Brandish 2 - The Planet Buster (1995, (ブランディッシュ2 THE PLANET BUSTER) English, SNES/SFC Gameplay 2020)
2Brandish 2 - The Planet Buster (ブランディッシュ2 THE PLANET BUSTER) is an Action Rpg and continues where Brandish left off. Brandish 2 was released on the Super Nintendo in 1995 though it was released earlier on other systems. This version of the game was developed by Nihon Falcom, and published by Koei.
NOTE: Seven months after the original August 1995 release, Koei released Brandish 2 Expert. Like Ys V Expert, this release allows the player to select different difficulty modes on starting a new game, and also features a Time Attack Mode with the major plot bosses. This version is not to be confused with Brandish 2 RENEWAL, an updated PC-98 release with different modifications.
Graphics:
Brandish 2 just smashes the first game out of the park in nearly every way. Brandish 2's sprites are more detailed and a lot more well animated than the first Brandish, although tile-based animation is still stiff! The only real problem with the graphics I have is the lack of variety between floor tiles, walls, etc. for a given area, that's not to say that there ain't any variations at all, cos there is a couple. Spells look all okay, with each ring's attack looking different to the previous one. The game's cutscene animations are all nice and detailed and push the story forward, these all look awesome.
Music/Sound Effects:
Unlike the completely random music from the first game, the music in this game is a lot more fitting, there are still a few uncharacteristic tunes. Shop, dying, castles, caves all sound great, sort of like remixes of the original Brandish's music but different enough to give you a lot of variety. The Prison (the first level) is just one of those tunes improved and that sticks in your brain. Spell casts, sword swipes, wall crumbling, doors opening.. all sound nice and better than the first game.
Playability/Replay Value:
Brandish 1 had major problems besides that where you couldn't combine items or rearrange your equipment before you got the dimensional box, the game moved at a clunky pace, etc. Brandish 2 fixes these problems by picking up Brandish and chucking it out the window. Brandish 2 has an equipment screen so you can combine equipment at will and equip stuff whenever you want to. But what's the point of having an equip screen when you can only equip a sword, a shield, and a piece of armor? Answer: You can equip a lot more than that.
Two shields, if you want. Two swords if you're crazy. Heck, forget swords! Throughout your journey you'll get two-handed hammers, axes, and a variety of knuckles. Clunky movement is toned down by making 4 playable game speeds and making everything very, very smooth compared to the first Brandish. Combat has not been refined too much, but it feels more fun than the first Brandish. Spells aren't that useful (with the exception of the vastly overpowered teleport, thunderbolt, double, and barrier spells) There are a lot more monsters than puzzles (one of my only gripes with this game), and this game is a lot tougher than Brandish 1. If you ever want to escape the island with your life, you're going to have to buy a lot of Potions of both varieties and Elixirs, as resting will probably get you killed in the later stages of the game.
Bosses are bigger and better than ever, and manage to have some interesting variety, although there are still a few "dodge and hit" bosses. The last boss has an amazing attack variety and amazing music but still blows huge chunks, however, as... well... killing you instantly? Thank goodness for rings of life. If you loved the first Brandish, you'll love this one as much or slightly less, depending on how big a factor the puzzles were. If you hate Brandish, this game will probably just be a shinier version of the pile of crap you played earlier.
Over All:
This game is a vast improvement on the first game, and the translation is perfect also. Graphically it's better, sound has been improved on, menus have all been redesigned and vastly improved, and the story is kick ass.
Would I recommend this game now? YES! especially if you're a fan of this series.
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