Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (GBA, 2005)
Graphics-8 Sound-7.5 Control-7.5 Challenge-7.5 Story-5
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5/6.5* Originality-4
Overall Score-7
*Most of the final area
+
Features a shop which can be accessed via the hub map (can sell items (but only the ones you can buy so it's fairly limited), not a lot to buy though)
3 hit attack combo (can't perform it while crouching, can follow it up with 1+ special attacks, can chain the lunge move into it but there's some delay between them)
Igavania-style gameplay/controls/art style w/ a hub map returns (new paths open up as you reach new locations on the map and like in Cocoron or Clash at Demonhead (NES) you have to move between locations in-game and the direction you enter a path from on the map affects which side of it you start at - can exit any level/path from where you entered it, ability gating, special item/spirit inventory that affects your alternate/special attacks and abilities (similar to the soul system in CV: Aria of Sorrow) - can add up to 20 of them to one of 4 sets/decks of 5 (slots 1 and 4-5 per set are no longer reserved for passive abilities/armor; each set works like a quick select menu for the ability/buff items and you switch by using the select button), good mid-air control, dash dodge, some hidden items)
Adds fast travel via teleporters/dobie gates - teleport between visited ones. Footballer/dash attack special attack also lets you backtrack through areas with weaker enemies quicker (a weaker version of ultra cavalry charge however (late game move) and it only really works in the early game). There's also a spirit item for teleporting back to the first location though you get it pretty late
Some new combat moves (lunge/jump attack - can hit twice and you generally have a small window where you can hit the enemy again (a few enemies are also knocked back), somersault attack, ranged amidamaru special attack upgrade (forward+l or r, however when shooting you lose the overhead swing effect so you don't hit enemies above you and you can't aim the shot upwards+it doesn't scale well in the late game), uppercut slash - can't follow it up with a sword combo or juggle enemies though)
Get the forward dash+dash jump ability sooner (Mic spirit)
Enemies carrying special items/souls always drop them after one kill
Very good bosses overall (pretty varied patterns, sometimes a minor puzzle element, three chase segments, battle on top of a moving giant robot)
Shows bosses' health bars
Some interesting abilities (wall jump/triangle jump w/ upgraded lee pai long, cloe/pendulum returns - basically a grappling hook, small sheep transformation - moves quickly and reaches into smaller spaces but can't attack and doesn't last that long (also not used much at all in this game for some reason), health draining whip returns - too slow though and doesn't always work, homing shot - kinda weak though and sometimes targets an enemy on the other side of a wall which it then can't go through, a couple of mascots/familiars though they're not very useful, huge beam attack (totem cannon) though it's not very practical and two huge sword attacks, mid-air block/platform creation - optional)
Can upgrade your health bar by finding bead items (4 required per increase; one special item also upgrades it while equipped)+your MP/SP bar by beating bosses+your number of slots per special item set by finding gear - up to 5 (no exp point leveling system however). Some movement speed upgrade spirits along with other stat buff ones
Difficulty options (easy-expert/very hard)
Good art direction and nice sprite animation, Some huge and multi-jointed sprites
Less floaty movement unless taking a couple of steps and letting go of the d-pad (was hard to make small and precise movements on small platforms in the prequel)
Can increase the number of sets to 7+ here as well as turn off ones you're not using in the menu
Improved level design variety overall (starts off kinda basic with an overreliance on corridor-like paths like the prequel)
Boss rush mode (at the first location; time attack - the rewards are just some artwork though, can refight some bosses from the prequel here too)
Regenerating MP/special move energy (can also upgrade the speed of it by using up one special item slot)
Some minor shortcuts when backtracking through paths (not enough of them though)
Gain a dragon for fast travel about halfway through the game here too (2-3h; a bit annoying how you have to use it for every path between two locations though)
Good economy in that being careful with your money stays relevant throughout unless you take it slow and use Mash (or play really well)
Mandatory gates are often placed at the beginning of paths so that you can quickly backtrack to the map when running into them (there might still be a few paths to backtrack through leading up to that area though and there are exceptions such as a high wall in the NE totem area)
New game plus (cleared levels+items+spirits etc. will be the same as before fighting the final boss)
Some decent switch and box puzzles (red temple, factory) - at times it would've been good if the game showed exactly what pulling a switch accomplished though
Gain the fire spirit (lets you gain some HP by killing enemies here) before beating the game here
Three smart bomb style special attacks (mash - random result between attack or heal though, orona - freezes most enemies for a few seconds (actually hits further than the screen) but becomes less effective in the late game, matanune/huge sword - expensive though). Also the totem cannon sort of - costs all MP bars though
+/-
Mostly linear structure besides optional backtracking and sidetracking for upgrades and combat abilities (can take 4 paths after a couple of areas and 2-3 more paths open up for many new locations that you visit however nearly all of them are blocked off by ability gates - you can really only go to where you get the box pushing ability and then the only path where you use it which is then basically repeated for the next ability (dash jump) then again for the poison gas protection ability (you can then explore 2 paths with the "freeze fire pillars" ability but only one leads anywhere new, etc.; in other words the main progression is pretty much linear), 2-3 more with the high jump or slide ability?, can go past the water in the north before getting the antiquity/final sword, two optional bosses (can go face magister before getting past the NE totem pole) and ten optional areas+some optional (and missable) spirits, no alternate paths on the hub map during the end game in the second hub area?)
