First you should know this is really more of a puzzle platformer than a Metroidvania. Progress within each area is pretty linear, with you coming to a door, going off to solve a puzzle or trigger a plot event, then proceeding to the next door. You'll generally finish an area before moving on to the next, often involuntarily within a cutscene, and often with no way back until later. You'll usually only return to a previous area to collect crafting materials you couldn't reach before, or to trigger plot events. The world is also laid out in a straight line, with a fast travel system, so there's not really much in the way of plotting a course between areas. Nothin' wrong with any of that per se, just don't go in expecting truly Metroid-style open-ended, upgrade-based exploration. Gameplay is varied and generally well-executed, and there's quite a bit of content. I think tweaks would've felt more rewarding if you unlocked more slots over time, though. I never spent most of my crafting materials because I liked the 3 I already had. The writing, though, is a mess imo. Dialogue is rambly and awkward in a way that's hard to put my finger on. Drama often feels arbitrary and unrelatable. Mina in particular seems totally scatterbrained and prone to wild moodswings. Royal is the only character who seems to have an actual character arc, but even his story is kinda clumsy. Motives and affiliations are often unclear. Characters often argue about ideals, but in meaningless vaguaries. By the end I still wasn't entirely clear on what exactly had just happened, or what to take from it. Overall it really is a remarkable game. Looks fantastic, plays good, but the bizarre storytelling really kinda left me feeling cold despite the game's other strengths.
Probably worth trying just for the sword combat. Guns are pretty bad, though. The shotgun in particular is a travesty. It looks and feels terrible in its own right, but it's downright embarrassing compared to the iconic riot gun of the first game. Levels are mostly just linear series of arena fights. Between the monotonous level design and relying almost exclusively on the sword for combat, the game gets really tedious after a while. The sword combat was engaging enough for me to finish the game, but the latter third of the game was a real slog. Lo Wang's banter isn't bad, but I wish they'd hammed it up more. It's pretty dry, and the game starts to take itself way too seriously toward the end. I like the genuine camaraderie that develops between Lo Wang and Hoji, but there gets to be a real lack of humor to balance out the melodrama. As a followup to the original, it's pretty superficial. On its own merits, it's okay. Grab it on sale and slice shit up.
