Kengo: Legacy of the Blade

""Swords. Lots of swords.""

Kengo 2 is the sequel to the first Kengo title, released stateside as ''Kengo: Master of Bushido.'' Like its spiritual predecessors the Bushido Blade series, Kengo 2 is not exactly a fighting game; it is a swordfighting simulation, and in many ways a much better one. While it may disappoint players looking for a glitzy button-mash fighter like the Soul Calibur series or a colorful and whimsical Samurai Spirits sort of game, students of the martial arts and those seeking to learn a few things about actual Japanese swordfighting will be very satisfied.

Gameplay: 9/10
Kengo's gameplay is one of its strong points. The combat engine itself is well-refined and brutally realistic. Strategy, reflexes, and patience are rewarded; button-mashers do not stand a chance. There is tremendous freedom of movement-- You can step cautiously, make quick dashes, or run freely around the battlefield. You can change stances, or even put your sword away to enable ''quick draw'' iai attacks. It should be noted that there are no other weapons besides katanas, and there is no climbing or jumping involved. While there are indeed life bars, it is exactly like Bushido Blade in that one well-timed or well-placed hit will instantly defeat your opponent (or you). Matches can last either split seconds or several minutes because of the combination of unforgiving damage and an intricate 3-fold ''kou-tai-ken'' system. Normal attacks (Kou) can be countered by parries (Tai), which can be overcome by set-up moves (Ken), which can be beaten with normal attacks. The mechanics are slightly different when using live blades instead of wooden swords. When using wooden swords, your health will slowly regenerate as you catch your breath. But when dueling with real weapons, not only will attacks cause much more damage, but a solid cut will cause you to bleed, draining your life away until you either stop bleeding or fall over dead. However, if you're caught off-balance or hit in a vital spot, for example, that one solid cut will end your life faster than you can say, ''there can be only one.'' It probably goes without saying that the difficulty level can be quite high, but thanks to the intuitive controls, it's not that hard to master.

There are several modes of play: Story mode, Vs. mode, and Challenge mode. The Story mode is what you will be spending the most time on by far. Here, you'll create a character from scratch using a selection of faces and body types (more of which can be unlocked along as you go through the game). Your selections affect not only your character's appearance and voice, but also his or her starting and maximum stats. Kengo 2 features an RPG-style character development system, where training longer and harder will earn you more stat bonuses and more fame. You can also pick up new techniques either by learning them at a kenjutsu school or by having opponents use them on you. The cliché ''no pain, no gain'' applies here, as you'll often have to let yourself get beat up to learn some moves. There are hundreds of stances, attacks, parries, counters, and throws to learn, which can no doubt be a huge pain for perfectionists. Once you have new techniques, you can add them to your repetoire in nearly infinite combinations to make a very unique fighter. There are also over 100 swords to collect (3 different versions of 34 swords by historical smiths) which provide stat bonuses or penalties, and can add to your fighter's individual style.

Versus mode is well-suited for players who want to jump in to the action. You can take on the computer or another player in customizable matches. All the characters you have defeated in Story mode become unlocked for Versus mode as well as the character building screen, rewarding you for diligence. You can also use any of your created characters in versus mode. The total comes to 32 characters, plus up to 16 custom characters on each memory card, giving Kengo 2 a bigger cast than nearly any fighting game. Unfortunately, unless you've played through the story mode or recognize some of the historical swordsmen, you might not find the characters very ''cool.'' One feature that is undeniably cool, though is being able to take your memory card to a friend's house and pit your characters against his. ...Okay, hardly anyone has this game in the English-speaking world, but it's the thought that counts.

Challenge mode will probably remind Bushido Blade fans a bit of the infamous ''Slash mode,'' as this feature challenges you to kill as many no-name warriors as possible in a given time. Where Versus matches are held in relatively confined arenas, Challenge mode takes place in the vast multi-screen stages you can find in the Story mode's optional missions. It's kind of fun to run by some no-name thugs and irreverently cut them down without stopping. At the same time, it can get frustrating if you carelessly get hit and end up bleeding to death just as you were about to set a new record. Like versus mode, you can use any character you've unlocked, as well as any of your created characters.