The world is divided into a number of areas (unnamed in-game and even in the manual?) which in turn are divided into several themed paths
The dungeon-like areas in some parts (also made up of several themed paths) sometimes have more than one entry point
Repeated collectathon element (5 guardian ghosts/silver spirits for the totem attack to break a barrier)
Most locations (dots on the map) can't be visited and explored - most of them simply represent the end of a path rather than a location you can visit and are where you access the shop and save screens (the training area at the beginning is an exception)
Save on the hub map screen (one slot per game only, three in total) - can't save within areas and there are no continues or lives
Can't move while crouching or attacking (can jump while attacking)
Can jump past most enemies after gaining the dash jump (works like in MMX)
Re-uses some enemies and character sprites from SK1
Can't attack upwards or downwards by default - can use the lunge attack or the first special attack
Partial life refill after finishing a path (getting to the other side of it in either direction)
Can look around but still need a soul equipped in a quick slot for it - a couple of leaps of faith before you find this ability (the camera is also too loose while falling)
Mostly pre-rendered/digitized backgrounds and some foregrounds as well (clashes a bit with the sprites and some foregrounds plus they look a bit dated)
Some pits however they don't kill you - instead you lose some health and are carried to the platform you were on previously (there's also a spirit item that reduces damage from falling into them)
Hotdogs aren't worth buying in terms of $ per HP (3 sushi are cheaper and heal more) - only in terms of space. Hamburgers aren't either but somewhat less so and you become encumbered before filling up the item inventory with either sushi, hotdogs or burgers
Enemies now drop healing items (used immediately though - you can't carry them with you) but they are rare and a tougher enemy isn't more likely to drop one
Carry capacity limitations on inventory items (better balanced due to the above but has the same weight limit issue)
Can't escape from boss battles (they tend to be surprises)
Doesn't show stronger enemies' health bars
Some of your attacks hit both in front of and behind you (CV)
Frequently respawning enemies (as soon as you leave a room/sub area)
Enemy drops do disappear but it takes 10+ seconds
Some enemies and level gimmicks are basically ripped from CV and Mario
Generally can't use a special attack in different ways by crouching or pressing up
Some resource management (chests don't respawn and enemies rarely drop money, a few ammo-based special attacks)
Short knockback when hit but also short invincibility time (can get annoying vs some enemies like the eagles that swoop back and forth quickly)
Can juggle some bosses in the air but only once
Frozen enemies still hurt when moved into meaning you can't use them as platforms
Very little gear besides accessories that expand your spirit deck slots (the sword is upgraded after beating certain bosses)
Mash is a bit overpowered (randomly heals 80 hp) but it doesn't work vs bosses. Same with Orona (freeze all on screen+even further away)
Increased AP has no effect on offensive special attacks
Lose your current weapon and have it replaced by the worst sword during the in-game intro cutscene
Can't swim (a familiar of sorts picks you up and puts you at the last platform you were standing on but you also lose a lot of HP) - in underwater areas you move around underwater so it's a bit odd
While you can upgrade your main weapon it has the same range and 3 hit combo (gaining the light sword adds a projectile option to the first special attack and the final sword makes the first special attack hit three times). Instead you find the button combo moves mentioned above
Box puzzles are pretty underused here after the early game (you just use that ability as a door opener a few times)
