Bushido Blade 2

"Hmph.. Square makes a 'point' with this one.."

Hah, where to begin. Like most, I will start off with visuals..

Visuals: 8/10

The character models are very nice. Proportionate and well textured for psx, a little blocky, but pleasing to look at nonetheless. The blood sprite was impressive. I like the amount of squirting going on here. The backgrounds on the other hand, were a little less enjoyable to look at. While some of them were nice (the dojo's), some weren't. Everything was basically flat, and were far too vertical for my taste. There were really no shapes besides STRAIGHT lines.. Visuals are very unimportant to me though.

Sound: 9/10

I really liked the sound. Very little music at all, but I really think it would ruin the experience. I really liked the sword-clashing and reflecting. The obvious thumps and thuds all sounded good, and they weren't distracting. The sound of the blood was pretty disturbing, though, but I can't say I hated it. The voice acting was appropriate, and pretty well acted, and the other minor sounds also filled their roles respectively.

Gameplay: 8/10

Where to start.... Well, ONE HIT KILLS! Same as it's predecessor, I must say this was my favorite aspect of the game. Some things were removed that were in the previous installment that detracted, thus the 8. Most notably; being able to run to other areas to fight, and leg damage. I really dislike the fact that they removed leg damage (why allow 1 hit kills, and arm damage, while allowing the legs to be repeatedly struck with swords..?)

-ahem-

The weapon choices are nice. You can choose from Katana (my personal fav :D), Yari, Long Sword, Nodachi, Naginata and the Broadsword. The weapon selection is excellent, and the accompanying movesets are respectable. All in all, the fighting system is rich and fun. The animation is also appropriate, and for the most part very good. I just disliked the 'floating' jump. I felt this game was going for realism, but allowed indestructible legs and 12' vertical leaps.

Replayability: 9/10

Well, since there are multiple weapons, rival schools, and a bunch of unlockable characters (including 2 gun wielding maniacs), the replay value is very high. I played this game for MANY hours, and still play it now when I need a break from newer games.

Overall: 8/10

A good buy, especially since PSX games are so cheap now. If you want a decently deep fighter with good replayability, Bushido Blade 2 would be a proper decision.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/03, Updated 06/30/03