Kagero: Deception II

"Let's Hit 'Im with a Rock!"

I was introduced to this game by some friends, and although I scoffed at first, the more I watched, the more I loved it, and before I knew it I would stay up into the wee hours playing it. I recommend this game to everyone that's looking for an interesting new game (or, as a friend said, ''Something really violent'').

Gameplay (10/10)- First of all, this game, more so than any other I've ever played (except Mario Party), is the best party game. It's only one player, but it's fun to watch AND play, and if the player gets bored in the middle of a mission, he or she can pass the controller off to the next person. It's best played with at least two people, if only for the fact that the computer doesn't completely appreciate the asthetics of crushing your enemies like bugs, but your friends will.

The control is trange at first, but addicting and fun after a bit. Basically, you run around a castle setting traps for and killing everything in sight. You can't attack your enemies directly, which seems a bit of a bummer at first (a dagger or something would've been a nice touch, especially for those moments when you're cornered), but you don't notice it once your start having fun with the traps.

There's no greater feeling than flinging someone with a Spring Floor onto an Electric Chair, then blasting them into a rotating Saw Blade, and ending it all by dropping a huge rock on your victim, and have your buddy sitting next to you high-five you as he laughs maniacally (only once, although I got an insane amount of Ark for it).

Call up your map/menu with the circle button, where you can set traps, get information on your opponents, and look at a schematic of the current level, replete with inital traps. Once your traps are set (ceiling, wall, and floor), simply wait for them to power up and for someone to walk into position, then hit the corresponding button to unleash it. Simple as that. You can even rotate the camera around yourself to get a better view of the room, although you have to stand still. It's really handy for timing floor traps and seeing if someone's in the ''line of fire'' for arrows and such.

Setting the traps is also a breeze, although some primo spots are taken by initial traps that are rather hard to use (in the main castle in particular, there's a room with a huge rock hanging over the stairs, taking up four spaces, but you need a trap like Judgement to even use it). Still, figuring just how to manuever your traps, your opponent, and yourself to get the desired result is a fun process.

The enemies vary from little children (really easy to kill, if you so choose), to Timenoids (hard; see Story), to hulking warriors that will hurl your rocks back at you and push Attack Walls out of their way. Towards the end, some of the enemies get quite hard, sometimes requiring multiple attempts, but victory in such cicrumstances is all the more sweet. All in all, a nice variety, save a few annoying old men that won't enter the room if you're in it, and ninjas that dissappear and reappear with no rhyme or reason.

I also love the vibration in this game; when something hits something else or explodes, you FEEL it, which is great. I think the vibration feature is under/poorly used in most games, but here it's perfect, and adds a strange, satisfying quality to a trap well placed.

Story (4/10) - Really, the only bad thing about the game is the story. Tecmo tried, but the first deathblow was calling the main character's bosses ''Timenoids.'' There is a back-story, if you take the time to watch the cut scenes and such, but except for a few missions where it pays to listen to what the enemies have to say, the story is non-existant. Or, rather, I don't care, which is much the same, because as much as Tecmo tried to interweave the two, I just hit the start button and find that my enjoyment goes up rather than down. Sorry, it's just boring as sin, and I'd much rather set traps than listen to why yet another band of adventurers is coming to kill me.

Audio/Video (5/10) - The graphics aren't the greatest, but they're not so bad that it takes away from the game. The sound's all right, a couple of screams and moans, and some nice trap sound effects (the ''KLANK!'' as the Iron Ball hits is my personal favorite. Or, as my friend says, mimicking ''Croc'' from ''Batman: the Animated Series'': ''Let's hit 'im with a rock!'').

Replayability - Seconds after beating it for the first time, my friend and I just looked at each other and hit ''New Game,'' and every time there's a gathering and a Playstation nearby, Kagero gets pulled out and thrown in. In the near two years since I was first introduced to it, I haven't grown bored yet. 10/10.

Rent or Buy? - As soon as I bought my Playstation, I had to own this game, and it was well-worth every penny. I'd highly recommend buying it, but first rent it at least once to make sure you like it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/14/01, Updated 07/14/01