A little bit of mid-air control is lost if you attack in mid-air (and you stop rising if you attack at the beginning of a jump)
No double jump
Ponchi doesn't block enemies from moving into you and costs some MP+is a bit slow to activate so it's only useful in a few cases
A few NPC encounters but no neutral or friendly creatures (see SM; a couple of unkillable enemies that act more like obstacles though)
Still no breakable walls or floors besides the obvious stone block doors
-
Still no area maps and you can't check the world map while in an area (too many ability gates to remember besides the mandatory ones - while it's hard to get lost it is easy to keep taking non-essential or blocked off paths when you didn't want to, the game doesn't tell you if/how many items are left on a path, no area names on the hub map screen or title cards shown when entering them). At least the silver gear/guardian ghost locations are marked on the hub map
Some control/interface issues (since SK1: no control config and you double tap down to perform a backwards dash for dodging (also can't jump or attack cancel out of a dodge move), can't jump cancel out of an attack animation - can dodge cancel, when tapping down to crouch there's some delay before you get back up again, the game doesn't tell you what you've just picked up, some delay before an opened chest drops its contents and it's spread out a bit - breaks flow, can't tell on the map screen if you've visited a location or not (can tell if you've cleared a path however), the returning animations before using certain abilities get annoying after a while and don't add to the damage output (could've worked like this: triggers at full or near full MP and adds a little bit of a damage/effectivity boost), being able to perform abilities required for progression (like block pushing) with a button combo would've been a good alternative to switching to them in the menu, annoying delay after you're knocked down by certain enemies like the boxers, can't dash backwards during a special attack, can't attack while dashing forward (can do it while dash jumping), if touching a diagonal surface with your head in mid-air you get pulled upwards along that surface, the grappling hook controls fine but is still as slow - particularly when pulling yourself upwards, no special item inventory sorting;
New: can still be hit from above from touching an enemy while performing an uppercut slash, short gameplay freeze during killing blows AND the last hit in a combo (distracting), can't dash dodge out of a amidamaru special attack, can't switch a special item with another if it's already equipped to another slot nor de-equip an item by selecting its slot in the selection menu - have to switch with an unused item or go to the top slot to de-equip (which admittedly is still fast but still), dropped spirits can get stuck in walls (rare though), no invincibility time during the somersault attack so you can get hit if you attack something from below and then touch it, can't use certain special attacks like the whip while ducking, annoying how you bounce back after a somersault attack - means you can't easily follow it up with something else unless you cancel this with an amidamaru special, can't jump cancel out of sliding nor turn around during it and it should've been a combo move ability, weird how the end of a slope stops your lunge attack's forward movement)
Backtracking (you still have to backtrack through visited paths to go to previous locations on the map - can't just move past them on the map, if you screw up a box puzzle you have to re-enter the path instead of just moving a couple of screens away, you'll run into some temporary dead ends from ability gates pretty early on, again for the guardian ghosts/silver gear which are spread out across the world though most aren't in places you've already been this time and you can collect them all in a circular loop
Repeats various bosses from the prequel (no new patterns for these?; snowboard guy, blonde girl, dashing black guy, lee pai long, dragon guy, lyserg/chloe ability guy, etc.)
