Suda51 keeps his offbeat style and absurd humour, but it's the return of beam-katana brawling and unhinged mini-games that stick. More generous than the first game, uneven at times, always proud of its punk identity.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player18+
Description
Travis Touchdown returns and climbs the assassin rankings to avenge a friend, beam katana in hand. Published by Marvelous, released worldwide in 2020. Snappy beam-katana combat, outlandish bosses, retro mini-games between missions and irreverent humour.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Reconnecting with the beam katana here means clashes that are more generous and better paced than the first game's, propped up by zany mini-games that air out the progression. A few uneven stretches and a wayward camera show their age, but the directness of the hits and the boss flair stay delightful. Ideal for anyone wanting the series' punk spirit in a more accessible shape.
Bigger, crazier: No More Heroes 2 multiplies its assassins and varies the formats, alternating classic duels with unexpected set pieces. The Beam Katana still strikes to a tempo of dodges and resets, yet each fight chases an offbeat twist, from a deranged giant to a surprise challenge. That unpredictability, charged by an electrifying soundtrack, is the heart of every clash.
A questionable morality
Climbing the assassin rankings with a beam katana is the ambition of an otaku hero driven more by glory and money than by any noble cause. We methodically eliminate rival killers while savoring a cheekily provocative humor, without dwelling too much on the line of work involved. Watching a goal this trivial — becoming number one — legitimize such a pile of corpses is irresistibly offbeat.
