The highly influential Kunio-kun side-scrolling action RPG series first debuted on arcade cabinets and Apple II computers alike. Dating back to 1986. It predates the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Streets of Rage, if you believe it. – and since then it has slowly built up quite a storied legacy spanning more than 20 game releases in Japan, though far fewer have made their way west. Recently, however, developer ArcSys streamlined Kunio-kun’s side-scrolling action-RPG formula with the help of 2017’s River City Ransom: Underground and his sequel, 2019’s River City Girls. The latter was particularly well received for its fluid combat, enjoyable soundtrack, and robust level design. Three years later, developers WayForward and ArcSys are at it again with the upcoming River City Girls 2. It’s already promised to be a worthy sequel for both brawlers and Okun fans alike, and I got the first chance to play it. As three of the six playable characters he absorbs his sequences in the first story, exploring small chunks of the sprawling map and leveling up while defeating the first boss. Buckle up because it feels like the perfect follow-up to both the original River City Girls and the more recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge.
River City Girls 2 is a pure slapstick game, centered around a cast of anime-inspired characters who are whimsical yet delightfully self-aware. All of these characters are supposed to be high school students, but they generally prefer violence that’s completely unsuitable for real-life teenagers. The whole town wants a piece of you anyway. If that helps, it’s like Cobra Kai meets One Punch Man.
There are now 6 playable characters to choose from (from the original core cast of 4). This includes the newly added Provi and Marian. The former lets you destroy the boombox with the Y button and breakdance with the B button. Yes, these are real combat moves that can deal massive amounts of damage to nearby enemies, and there are many other moves that could have been unlocked by visiting the Dojo and purchasing them with in-game currency. All of these characters seem to have their own unique fighting styles, movements, personalities, and dialogue, but I’ve only tried 3 of the 6, including Kunio and Riki. Riki does less damage per attack, but moves faster overall. New 4-player co-op mode now allows up to 4 players to occupy a single game at once, according to the developer but I wasn’t able to actually try it.
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River City Girls 2’s pixelated style is as colorful and expressive as ever, and it looks great in 2K. Having recently moved away from the compelling TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge that relied on the same art style, it’s really hard to complain. In action, everything feels as smooth as you’d expect. The environment is full of objects to tear apart and weapons to pick up, including other enemies.River City Girls 2’s map is especially nice because you can enter shops and peek into side areas along the main path. It looks free – level, at least in the beginning. Like its predecessor, it has a rich soundtrack that veers between 16-bit inspired tunes and pop songs with excellent vocals from the likes of Christina Vee and Megan McDuffie, and some of these vocals are just fine. There’s also plenty of satirical humor baked directly into the crab. It garners a lot of laughs, and many of these story moments are set in a lighthearted atmosphere that often breaks the fourth wall.
Again, we found some cool new combat features like the ability to recruit up to 2 downed enemies. It becomes an ally that can be summoned and can be brought into battle for a certain period of time, but depending on how the character’s equipment is assembled (this is an RPG), it seems that it is possible to specialize the summoning ability, so I would like them to appear more regularly. , deals more damage. I didn’t get the full extent of River City Girls 2’s progression system, but as you use your character and invest in equipment and skills, they become visibly more powerful, allowing you to combine your skills with others. It’s fun to develop.
