The
Last Blade 2
STORY:
The Last Blade is set in 1863 during the
Bakumatsu, the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate where a clash of
ideologies were fighting to decide Japan's new society. Long before humanity existed, in a
far off time of myth, death was an unknown, equally distant concept, but when
death first came to the world, the "Messenger from Afar" was born. With time, the Sealing Rite was held in order to
seal Death behind Hell's Gate. At that time, two worlds, one near and one far,
were born. Thus the history of life and death began.
Half a year has passed since Suzaku's madness,
and the underworld is still linked by a great portal. Kagami's great sin is
still heard as if ringing from the heavens. Our world has been called upon.
Legends of long ago told of the sealing of the boundary between the two worlds.
The Sealing Rite would be necessary to hold back the spirits of that far away
world. However, the Sealing Rite brings
together the power of the Four Gods and Sealing Maiden, for the first time
properly completing the ritual. To find the Sealing Maiden, Genbu began
searching in the center of the world, from which all things begin. At the same
time in the underworld, in the depths of darkness, many spirits conspired,
plotting to hinder the Sealing Rite. They had but one wish, to be reborn into
our world.
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A
decision of Power versus Speed.
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REVIEW:
Set one year after the first installment, Last Blade 2 adds three new playable characters:
Hibiki, Kojiroh, and Setsuna. Each of the newcomers retain the
"traditional" samurai style that the original Last Blade roster became
known for... although, Setsuna almost looks a bit King of Fighters-inspired
(and he's a badass). Last Blade 2's presentation doesn't disappoint, as
it includes a brand new
animated intro and all new superb-looking hand drawn backgrounds. Of course, game
and character balance has also been tweaked from the original.
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A gorgeous,
traditional 2D weapon based fighter.
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Graphically, Last Blade 2 stands out among 2D fighters
of the time... even more so than the first game. There's never a moment where Last
Blade 2 doesn't look impressive.
Before a battle starts, each stage presents a short cinematic intro... setting
the "mood" of the stage. Once the action starts, the detailed character sprites and amazing hand-drawn backgrounds
do the talking, filling the screen
with color and personality. Needless to say, Last Blade 2 is one of SNK's best-looking 2D
fighting games to date.
The orchestral style soundtrack naturally suits the game perfectly, but I'd say
some tracks are slightly too "calm" for a fighting game. The sound
effects are fantastic, with the distinguishing clanging of swords, steel cutting through
flesh, and powerful dialogue & battle cries from the characters themselves.
It all comes together exceptionally well, offering a unique presentation all
around. Of course, a fighting game can't survive on looks alone... but if one
could, Last Blade 2 would live a long life.
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"Out
of the way, brat."
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Thankfully, Last Blade 2 is still a fun and interesting 2D fighter. Like
the prequel, the gameplay is based heavily on chain combos and setting up powerful
attacks. Players can still choose between "Speed" or "Power" versions of their
characters, which greatly alters how a they play, right down to their
special moves.
Speed Mode opens up the door
to longer combo possibilities (and custom combos), while Power Mode is a more traditional and straight forward
style of 2D fighting, enabling characters to perform super moves. The counter/parry system
also returns and feels more solid than before. LB2's character variety is
still decent, but I'd consider it a step down from the likes of Samurai
Shodown series in terms of personality and interesting play-styles. LB2's roster
also isn't the most balanced one around, as there are some "cheap" tricks/combos
that can be used for easy victories, but overall... LB2 offers a solid 2D gameplay engine.
At PlayStation Experience 2015, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita ports of Last Blade
2 were announced. The updated ports were released in May 2016 and feature a
nice variety of modes (including online play) and visual options. There's even
an option to turn on "blood" which adds Samurai Shodown style
"deaths" at the end of battles.
