When you think of a KOEI developed game the first thing that comes to your mind might be the mighty Dynasty Warriors franchise, and with good reason. These talented developers have helped raise the hack-and-slash genre out of the grave, mixing in new gameplay elements to help prevent the much-anticipated repetition that goes along with this genre. The high points in each of their games include an immersive storyline, good graphics, smart AI, and many other things.

Early last year, KOEI released an entirely new hack-and-slash game entitled: Crimson Sea, for the Microsoft Xbox. While it was a good game in its own right, it did have a few things that it could have fixed. KOEI decided to bring back Sho and the IAG for another adventure, but this time it will be on the PlayStation2, and I believe that the game is even better than the original! Read on to find out why.

One of the best things about Crimson Sea 2 is the immersive storyline that grasps hold of your imagination and never lets go until you see the final ending screen. A hostile alien race dubbed the “Menace” has attacked the Theophilus Solar System without warning. They are taking over all of the planets at a very rapid rate, due to the way they reproduce. They insert a “plug” into other beings (from insects to humans), and it morphs them into their own species. The planets call upon the IAG (Intelligence Agency of the Galaxy) once again to help fight off these fearsome creatures. After a short time, even the IAG could not stand up to the power of these new aliens.

Even though everything seems to be falling to the wayside, mankind still has one hero they can turn to: Sho: Hero of the Ekdahl Wars. Two years ago he helped save Theophilus from a threat that was just as dangerous as this one. Now that Sho is helping prevent mankind’s extinction, will that be enough to stop the “Menace?” Only time will tell!

The game flows like this: players select a mission they want to embark upon. Than you get transported to the mission area, and from there you will have to complete your mission objectives. While on each mission your main objective is to try to obtain an “S rank” in each category, and if you get this than you will be given a bonus. Than you will go back to the ship and repeat. While this sounds repetitive it really isn’t, because each of the missions offers some variety. Also players can go to the transporter room and go into any of the previously completed levels to try and level up your character and weapons.

To help prevent any repetition that hack-and-slash games are so well known for, the developers threw twists on many of the missions that you must undertake. Not only will you have to kill hordes of dangerous enemies, you will have certain conditions that you will have to play with. Sometimes you are under a time limit, other times you might have to escort an NPC to safety, and the best ones occur when you go to places where it is not safe for you to use a gun, so you have to fight the entire level using nothing but your blade weapons.

The upgrading system of the weapons is really deep, and has an RPG feel to it. Players must collect items called “Origins.” Then players can go into the Origins screen and selected the weapon to upgrade and apply some Origins to them. The more you apply the stronger the weapons can become. This is really a great way to level up the weapons since you have complete control over what you want to upgrade!

Besides guns and blade weapons, players have the ability to use NeoPsionics, which is a very powerful attack that only Vipa’s can perform; it is similar to a magic attack. There are also Overdrives which is a super powerful attack, and also a Gravity Blade, which is a powered up blade attack. Also players have the ability to slow time down so they can kill a lot of enemies in a short period of time. The object of the player is to combine all of the attacks at their disposal to try to get the biggest combo time, and eliminate the most enemies.

There have been many changes between the first and the second game; and one of the biggest is that players can choose between two different characters to play as: Sho and Feanay. While they are basically have the same set of moves, they are really different. Sho is more of a powerhouse and Feanay provides quick and agile moves. Getting to choose between the two of them really helps give the game even more variety.

Since Crimson Sea 2 is on a completely different gaming platform, KOEI did one of the best things. If you go into a certain room on the IAG ship, you will find a person who offers to tell you the entire story of the original Crimson Sea, via cut screens and some of the original CGI clips. I think that this was an ingenious idea, since many people might not have gotten a chance to play the original, especially since it is on two different systems.

In a surprising turn of events, Crimson Sea 2 looks better than the Xbox original. The biggest way to tell the difference is if you compare the character models of the main characters in both games. For example Sho has more vibrant textures and color variation on his clothing. Even the enemies the players face in the game looks a whole lot better and benefit from better texturing.

Also the environments players must traverse look a whole lot better in this game. It is the subtle effects that make it look so much better, such as the water in certain levels, and the dark dingy towns you must go though. The effects from all of the weapons in the game also are well done, the lighting from the gunfire and enemy explosions look really nice. Another thing that this game does right is the CGI work. The game’s CGI is almost up to par with the likes of Square-Enix and other talented CGI crews.

Unlike many other games that are in this genre, the camera work is nothing short of greatness. The developers must have worked long and hard to make sure that they have employed the best camera control that you could have ever wanted in a game of this caliber. While playing though this game I never encountered any problems with the camera. The AI for the camera is really intelligent and if by chance you ever get stuck into a corner it is as easy as moving the right analog stick over slightly and you are back and ready for action!

Sound and voiceovers for Crimson Sea 2 are done very well. The music that you will hear on each of the levels really brings you into how it might feel to be fighting in all those strange places, because the music so perfectly fits the place you are at any given time. The voiceovers for the game are also well done. The actors are very professional and the voices they provide really fit well with each of the characters. The only downside is the sound effects are kind of left out in the cold. While they aren’t bad, it is just that the get old after a while.

This game offers something that the original did not, and that is two different multiplayer modes: Team Battle and Versus mode. In Team Battle, two players can go though any of the single-player missions that the player has already completed. Versus mode allows two different players to duke it out in a deathmatch. Even though these don’t feel as solid as the single-player missions, it is great that the developers put this in there to help provide the game even more replayability.

Crimson Sea 2 is rated T for Teen for animated blood, suggestive themes, and fantasy violence. It requires up to 171kb on your memory card.

Gameplay: 8.9
Crimson Sea 2 provides players with gaming bliss. First they have a really immersive storyline, then a great fighting engine that hardly ever gets stale, and a wonderful camera. KOEI has done a really great job with this game, and it defiantly shows.