Some tedious aspects (weird final boss second phase where you're floating around in space and can only use the default special attack while he has a bunch of different ones and frequently blocks, still no MP restoratives besides some temporary ones you can find in certain areas which trigger when picked up (can break flow or make some segments harder since even dashing and sliding costs a non-negligible amount of MP), box puzzles still don't stay solved - there could've been a default ability to reset them, removed fire pillars+stone block doors+totems don't stay removed, some pointless one way paths, the underwater areas (overly slow movement until you get a spirit ability to remove it about halfway or so (but then this also restores gravity so you have to switch back and forth to get around at times), limited air, can't buy/find and carry oxygen tanks with you for them and they're a bit rare considering how quickly your air drains, small hitboxes on the fish), still has the weight mechanic - can't carry as many items as you have inventory slots, some optional areas aren't worth backtracking to - part behind a fire pillar in the SE and eastern volcanic area shortcut+behind the first red totem, eliza/poison gas protection should've been a passive+always on ability via a gear piece (some traversal abilities could've been as well), some delay before MP starts refilling after using a special attack/ability, kinda tedious dragon boss in that you can't move up slopes and have to jump instead+various periods where you can't attack, still weird how sushi weighs about as much as hamburgers when it barely heals you, if you start using an ability and it's interrupted then all the MP it cost is still wasted, a couple of parts where you have to redo a longer segment if you fall down, last area is too much of an enemy gauntlet with spongy enemies and the annoying eagles)
New enemies don't appear on previously visited paths
Some trial & error (pretty easy to miss the blocks spirit - seems optional but it's useful and a cool ability, surprise boss fights - it's a good idea to save before entering each new path, can't use the block pushing ability in mid-air, some boss patterns, some enemies aren't stunned by the lunge attack or a heavy special attack, a few cheap enemy placements near pits as well as enemies jumping into you from above, some enemies aren't affected by orona/enemy freeze, zenki description - works like a projectile shield which also damages (but doesn't block) some enemies that it touches, sometimes vague item descriptions, at the part with a bridge path in the background you still get hit by enemies on the other plane,
Tells its story mainly through dialogue with still portrait artwork and very minor animation (the intro cutscene after starting a game is also just plain text over a background (the ending is as well except the backgrounds also scroll - lame!), the one before the title screen is a bit better but also short and kind of generic). It's also kinda weird how other characters suddenly show up after beating some bosses (sometimes with no real introduction)
Some useful items are placed haphazardly instead of rewarding exploration
Tends to lack proper visual transitions between areas
Repeats some enemies in several areas and palette swaps some of them as well (makes these areas feel less unique)
Can't manually go and talk to the NPCs you've rescued here (just get some short dialogue after beating them as possessed bosses)
Some ability gates are basically locked doors (statue/totem and upgraded totem, flame pillars and green flame pillars, big boxes, poison and semi-petrifying gas filled rooms, stone block doors)
The slide isn't used to dodge with much since it gives no invincibility time
Sometimes annoying screams by Yoh/your avatar when using abilities
The Jen genie item kinda sucks (just get a single random shop item)
Various abilities are redundant or weak (shikigami/blue creature throw, cactus and shaolin/green punch after you get bason, spirit of all/mummy - movement is too slow and limited for the protection to be useful, skunk - basically a fart with a small and slow projectile, `the white paint one and the short ranged punch move you gain early on which also return from the prequel, the spinning fireballs (yamagami spirit) still kinda suck (the zenki shield has the same problem of overriding your attacks if standing close to an enemy), jack (thrown weapon) is kind of weak, konchi/stopping arrow, skelesaur/flamethrower, the little doll mascots aren't aggressive enough and do minor damage, great ogre (small mascot that flies into enemies) is weak and misspelled as well, oni fire - too slow and you can't move while charging, goror makes corey pretty much redundant (ice punch), michael (angel gun) since golem beam has a wider arc and does about the same damage+you can shoot it 5 times instead of 3, ashcroft/thrown spear, golden thunder impalement replaces the regular bason attack after picking up the upgrade item for it - (good for weak enemies but bad against most of what you face in the late game though at least you don't take damage if the enemy isn't killed here (a toggle would've been nice while the lvl 1 attack could also get a bit stronger), etc)
Some difficulty spikes (sphinx mini-boss/enemy, giant boss that chases you at first, yellow robot mini-boss before Magister if you go there as soon as you have the viking ship item set) and dips (relatively easy first phase of the final boss, red and blue flying monsters boss if you stand to either side, some safe spots (can hit some enemies through walls/floors or from far away (some like the eagles don't react to being shot) - can also do it with the tao the great and impalement abilities), grandpa/flying old man boss)
Pretty cliché story with a one dimensional villain (until the finale but then he's replaced by a completely undeveloped and one dimensional villain)
Somewhat scratchy music samples overall
Unskippable staff roll
Some slowdown at times (mostly minor)
Notes:
-Got 75 spirits, beat it on Normal, didn't beat all optional bosses
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5/6.5* Originality-4
Overall Score-7
*Most of the final area
+
Features a shop which can be accessed via the hub map (can sell items (but only the ones you can buy so it's fairly limited), not a lot to buy though)
