up against seemingly impossible odds no matter what mode you decide to take on. That is if you don't stop to account for the masterfully articulated control setup, and rhythm based mechanics that are centered around timing, and colors. 

No matter the mode of play you'll find that underneath where your kung fu stick man stands is a divided bar of two different colors. To the right is red, and to the left is blue. When enemies come within range of these two zones you are able to attack, accordingly. By pressing CIRCLE for red, and SQUARE for blue you will attack the enemy directly in that color specific line of sight. Either with your fists, and feet or a weapon you've collected. In any given scenario there are a certain amount of enemies that approach with the intent to kill. You're goal is to not only to eliminate them all via any means necessary, but also tell the difference between each enemy type as you do so. Enemies definitely vary in this game, and notably so. Some are multiple hit targets, and are color coded accordingly. Others will swap sides after the first hit, and will need a follow-up hit or hits on the opposite side/s before they have the chance to attack. Other enemies still will have weapons or projectiles that can be used against them if collected or dodged. The toughest of enemies though are the kings/bosses, and brawlers who will require a timed rhythm mini-game that incorporates the use of the red, and blue designated buttons. Ultimately requiring that you time button presses in sync with falling colored bars before they reach the ground floor.

Needless to say the combat in this game is kept consistently fresh by the mixture of assorted enemy types that require you to act fast, and accurately or take a hit/miss. That, and the special phases that add unique elements such as horse back combat, death ball combat, or slowdowns among other things. Missing, and getting hit in the game is a twofold punishment that must not be taken lightly. On one hand you have a certain amount of health that when depleted will cause you to have to restart. Getting hit by enemies or projectiles will deplete your health. Along with that threat is the threat of missing out on a five star completion rating within certain modes. The more hits or attacks you don't land the lesser your star count will be in these objective based modes. Sometimes meaning the difference between completion, and failure. You'll even risk, in some modes, not earning the rewards or missing out on that top leaderboard score.

Modes in 'One Finger Death Punch 2' include the Tutorial, Journey, Co-op, Survival, Gauntlet, and No Luca No bonus mode. The tutorial is an excellent place to start, and will introduced each progressively more complicated mechanic in an order that will not confuse the player. Giving you all the training you need to start the battle off immediately thereafter. After completing the tutorial you'll be dropped into the Journey mode which is a map with portals. These portals include the limited enemy brawls that get increasingly more difficult to beat by not only adding in more hits per enemy, but also throwing the whole lot of mechanics at you. Completing the map's portals will complete a percentage of the current map until it is fully completed. It will also land you a star rating based on misses. The less misses you have the higher the star rating. Mastery in this mode is somewhat limited though in that to replay a portal you will need to earn revenge tokens that can be earned through other portals. These particular tokens allow for a retry. Along with the revenge tokens are skill crystals. Earned skill crystals can be applied to the list of skills in the main menu. Skills effect every combat mechanic in the game. Allowing for health cheats, enemy speed cheats, and even one hit kills to bosses or kings. Each skill has three crystal slots that must be filled before it's fully effective. 

Beyond the journey lies Survival. In survival you basically battle until you die. There are no health refill drops from enemies, and once you are dead depending upon your progress or kill count you'll be able to start further up the tower on your next playthrough. This increases the enemy challenge, and rewards players with a higher score multiplier. Normally the multiplier would increase for combos not dropped. Along with normal survival there are other variants with unique gimmicks. Some of which are unlocked through play. The No Luca No survival mode, in particular, has your sight blocked by a giant onscreen image of the developer's black cat. You only have enough view of the zones to predetermine when you should press what. Lastly the Gauntlet is this entry's rogue-like mode. It changes with each playthrough giving you the option of playing through three different lanes of individual difficulty, and objective based challenges. The end goal being to make it to the end of one of those lanes. As far as co-op is concerned it is a local only mode that allows players to swap in and out of combat. Basically a tag team type mode.

The Verdict ...

For $8.99 US "One Finger Death Punch 2" definitely offers more bang for your buck. It's the type of game that provides a proper challenge while letting the player shine in their accomplishments, respectfully. The inclusion of different modes, and the survival mode specifically adds ample replay value that is stream worthy. Those who were fans of the original will be glad to see the inclusion of new finisher animations. Things like girls dancing to rave music, or a pain train plowing throw the lines of approaching enemies are impressive rewards for not dropping combos. The added blood effects, and x-ray fatalities also add that mature flair for the more adult audience. Supposing you want to keep it kid friendly though the developer did add some visual toggles as to take away the blood along with various enemy and mechanics indicators. Perhaps even more impressive is the techno/rave inspired soundtrack which furthers the feel of badassery as you take down a literal army's worth of attacking adversaries. Nothing beats the feeling of nailing that "Perfect" playthrough, and hearing the announcer say "God-like" at the end of it all. Considering the price, and provided content this game is without a doubt a must buy! Don't miss out!