No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Reviews
A fine sequel, Travis Touchdown's sophomore effort turns the mania up to eleven for an unforgettable blood-soaked thrill ride. While it's a little more generic in terms of its narrative, it makes up for this wholesale with brilliant pacing, fantastic minigames and a whole brace of new, ingenious assassins to cut to pieces. As confident a follow-up as you could ever want, this is Grasshopper at the top of their game. Another fantastic port of a fantastic title.
A superior sequel in every way, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle takes everything that made the first installment so memorable and gets rid of everything else. It also tells a more focused and mature story, though it doesn't shy away from extreme bloodletting and ridiculous humor. It's truly fantastic from start to finish.
Still, Desperate Struggle is a great action game. It has some fantastic one-liners, the end boss is a sight to behold, and there are a lot of cool moments peppered throughout. If you fully analyze the good and bad, it's no better or worse than No More Heroes. Play them both back to back while awaiting No More Heroes III.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle improves on its predecessor in nearly every way imaginable. Successfully maintaining what made No More Heroes so adored, all the while improving on the original without sacrificing the heart and soul of the game: having fun.
Fans of No More Heroes will be disappointed by this elusive sequel. It was a game made out of obligation because people wanted more No More Heroes, and lacked the inspiration that fueled the first game. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle often feels like a bargain bin action game, and the only parts that save it from being utterly repugnant is its soundtrack and amusing mini-games.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a game that takes the formula of the first game and greatly improves upon it. The action is amplified, and while the minigames are more interesting this time around, they aren't necessary if you want to beat the game. The overall streamlining keeps the gameplay rhythm going, as the pacing is much better, but the story is more straightforward and less ludicrous than before. It remains a well-done game, but it would've been better if the options for PC players were up to modern snuff.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is satirical, nonsensical, and just plain weird. It's also fast, bloody, impactful, and a few other things that I am not sure I can or should put into words. It sometimes makes the original title feel more subdued, which is strange to say since that the first game wasn't exactly tame. Given its much-improved gameplay loop, interesting side-quests, insane boss fights, and hilarious gameplay, NMH2 is indeed a wild rollercoaster ride that must be seen to be believed. If this does not get you hyped for the series' third entry, nothing will.
If you are a fan of over-the-top violent sword swinging, inappropriate humor, and cleavage shots, this is the game for you. For a casual gamer who isn't necessarily all in on the carnage, this would probably be a pass. However, it's a solid mindless distraction for the over 20 crowd. No More Heroes 2 certainly fills a niche that is typically left void in the realm of Nintendo.
Extremely well put together remasters that stay true to the original games. Travis' brash personality is fun to inhabit and the combat is still extremely satisfying. The series is well worth your time, especially if you missed out on them originally.
It’s a tough thing to make a follow-up title to a game that is revered in part because it breaks the mold...
All told, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a worthy successor to the original game, and the PC release feels well put together and worth the price of admission, perhaps even more so than the first. It’s not without its blemishes, but I’ve found the improved pacing and enhancements to the first game’s design to be meaningful enough gains to justify recommending the PC release as a great way to play and experience No More Heroes 2 for the first or fiftieth time.
All in all, the PC version of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is hopeless. I really regret having to say something like that about one of my lifelong favorite games, but stay away from the Steam version. It just isn't worth it and doesn't do justice to what the franchise represents.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Although it’s not as crazy as the first one, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is still one crazy one of a kind video game and everything else about it is better than the franchise starter. The removal of the half-baked open world is the real hero here which gives us a tighter and more enjoyable experience.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Before the Switch ports of these games, I didn’t have much interest in No More Heroes 3 or the franchise at all but now I’m eager to see where Travis Touchdown ends up.
This game certainly changes things and while some tedium is erased, the attention on the story isn’t really worth it. Still the adrenaline pumping action fun is here along with some banger tracks.
I’ve had more fun with No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle than many of the games I’ve played this year, which speaks volumes to the quality Suda51 and team continue to release; despite all my frustrations, the franchise is still one of my all-time favorites. If you’re set on picking up No More Heroes III in 2021, it’s pretty much a requirement to brush up on No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. And for $19.99? You could do a hell of a lot worse. So grab both and take a souped-up bike ride down memory lane — you won’t regret it.
No More Heroes 1 and 2 have aged like a fine wine. These cult-classics have found a new life with the definitive way to experience them on the Nintendo Switch.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle visits Nintendo Switch with a set-up similar to that of the first part. Everything we said for No More Heroes is applicable here, from its charisma and point of madness, to its powerful staging. Although the news passes only through the adaptation of the control and the visual update, it is still the best - and only - way to return to Santa Destroy in search of revenge and to prepare for the long-awaited third installment of No More Heroes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle has some great gameplay moments, even though it misses the mark on what the original did so well. The adventure hosts some great boss fights, a responsive combat system, and an unlockable difficulty mode that makes the entire experience even more enjoyable with the addition of a kick-ass soundtrack. Still, it remains in the shadow of its predecessor. It’s less goofy and more absurd and ends up being a heavy-handed retelling to correct the original’s plot. If this weren’t a sequel, I would have been praising it far more, but it spends most of its time desperately struggling to figure out what its own identity is.