Story: 6/10
There isn't much story to speak of, but in fighting games and sims, a strong plot is neither expected nor required. Your character is a young samurai trying to make a name for him/herself as a duelist. You'll learn the basics at a small dojo, travel to other schools to challenge their students, and spar with rivals who improve in strength with you. If you'd rather have a fix of real combat, you can go out at night to duel with live blades in ''dark matches,'' or go to the local information monger to take on a wide variety of missions in the countryside from escorting to rescue to assassination. Eventually you can win a local tournament, earning your ticket to Edo and the big leagues of swordsmanship. Once you're at the capital, you'll meet famous historical figures, listen to their thoughts on the way of the sword and the meaning of life, and kill them. Granted, you don't HAVE to kill them; if you think Yagyu Jubei is a cool guy, you can turn down his eventual offer to fight with live blades, for example. There is an incredible amount of freedom to the game, and no set path to follow, but as can be expected, the characterization and plot are minimal. Regardless, your first time through the game, you'll want to spill as much blood as possible to increase your power, earn new weapons, and unlock everything you can. The game ''ends'' when you win the grand tournament at Edo, and depending on certain conditions you may have fulfilled, you may get a surprise challenge from the greatest swordsman who ever lived.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Kengo 2 has crisp graphics that are about as impressive as any current fighting game. The opening intro is very well rendered and cool enough to watch over and over again. The game's overall graphical feel is subdued and gritty like old chambara movies. Its character design is somewhat reminiscent of Tenchu; each of the 40 playable characters has a distinct face which is neither really photorealistic nor anime-style. The character models are nicely rendered and animated, with lots of flowing cloth effects, but there is occasional clipping due to all the long sleeves and such. A bigger variety of character designs would have been nice. The current face and costume selection for the create-a-warrior mode is certainly fitting for the period, but I'm sure a lot of players would have liked to create a long-haired bishonen character and give him a sword that they recognize from a Final Fantasy game. Kengo 2's backgrounds deserve some praise as well. There are a vast number of areas to fight in, from training halls to castle courtyards to mountain passes and waterfalls, and they are all quite beautiful and detailed. You can even add some detail of your own, leaving footprints in the sand or spilling your enemy's blood all over the background, which lingers for a substantial amount of time. Yes, there is a lot of blood in this game, and some death animations may remind you of Kill Bill. (You can't chop off anyone's limbs, however.) Furthermore, the developers went above and beyond the call of duty by creating virtual replicas of actual swords forged by master smiths. After you earn a masterpiece katana, you can examine it up close and view the smith's unique signature. This sort of thing has little value for the average fan, but Japanese sword enthusiasts will be in heaven.

Sound: 8/10
Kengo 2 takes the minimalist approach to music. There's no BGM in most of the Story mode, though duels with each swordmaster and fights in Versus mode are accompanied by dramatic orchestrated pieces. In place of music, there are a lot of ambient sound effects, such as temple bells sounding, waterfalls flowing, cicada chirping, and hototogisu singing. The sounds really add to the ''oriental'' atmosphere of the game and have an almost meditative quality. The action sounds aren't so soothing, of course. The character voices include the expected array of short taunts, grunts, and death cries, but there is no spoken dialogue in cutscenes. I can tell you from experience that the sound effects for sword clashes are spot-on, as are the striking sounds of wooden and bamboo swords. The cutting and stabbing effects are not exactly original; they're just better-quality versions of the same ''metal meets flesh'' sounds that have been used in dozens of anime and chambara movies. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as these are tried and tested effects that make you really believe that you just unseamed someone from shoulder to hip.

Play time/Replay Value: 10/10
Kengo 2's story mode is fairly long, especially the first time through when you're just getting a feel for the game, experimenting with moves and tactics, and trying to pick up as many swords and techniques that you can. Game time is measured in days, which can consist of fighting as many sparring matches as you can, visiting a dojo for a lesson, running a mission, talking to a kengo, sleeping in to recover health, and so on. A first run through the game will take at least 300 days and dozens of hours, assuming you're trying most of what the game has to offer. Replays tend to be shorter, because you can skip certain parts (like the introductory dojo which is basically a tutorial), but they are still very time consuming. There is absolutely tons of potential replay value in Kengo 2, since you cab make up to 16 characters per memory card and all of them could potentially have vastly different looks and move sets. The problem is that the time and effort to build up a new character can be discouraging. You have to learn everything again from scratch, re-collect the swords you want, and raise your stats from rock bottom. Even the most hard-core players will be wishing for a fast level-up code. There is one way to transfer some of the techniques from your old characters to your new ones, however. Custom characters that you have already finished the game with will actually show up in tournaments in your new game! This can be a blessing, because you can learn a lot of very advanced moves from your own built-up character just by facing them in a duel. But, it can also be a curse, because that character will probably be extremely hard to defeat unless you prepare counters for his or her moves in advance.

Fun Factor: 8/10
Despite its realism and complexity, Kengo 2 can be very fun. The controls are really quite simple, and you don't need to memorize any complex commands for special attacks, aside from the slightly tricky iai draws. Everything is based on timing, quick thinking, knowing your enemy, and knowing yourself. The game has some very nice touches that make it a blast to play. Kill someone on a bridge or cliff, for example, and there's a chance that they will reel backwards and topple over. You'll hear the splash a second later, most likely followed by your own sadistic chuckle. Playing as Musashi, knocking someone down and then crushing their torso with one swing of a giant boat oar just never gets old, and neither does his vicious counterattack once you unlock his alternate version. On the other hand, building stats, learning techniques, and earning swords can be frustrating and repetitive. Enabling and experiencing everything the game has to offer is worth the effort, though, especially if you have a friend to play against.

Overall: 9
If you liked the Bushido Blade games or the original Kengo, you will almost certainly enjoy this game. Fans of Tenchu and Way of the Samurai will probably enjoy it as well. It is traditional Japanese swordfighting refined to near perfection; other so-called ''weapon fighters'' pale in comparison in terms of realism and finesse. For anyone that's ever fantasized about being in a Kurosawa movie where duels become intense standoffs that end in a blur of blood, this is the game for you.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/04