3 hit attack combo (can't perform it while crouching, can follow it up with 1+ special attacks, can chain the lunge move into it but there's some delay between them)
Igavania-style gameplay/controls/art style w/ a hub map returns (new paths open up as you reach new locations on the map and like in Cocoron or Clash at Demonhead (NES) you have to move between locations in-game and the direction you enter a path from on the map affects which side of it you start at - can exit any level/path from where you entered it, ability gating, special item/spirit inventory that affects your alternate/special attacks and abilities (similar to the soul system in CV: Aria of Sorrow) - can add up to 20 of them to one of 4 sets/decks of 5 (slots 1 and 4-5 per set are no longer reserved for passive abilities/armor; each set works like a quick select menu for the ability/buff items and you switch by using the select button), good mid-air control, dash dodge, some hidden items)
Adds fast travel via teleporters/dobie gates - teleport between visited ones. Footballer/dash attack special attack also lets you backtrack through areas with weaker enemies quicker (a weaker version of ultra cavalry charge however (late game move) and it only really works in the early game). There's also a spirit item for teleporting back to the first location though you get it pretty late
Some new combat moves (lunge/jump attack - can hit twice and you generally have a small window where you can hit the enemy again (a few enemies are also knocked back), somersault attack, ranged amidamaru special attack upgrade (forward+l or r, however when shooting you lose the overhead swing effect so you don't hit enemies above you and you can't aim the shot upwards+it doesn't scale well in the late game), uppercut slash - can't follow it up with a sword combo or juggle enemies though)
Get the forward dash+dash jump ability sooner (Mic spirit)
Enemies carrying special items/souls always drop them after one kill
Very good bosses overall (pretty varied patterns, sometimes a minor puzzle element, three chase segments, battle on top of a moving giant robot)
Shows bosses' health bars
Some interesting abilities (wall jump/triangle jump w/ upgraded lee pai long, cloe/pendulum returns - basically a grappling hook, small sheep transformation - moves quickly and reaches into smaller spaces but can't attack and doesn't last that long (also not used much at all in this game for some reason), health draining whip returns - too slow though and doesn't always work, homing shot - kinda weak though and sometimes targets an enemy on the other side of a wall which it then can't go through, a couple of mascots/familiars though they're not very useful, huge beam attack (totem cannon) though it's not very practical and two huge sword attacks, mid-air block/platform creation - optional)
Can upgrade your health bar by finding bead items (4 required per increase; one special item also upgrades it while equipped)+your MP/SP bar by beating bosses+your number of slots per special item set by finding gear - up to 5 (no exp point leveling system however). Some movement speed upgrade spirits along with other stat buff ones
Difficulty options (easy-expert/very hard)
Good art direction and nice sprite animation, Some huge and multi-jointed sprites
Less floaty movement unless taking a couple of steps and letting go of the d-pad (was hard to make small and precise movements on small platforms in the prequel)
Can increase the number of sets to 7+ here as well as turn off ones you're not using in the menu
Improved level design variety overall (starts off kinda basic with an overreliance on corridor-like paths like the prequel)
Boss rush mode (at the first location; time attack - the rewards are just some artwork though, can refight some bosses from the prequel here too)
Regenerating MP/special move energy (can also upgrade the speed of it by using up one special item slot)
Some minor shortcuts when backtracking through paths (not enough of them though)
Gain a dragon for fast travel about halfway through the game here too (2-3h; a bit annoying how you have to use it for every path between two locations though)
Good economy in that being careful with your money stays relevant throughout unless you take it slow and use Mash (or play really well)
Mandatory gates are often placed at the beginning of paths so that you can quickly backtrack to the map when running into them (there might still be a few paths to backtrack through leading up to that area though and there are exceptions such as a high wall in the NE totem area)
New game plus (cleared levels+items+spirits etc. will be the same as before fighting the final boss)
Some decent switch and box puzzles (red temple, factory) - at times it would've been good if the game showed exactly what pulling a switch accomplished though
Gain the fire spirit (lets you gain some HP by killing enemies here) before beating the game here
Three smart bomb style special attacks (mash - random result between attack or heal though, orona - freezes most enemies for a few seconds (actually hits further than the screen) but becomes less effective in the late game, matanune/huge sword - expensive though). Also the totem cannon sort of - costs all MP bars though
+/-
Mostly linear structure besides optional backtracking and sidetracking for upgrades and combat abilities (can take 4 paths after a couple of areas and 2-3 more paths open up for many new locations that you visit however nearly all of them are blocked off by ability gates - you can really only go to where you get the box pushing ability and then the only path where you use it which is then basically repeated for the next ability (dash jump) then again for the poison gas protection ability (you can then explore 2 paths with the "freeze fire pillars" ability but only one leads anywhere new, etc.; in other words the main progression is pretty much linear), 2-3 more with the high jump or slide ability?, can go past the water in the north before getting the antiquity/final sword, two optional bosses (can go face magister before getting past the NE totem pole) and ten optional areas+some optional (and missable) spirits, no alternate paths on the hub map during the end game in the second hub area?)
