Onechanbara Z2: Chaos Reviews
If ever a game was made to put (mostly) buxom girls in bikinis and have them fight, this is the culmination of that. And hey, there's a time and a place for such things (again, LC comes to mind). Otherwise, there are so many other, better, more fulfilling beat-'em-ups to dive into. Why bother with this one-trick pony?
If the PlayStation 4 wasn't filled with far better action games, then Onechanbara Z2: Chaos could be cautiously recommended. Sadly, there are much better games available on the system with fleshed out battle systems that put this to shame. Onechanbara Z2: Chaos isn't a terrible game, it just manages to be mediocre in almost every aspect.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos aims to be a garish, hyper-sensory accelerant of calculated brawling and provocative identity. It hits some of its marks—a generous frame-rate and a firm commitment to kitsch melodrama among them—but it's closer to the edges boredom and mediocrity. For a game meant to elicit a range of responses, all that it leaves the player is trite indifference.
A somewhat flawed game with a pretty fun and hectic combat system. Beware, the game is definitely hyper-sexualized.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is one of the better entries in the eleven year old series, but that's not saying much. There's a decent level of character customization, relatively fluid swordplay and a ton of fan service to be found.
So overall, if you're interested in Onechanbara Z2: Chaos, I'd say give it a go. It has some tedious level design such as the repetitive task of clearing multiple rooms, and it doesn't have the most interesting of stories, but the combat mechanics are definitely solid enough to have kept me entertained. It's fun enough that anyone who likes to slice up hordes of enemies and go for high scores will definitely have a good time with it, but anyone expecting a little more out of their package might not feel as satisfied.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos could have been decent, but it seems content to revel in mediocrity.
'Onechanbara Z2: Chaos' isn't a particularly bad game. Taking the good with the bad, it lays decidedly on average, with a bit of quirkiness that's sure to appeal to a specific type of fan. However, it's far from a shining example of the genre, and with better action games having been released for the same system for a lower price, it's difficult to recommend this title to any but diehard action game fans. There's certainly a bit to like about this title, but it's only there for those who look beyond what's skin deep.
It’s hard for me to agree on the $50 price point for what’s in the box. It is good mindless fun or a challenge depending on how you want to play. If you like these types of games you shouldn’t hesitate to try it out!
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is essentially Devil May Cry on what feels like a budget of about £20, which is funny, since you can buy the far superior Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition on the PS4 for that same amount of money. To be fair, though, Z2 Chaos does have its fun moments, and it's kept afloat by a decent combat system that has a lot to offer once you've got a handle on the controls. It's not a totally brain dead release, but it's hard to recommend when it's launching on a console that already boasts several better action games.
Confusing story-line leaves you muddled, though there's plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and entertaining combat to enjoy amidst the head-noddingly cool soundtrack.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos offers up a campy, but repetitive monster-slaying bloodbath. Gameplay is straightforward enough to allow button mashing, but the underlying systems give action game fans something more substantial to sink their teeth into.
Although Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is certainly fun to play through, it does fall short in too many ways to look at it as much more than an average experience. If you enjoy button mashing, fan service laden zombie slaying, this game is for you. For everyone else, you may want to do your research before committing to this title.
Messy, dirty, and downright smutty, Onechanbara: Z2: Chaos is the very epitome of a guilty pleasure.
Although it boasts a fun and fluid combat system, Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is far too short on content and surprisingly bloated with superfluous ideas.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos promises two things: fan service and zombie killing. It delivers on that but not much else. XSEED's lively translation and the sheer fun of zombie killing make it an enjoyable enough romp, but low production values and repetitive gameplay really drag it down. It's difficult to fault a game for wearing its heart on its sleeve, but it feels like more time was spent on skimpy costumes than level design. It's slightly cheaper than most games but not cheap enough to be an impulse buy. You'll get plenty of what Onechanbara offers, but don't expect much else.
Ultimately, Onechanbara Z2 Chaos is just a fun game. There isn't anything particularly notable about it, but it's fun to play through and mess around with. Unfortunately, it doesn't do anything well enough to rise out of mediocrity, despite having enough potential to do so. It just screams cheesy chanbara B movie.
As myself someone who grew up watching exploitation films, studied them at university, and have generally remained a fan of the kitsch aesthetic, Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is a resounding success as both an example of the genre and a homage to everything that makes it fun. That kitsch style is quite clearly the only thing Tamsoft wanted to achieve in this project, and weighed against that target, it absolutely hits the bullseye. This is a B-grade game in every sense of the word, but it is so ridiculously good, gory, chesty fun that I was truly mesmerised from start through finish.
Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is certainly unique. There isn't much like it, both in terms of content and…well other assets. It is great to see the improvements they have made, and they clearly know what the fans of their series want. For better or worse, I mean the physical edition comes packed with a costume I can't even post a screenshot of, it's that bad. If you think you will like Z2 Chaos, you probably will, it is clear what this game is aiming for, but it also ends up being a pretty decent action game as well.