The Last Blade 2 (PS4) - Faults & Finds

Consider this a companion piece to my core review. It will include info on things I figured out, encountered, and forgot to include ...

The first thing I want to address is the annoyance that is the item unlock message. At first I didn't know why my matches were being rudely interrupted by a pop-up message that brought up the pause/options menu. As it turns out it was letting me know I unlocked one of the gallery's 29 unlockable images, and that it was saving my progress because of that fact. I'm not sure why SNK thought it was a good idea to do things this way, but it's definitely not a good development decision. Thankfully once you unlock all of the gallery items you'll no longer be bothered by the pop-ups, and can play the game without pause.

The Last Blade 2 (PS4)

Coming in three years after the arcade release of "Samurai Showdown III: Blades of Blood" at November of 1998, the series known as "The Last Blade" returned to the gaming scene with a sequel that was very much like it's preceding SamSho (Samurai Showdown) inspired entry point. This Dreamcast follow-up release, and fan favorite known as "The Last Blade 2" continued onward with the tale of ongoing spiritual warfare waged between a group of select characters which were each explained away in the first installation. Some might say the game was a Samurai Showdown derivative like me while others may argue that it was it's own unique experience altogether. Whatever you choose to believe the admiring fans have spoken out, and in a recently held PSN poll they have voted for "The Last Blade 2" to receive the full re-release treatment. A treatment which has since come to pass. While the core game stays pretty much intact in it's newer version there have been noticeable adjustments, newer options made available, and new additions added in to make this gem of a fighting game more than what it was initially. Not only will you find the game you boasted about through the years along with all of it's secrets in HD clarity, but you will also be able to experience it online through the Playstation network with players across the globe. Whether or not it stacks up to your expectations though is up for speculation ...