DB:O2 Critics' Reviews

[shenron]

Hey,



I've gathered together some critics' reviews of Dragon Ball: Origins 2:

• GamesTemple Review - Overall, Dragon Ball Origins 2 is a good action game with enough fan service to keep the hardcore set happy and gameplay that will keep non-fans busy and engaged as well. It just never manages to coalesce into a show-stopping, memorable experience. Anyone who gives the game a chance will most likely find something in it they enjoy, but don’t expect people to be talking about this one in the months and years to come.
• GameZone Review - Dragon Ball: Origins 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but as far asby-the-book sequels are concerned, this is one of the best. It is awonderful extension of the original that corrects some of thepredecessor’s issues while increasing the challenge and improving thebattle variety. The lack of save options is frustrating, but as agamer, you’re guaranteed to have endured worse for far less of areward. Don’t let Origins 2’s mistakes deter you from playing a gamethat will be remembered for its successes, not for its faults.
• GameSpot Review - At first glance, Dragon Ball: Origins 2 appears poised to follow in thefootsteps of its predecessor, an enjoyable adventure with gameplaystrong enough to appeal to diehard followers of the anime and theuninitiated alike. But that impression quickly fades, courtesy of thissequel's wildly uneven difficulty and determination to punish you forfailure. Origins 2 does have its charms, but they exist in the shadowof its baffling frustrations.
• Siliconera Review - The most important point, that everyone should take away, is that Dragon Ball: Origins 2, like the original Dragon Ball: Origins, isn’t just for fans of the Dragon Ball anime or manga series. It’s a well crafted adventure. The story is fairly interesting and, while playing the original Dragon Ball: Origins may help, it isn’t necessary before jumping into Dragon Ball: Origins 2.Most importantly, it helps improve on the original game by givingplayers the opportunity to play as characters other than Goku, and addsa little bit of variety and multiplayer with the Survival Tower.

Thoughts? Do you agree with these reviews?

[ClawStriker]

I thought the game was good

[shenron]

Another review:

• BlogCritics - Namco Bandai Games has just issued Dragon Ball: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS, and is a worthy follow-up to the first edition. As the title implies, the Origins series traces the beginnings of the Dragon Ball universe. Dragon Ball: Origins 2 continues the story of young Goku and the allies he meets along the way, who are facing off against the demonic Red Ribbon Army.

[Mystic]

I'm surprised IGN hasn't reviewed it already. Especially after loving the first game. Handheld games need more attention. It's good to see this game is still getting generally good reviews though. They are right, the higher costs of the items and increased difficulty of the boss fights makes this game more challenging. I'm glad they included buttons otherwise I don't think I would have gotten through some of those fights.

[TheBlackChidori]

IGN did make a review. But its actually a preview.

IGN Preview of Dragon Ball: Origins 2

Back in 2008, Namco Bandai released Dragon Ball: Origins, a surprisingly fun homage to the classic manga series. It was like Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, starring monkey-tailed Goku. Next month the saga continues with Dragon Ball: Origins 2, allowing gamers to experience the next couple chapters of the story. Origins 2 is an action/adventure game where players control Goku (back when he was a little kid). There's a lot of RPG elements to the game, but like we said it plays more like the DS Zelda games. Using either the D-pad or the touch screen, players run around the world, beating up bad guys and looking for the mysterious and elusive Dragon Balls. The game focuses on Goku's entanglement with the Red Ribbon Army, a group of soldiers looking for the Dragon Balls in order to take over the world. If you're not a hardcore fan of the series, or didn't play the first game there will be a bit of a disconnect. But the game does have a short summary at the beginning, and honestly it's a pretty basic story: boy wants dragon balls, bad guys do, too. Fight! One of the best parts about the first game is how slick the graphics were, and that appears to be fully intact with this version. All the cutscenes are fully 3D modeled, and there's even a healthy amount of voicework from what we've seen so far.

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The combat in Origins 2 is pretty slick. Goku has two attack styles (his fists or his staff) and can switch between them on the fly. There are a number of simple combos to pull off which are useful for chaining attacks together and taking out foes before they gang up on you. The button controls are easy to use, but the stylus controls give a bit more precision when targeting multiple opponents. The section I played was Goku's meetup with Colonel Silver, one of the top officers for the Red Ribbon Army (and a rather flamboyant dresser!). As Goku progressed I took out lesser officers, as well as some unfriendly wildlife. Since the whole game is an overhead camera there doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of secret paths or anything. Goku jumps automatically when he comes to chasms, and can swing from his tail between branches. At the end of the three levels I fought Colonel Silver in a boss battle. It works the same as all the other combat in the game. The game is surprisingly intense. Even for a first boss it was fairly difficult, especially after Silver pulled out a bazooka. Making sure to keep your bag stocked with health replenishing items, and searching around the levels for the powerup items is definitely going to be required. Also interesting was that after we beat the third level in episode 1, it unlocked the first level in Episode 2. The episodes are based around the locations of the story, so they jump around, which mixes up the visuals and characters.

Dragon Ball: Origins 2 is looking like a worthy successor to the first. If you're a fan of the manga or anime, this is definitely a title to keep your eye on.

[Mystic]

Finally, IGN reviewed the game. They gave it a 7.5. The overall metacritic is 70 now, an 8 point drop off from the first game. Thats strange I think this game did everything better than the first game. Oh well you can't please them all.

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