The world is divided into a number of areas (unnamed in-game and even in the manual?) which in turn are divided into several themed paths
The dungeon-like areas in some parts (also made up of several themed paths) sometimes have more than one entry point
Repeated collectathon element (5 guardian ghosts/silver spirits for the totem attack to break a barrier)
Most locations (dots on the map) can't be visited and explored - most of them simply represent the end of a path rather than a location you can visit and are where you access the shop and save screens (the training area at the beginning is an exception)
Save on the hub map screen (one slot per game only, three in total) - can't save within areas and there are no continues or lives
Can't move while crouching or attacking (can jump while attacking)
Can jump past most enemies after gaining the dash jump (works like in MMX)
Re-uses some enemies and character sprites from SK1
Can't attack upwards or downwards by default - can use the lunge attack or the first special attack
Partial life refill after finishing a path (getting to the other side of it in either direction)
Can look around but still need a soul equipped in a quick slot for it - a couple of leaps of faith before you find this ability (the camera is also too loose while falling)
Mostly pre-rendered/digitized backgrounds and some foregrounds as well (clashes a bit with the sprites and some foregrounds plus they look a bit dated)
Some pits however they don't kill you - instead you lose some health and are carried to the platform you were on previously (there's also a spirit item that reduces damage from falling into them)
Hotdogs aren't worth buying in terms of $ per HP (3 sushi are cheaper and heal more) - only in terms of space. Hamburgers aren't either but somewhat less so and you become encumbered before filling up the item inventory with either sushi, hotdogs or burgers
Enemies now drop healing items (used immediately though - you can't carry them with you) but they are rare and a tougher enemy isn't more likely to drop one
Carry capacity limitations on inventory items (better balanced due to the above but has the same weight limit issue)
Can't escape from boss battles (they tend to be surprises)
Doesn't show stronger enemies' health bars
Some of your attacks hit both in front of and behind you (CV)
Frequently respawning enemies (as soon as you leave a room/sub area)
Enemy drops do disappear but it takes 10+ seconds
Some enemies and level gimmicks are basically ripped from CV and Mario
Generally can't use a special attack in different ways by crouching or pressing up
Some resource management (chests don't respawn and enemies rarely drop money, a few ammo-based special attacks)
Short knockback when hit but also short invincibility time (can get annoying vs some enemies like the eagles that swoop back and forth quickly)
Can juggle some bosses in the air but only once
Frozen enemies still hurt when moved into meaning you can't use them as platforms
Very little gear besides accessories that expand your spirit deck slots (the sword is upgraded after beating certain bosses)
Mash is a bit overpowered (randomly heals 80 hp) but it doesn't work vs bosses. Same with Orona (freeze all on screen+even further away)
Increased AP has no effect on offensive special attacks
Lose your current weapon and have it replaced by the worst sword during the in-game intro cutscene
Can't swim (a familiar of sorts picks you up and puts you at the last platform you were standing on but you also lose a lot of HP) - in underwater areas you move around underwater so it's a bit odd
While you can upgrade your main weapon it has the same range and 3 hit combo (gaining the light sword adds a projectile option to the first special attack and the final sword makes the first special attack hit three times). Instead you find the button combo moves mentioned above
Box puzzles are pretty underused here after the early game (you just use that ability as a door opener a few times)
