Toukiden 2: New Age of Demons
Koei Tecmo was awfully stingy with Toukiden 2 details after announcing it at Tokyo Game Show last year, but provided enough to indicate how it would greatly differ from its predecessor. Instead of quests and environments being separated into various zones like Toukiden: The Age of Demons (and enhanced version Toukiden Kiwami), its sequel would embrace the open world trend. That it was announced simultaneously for all currently-supported PlayStation platforms also showed how it wouldn’t be as constrained by its hardware, which meant this title wouldn’t be debuting on Vita. It was Koei Tecmo’s attempt at making a Monster Hunter-alike, though for the platform competing with the system (3DS) actual MH’s installments released on.
The first game’s Vita origins couldn’t have been more apparent when played on other platforms. My experience was limited to its PS4 demo, and it was all I needed to understand how it was best enjoyed on a handheld. Its short quests were intended to be digested in short bursts, and its small zones were even more claustrophobic than many found in PS2 action titles. Its earliest aspects involved constantly returning to its main town to accept quests and venturing to the same fields to fulfill them, and repeating this ad infinitum. While games shouldn’t be judged by their earliest hours, this was one of the least encouraging openings I’d experienced in recent memory. Needless to say, by embracing an open world format, the sequel already sounds better.
That the PS4 port wasn’t as polished as other Vita remasters, like Tearaway Unfolded and the recent Gravity Rush Remastered, didn’t help. And that’s not even getting into the inconsistently optimized PC port.
The reveal of Toukiden 2 occurred this week, and its first screens show how significant a leap this will be from its processor in terms of presentation and gameplay. The upcoming Attack on Titan game was the first title Koei Tecmo started on PS4 before porting it to other platforms, and it’s visibly apparent this title is following in its footsteps, and makes its predecessor look like a beta. That they’re putting so much cash into this is perhaps indicative of how they intend to attract a larger audience with this — especially outside Japan.
In fact, it looks reminiscent of Dragon’s Dogma, albeit with Japanese mythological themes replacing the medieval fantasy material. Given the chance of Capcom making a sequel (read: it’s pretty damned low), this could be a good alternative.
Toukiden 2 will provide serious gameplay modifications, but will keep the first game’s concept of characters hunting demons of various sizes. The protagonist (male or female) is an amnesiac who resides in Mahoroba Village, and becomes part of a group of slayers whose duty is to battle oni. The player will again be joined by a cast of colorful characters, in full display of Koei Tecmo’s ability to take liberties with Japanese history, similar to the company’s Warriors games. In their defense, they never promised these games would recreate battles which actually took place in ancient Japan.
Those other characters include Hakase, a young doctor responsible for researching and developing devices and mechanical equipment, which she can create after excavating ruins. Given her age, she certainly qualifies as an “anime doctor.” She uses a large gun which almost looks too unwieldy for her in battle. One of her creations is Tokitsugu, a marionette with the soul of a brave human residing inside. He uses an even bigger gun. Finally, there’s…Gwen!? She’s a British woman who resided in Yokohama, but found her way to Mahoroba Village after encountering an oni. She’s a Sword Shield user. Expect more characters to be revealed as the game’s release date nears, with portraits from character designer Hidari.
Also like its predecessor, the focus of large-scale battles will involve dismembering large oni, though with a heavier focus on strategy. The developers are promising that oni will shift attack patterns based on which limbs they lose first. They’ll be found roaming around a variety of locations the player can explore at their will, meaning the game won’t be holding your hand along the way. I can’t see experimentation and freedom of exploration being a bad thing for a title like this on paper, but let’s hope Koei Tecmo’s developers are good at crafting a compelling open world; that’s far easier said than done.
There’s no definitive release date for Toukiden 2 in Japan, but it’s planned to arrive sometime this year. Meanwhile, the first game reportedly didn’t sell too well here on any system, but this title should be an easier sell outside Japan due to its open world nature. If it hits Japan late in 2016, it may not arrive in western territories until early 2017. Keep an eye out for a trailer containing gameplay, which should arrive in the near future.
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Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