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| Page Updated: |
September
22nd, 2023 |
| Developer(s): |
SNK |
| Publisher(s): |
SNK |
| Platform(s): |
Arcade,
NeoGeo, NeoGeo CD, Dreamcast, PS2, PS4, Vita, Windows
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| Artwork By: |
TONKO Character Design / Promo Art |
| Release Date(s): |
Nov. 25th, 1998
 Arcade
1998
 Arcade
Jan. 28th, 1999
/ NeoGeo
Feb. 27th, 1999
NeoGeo CD
Dec. 21st, 2000
Dreamcast
Aug. 6th, 2001
Dreamcast
Jan. 12th, 2006
PS2
- in NeoGeo Online Collection
May 25th, 2016
PS4 / PSVita |
| Characters: |
Kaede,
Moriya Minakata,
Hibiki Takane,
Setsuna, Yuki,
Juzoh Kanzaki,
Akari Ichijo, Hyo
Amano,
Shigen,
Zantetsu,
Mukuro, Keiichiro
Washizuka, Lee Rekka,
Genbu no Okina,
Kojiroh Sanada, Shinnosuke
Kagami,
Kouryu, Musashi
Akatsuki
(console) |
| News
Links: |
December
2022: SNK Shares 25th Anniversary Last Blade Art |
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Featured Video:
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| Related Games: |
The Last Blade, The
Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny,
Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Samurai
Shodown 4, Samurai Shodown 2, Samurai Shodown, Soul Blade, Soul Calibur, Bushido
Blade 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street
Fighter III: 2nd Impact, The King
of Fighters '98, Guilty Gear, JoJo's
Bizarre Adventure, Fatal Fury Real Bout 2,
Martial Masters,
Asura Blade, NeoGeo
Battle Coliseum |
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Gameplay
Engine
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8.5 / 10
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Story
/ Theme
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8.5 / 10
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Overall
Graphics
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9.0 / 10
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Animation
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9.0 / 10
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Music
/ Sound Effects
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8.5 / 10
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Innovation
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7.0 / 10
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Art Direction
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9.0 / 10
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Customization
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8.0 / 10
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Options / Extras
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7.5 / 10
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Intro / Presentation
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8.5 / 10
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Replayability / Fun
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7.0 / 10
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"Ouch" Factor
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7.5 / 10
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Characters
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8.0 / 10
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BOTTOM LINE
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8.6 /
10
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Review based on Arcade
version
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| Final
Words: |
You might say
The Last Blade 2 was a "sleeper hit" by SNK... if there ever was one.
Last Blade's traditional warriors are a bit more fleshed out this time
around, but still aren't the most "exciting" fighting game characters around (in
1998, that is). 1998-1999 was a very competitive time in the fighting genre, making it understandable why Last Blade 2 was a very overshadowed fighting game game that flew under the radar.
As technical and as fun as it
is, the gameplay still leaves something to be desired. As a Samurai Shodown fan, I
can't help but directly compare LB2 to the fun of Samurai Showdown 2 or Samurai Shodown 4 (released 2 years prior). As a matter
of fact, it's difficult not to think "Damn, I wish I could pick
Genjuro." in Last Blade 2... but that's just me. On
that note, a Samurai Shodown VS Last Blade crossover really should've happened back then.
 It would've been great for both franchises, and that way Last Blade 2 would've gotten a sequel at least.
Don't get me wrong, Last Blade 2 is a gorgeous game and it's even worth
getting good at (and unbalances as it is)... but, I still don't find it to be as fun or as solid as other 2D
fighters from the era. I put a few hundred competitive matches into LB2, but as
far as 2D weapon-based combat goes, I strongly prefer the characters and gameplay of Samurai Shodown. Tough competition, I know! Compared to some other fighting games of the time, Last Blade 2 was definitely a trailblazer and ahead of it's time.
The Last Blade 2 is a must-play SNK fighting game. If you enjoy
traditional sword-based characters and combat, you may quickly fall in love with various aspects of
this
game. As underrated and under-appreciated as it is, Last Blade 2 is
pound for pound one of SNK's all time best. Sadly, there was never a sequel
made. However, several of Last Blade's characters crossed over to other
titles such as NeoGeo Battle Coliseum (2005).
~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen
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