A little bit of mid-air control is lost if you attack in mid-air (and you stop rising if you attack at the beginning of a jump)
No double jump
Ponchi doesn't block enemies from moving into you and costs some MP+is a bit slow to activate so it's only useful in a few cases
A few NPC encounters but no neutral or friendly creatures (see SM; a couple of unkillable enemies that act more like obstacles though)
Still no breakable walls or floors besides the obvious stone block doors
-
Still no area maps and you can't check the world map while in an area (too many ability gates to remember besides the mandatory ones - while it's hard to get lost it is easy to keep taking non-essential or blocked off paths when you didn't want to, the game doesn't tell you if/how many items are left on a path, no area names on the hub map screen or title cards shown when entering them). At least the silver gear/guardian ghost locations are marked on the hub map
Some control/interface issues (since SK1: no control config and you double tap down to perform a backwards dash for dodging (also can't jump or attack cancel out of a dodge move), can't jump cancel out of an attack animation - can dodge cancel, when tapping down to crouch there's some delay before you get back up again, the game doesn't tell you what you've just picked up, some delay before an opened chest drops its contents and it's spread out a bit - breaks flow, can't tell on the map screen if you've visited a location or not (can tell if you've cleared a path however), the returning animations before using certain abilities get annoying after a while and don't add to the damage output (could've worked like this: triggers at full or near full MP and adds a little bit of a damage/effectivity boost), being able to perform abilities required for progression (like block pushing) with a button combo would've been a good alternative to switching to them in the menu, annoying delay after you're knocked down by certain enemies like the boxers, can't dash backwards during a special attack, can't attack while dashing forward (can do it while dash jumping), if touching a diagonal surface with your head in mid-air you get pulled upwards along that surface, the grappling hook controls fine but is still as slow - particularly when pulling yourself upwards, no special item inventory sorting;
New: can still be hit from above from touching an enemy while performing an uppercut slash, short gameplay freeze during killing blows AND the last hit in a combo (distracting), can't dash dodge out of a amidamaru special attack, can't switch a special item with another if it's already equipped to another slot nor de-equip an item by selecting its slot in the selection menu - have to switch with an unused item or go to the top slot to de-equip (which admittedly is still fast but still), dropped spirits can get stuck in walls (rare though), no invincibility time during the somersault attack so you can get hit if you attack something from below and then touch it, can't use certain special attacks like the whip while ducking, annoying how you bounce back after a somersault attack - means you can't easily follow it up with something else unless you cancel this with an amidamaru special, can't jump cancel out of sliding nor turn around during it and it should've been a combo move ability, weird how the end of a slope stops your lunge attack's forward movement)
Backtracking (you still have to backtrack through visited paths to go to previous locations on the map - can't just move past them on the map, if you screw up a box puzzle you have to re-enter the path instead of just moving a couple of screens away, you'll run into some temporary dead ends from ability gates pretty early on, again for the guardian ghosts/silver gear which are spread out across the world though most aren't in places you've already been this time and you can collect them all in a circular loop
Repeats various bosses from the prequel (no new patterns for these?; snowboard guy, blonde girl, dashing black guy, lee pai long, dragon guy, lyserg/chloe ability guy, etc.)
Some tedious aspects (weird final boss second phase where you're floating around in space and can only use the default special attack while he has a bunch of different ones and frequently blocks, still no MP restoratives besides some temporary ones you can find in certain areas which trigger when picked up (can break flow or make some segments harder since even dashing and sliding costs a non-negligible amount of MP), box puzzles still don't stay solved - there could've been a default ability to reset them, removed fire pillars+stone block doors+totems don't stay removed, some pointless one way paths, the underwater areas (overly slow movement until you get a spirit ability to remove it about halfway or so (but then this also restores gravity so you have to switch back and forth to get around at times), limited air, can't buy/find and carry oxygen tanks with you for them and they're a bit rare considering how quickly your air drains, small hitboxes on the fish), still has the weight mechanic - can't carry as many items as you have inventory slots, some optional areas aren't worth backtracking to - part behind a fire pillar in the SE and eastern volcanic area shortcut+behind the first red totem, eliza/poison gas protection should've been a passive+always on ability via a gear piece (some traversal abilities could've been as well), some delay before MP starts refilling after using a special attack/ability, kinda tedious dragon boss in that you can't move up slopes and have to jump instead+various periods where you can't attack, still weird how sushi weighs about as much as hamburgers when it barely heals you, if you start using an ability and it's interrupted then all the MP it cost is still wasted, a couple of parts where you have to redo a longer segment if you fall down, last area is too much of an enemy gauntlet with spongy enemies and the annoying eagles)
New enemies don't appear on previously visited paths
Some trial & error (pretty easy to miss the blocks spirit - seems optional but it's useful and a cool ability, surprise boss fights - it's a good idea to save before entering each new path, can't use the block pushing ability in mid-air, some boss patterns, some enemies aren't stunned by the lunge attack or a heavy special attack, a few cheap enemy placements near pits as well as enemies jumping into you from above, some enemies aren't affected by orona/enemy freeze, zenki description - works like a projectile shield which also damages (but doesn't block) some enemies that it touches, sometimes vague item descriptions, at the part with a bridge path in the background you still get hit by enemies on the other plane,
Tells its story mainly through dialogue with still portrait artwork and very minor animation (the intro cutscene after starting a game is also just plain text over a background (the ending is as well except the backgrounds also scroll - lame!), the one before the title screen is a bit better but also short and kind of generic). It's also kinda weird how other characters suddenly show up after beating some bosses (sometimes with no real introduction)
Some useful items are placed haphazardly instead of rewarding exploration
Tends to lack proper visual transitions between areas
Repeats some enemies in several areas and palette swaps some of them as well (makes these areas feel less unique)
Can't manually go and talk to the NPCs you've rescued here (just get some short dialogue after beating them as possessed bosses)
Some ability gates are basically locked doors (statue/totem and upgraded totem, flame pillars and green flame pillars, big boxes, poison and semi-petrifying gas filled rooms, stone block doors)
The slide isn't used to dodge with much since it gives no invincibility time
Sometimes annoying screams by Yoh/your avatar when using abilities
The Jen genie item kinda sucks (just get a single random shop item)
Various abilities are redundant or weak (shikigami/blue creature throw, cactus and shaolin/green punch after you get bason, spirit of all/mummy - movement is too slow and limited for the protection to be useful, skunk - basically a fart with a small and slow projectile, `the white paint one and the short ranged punch move you gain early on which also return from the prequel, the spinning fireballs (yamagami spirit) still kinda suck (the zenki shield has the same problem of overriding your attacks if standing close to an enemy), jack (thrown weapon) is kind of weak, konchi/stopping arrow, skelesaur/flamethrower, the little doll mascots aren't aggressive enough and do minor damage, great ogre (small mascot that flies into enemies) is weak and misspelled as well, oni fire - too slow and you can't move while charging, goror makes corey pretty much redundant (ice punch), michael (angel gun) since golem beam has a wider arc and does about the same damage+you can shoot it 5 times instead of 3, ashcroft/thrown spear, golden thunder impalement replaces the regular bason attack after picking up the upgrade item for it - (good for weak enemies but bad against most of what you face in the late game though at least you don't take damage if the enemy isn't killed here (a toggle would've been nice while the lvl 1 attack could also get a bit stronger), etc)
Some difficulty spikes (sphinx mini-boss/enemy, giant boss that chases you at first, yellow robot mini-boss before Magister if you go there as soon as you have the viking ship item set) and dips (relatively easy first phase of the final boss, red and blue flying monsters boss if you stand to either side, some safe spots (can hit some enemies through walls/floors or from far away (some like the eagles don't react to being shot) - can also do it with the tao the great and impalement abilities), grandpa/flying old man boss)
Pretty cliché story with a one dimensional villain (until the finale but then he's replaced by a completely undeveloped and one dimensional villain)
Somewhat scratchy music samples overall
Unskippable staff roll
Some slowdown at times (mostly minor)
Notes:
-Got 75 spirits, beat it on Normal, didn't beat all optional bosses