Big Game Hunting

Games of the hunting genre, often referred to as “Monster Hunter clones,” are still amo??ng those foreign video game curiosities that just can't seem to grab western audiences the way it has in Japan.

One of the main reasons why it has not attained the same level of success in the west is that most hunting games have stubbornly clung onto dated conventions set by Monster Hunter back in 2004 and still carry on today.

Well, it's 2017 and we nee??d something more modern.

Toukiden 2 (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Vita)
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Released: July 28, 2016 (JP), March 21, 2017 (NA), March 24, 2017 (EU)
MSRP: $59.99 (PS4, PC), $39.99 (Vita)

When the first Toukiden came out a few years ago, it provided a hunting game with a satisfying action combat experience from the creators of Dynasty Warriors series and featured a very Japanese flavor. In the world of Toukiden 2, it has been two years since the first gam?e and a decade since the "Awakening" when evil Oni (demon) monsters appeared to destroy mankind. The few humans left have only survived thanks to the Slayers, warriors ?who fight the Oni horde using Samurai weapons and magic.

Those who missed out on the first Toukiden can easily just jump into this title without prior knowledge of the story. At its core, Toukiden 2 is still a hunting game where you go through the motions: fight monsters, gather items, use items to make better gear, and repeat. However, Omega Force returns again to give the genre a sorely needed impr?ovement to the formula.

Toukiden 2 features a new open world map for the single-player story mode??, which is a first for the genre, for players to explore and hunt. Previous hunting games only offered small hubs that were more utilitarian wherein players selected missions from a menu. This open world features a small village that serves as a hub for a large map filled with varying terrain and locations. This ne??w feature adds tremendously to the game’s narrative and world building, since many of these hunting games usually show so very little of the world you live in or are trying to save.

The large open map's style leans ??more towards an MMO??RPG or Borderlands than an open world game like Skyrim with areas that are only f?ille??d with enemies to fight and items to gather. There are large sections of the map known as the “Otherworld” that are divided in different “Ages.” These Ages have themes tied into the???? different past eras of Japan.

At first, these areas will be enshrouded by deadly poisonous miasma emitted by the Oni invasion. This serves as a tim??e limit for exploring these areas and it’s an automatic game over when you are reach the maximum exposure level. These are easily cleared out as you go along the game to a negligible level.

This new open world format breaks up the monotony of item gathering that plagued hunting games. Repeatedly playing the same missions over and over just to farm particular materials (even though the latest Monster Hunter has made that part easier for certain items) has now taken a backseat to the action. Players now have the option to just run outside the gates of the hub village and start heading towards the target item's location. This open concept also has ??fast travel points that can be found through exploring the map.

The areas might get a little confusing due to areas looking very much the same and?? players might end up getting lost a lot and having to consult that map often. But once you learn the lay of the land, traversal is a bit easier but consulting the map is still required. It’s easier to navigate on the PS Vita version, which has a lot less environmental elements such as trees and rocks, which does not really detract from the experience since they are purely cosmetic.

The open world also allows for different RPG-styled quests to be done across the map with the usual fetch quests, scavenger hunts, and "kill X type/amount of enemies." Some of these little quests have their own stories and give the world a bit more life. These quests can get stale due to the limited nature of the quests but there are a reasonable amount they never overstay their welcome. There are also collectibles and regenerating item pickup spots scattered across the map that ?add incentive for exploration.

I’ve made the comparisons to Borderlands’ open world style in Toukiden 2 but the open world is strictly only available in single-player mode. Multiplayer is limited to the “Phase Missions” which is the traditional mission system found in hunting games and are conducted in small limited sectioned-off areas from the overworld map. This is one of the biggest disappointments in the game and the open world exploration could have been so much fun with other real people, something we can only hope to possibly see in the next iteration of Toukiden.

Toukiden 2 is one of those hunting games that actually has a story. It's very much helped by the new open world format that helps in the world building, especially showing how all the places connect together which gives a sense of a world. It takes place in Mahoroba village where the player character is thrust into all kinds of stuff such as internal politics and a bigger plot in the? background. The story is decent but enough to get players going onto the next monster to take down.

As with the hunting genre, there is no leveling up levels but the Toukiden series has something close to leveling up using Mitamas. These are the souls of fallen warriors, some are based on real-life Japane??se historical figures, which can be equipped to provide different battle styles and boosts for your characters, and u??????????????????????????sing them in battle makes them stronger. There are about 200 different Mitamas and equipping each will yield different skills and boosts for combat.

Three Mitamas can be equipped in three different slots: Battle Skills, Evasion Skills, and Attack Skil?ls. Mitamas will have different effects and battle styles depending on which slot they’re equipped on. There are about 11 different battle styles: ranging from the general ATK batt??le style that specializes in attacks, a more defensive battle style like DEF, to the support battle styles like HLG, which focuses on healing. There are all kinds to suit different roles and styles for the right situation.

There are over 11 weapons in Toukiden 2 providing different styles of play: from the well-rounded Sword to fast slashing dual Knives to more complicated weapons such as the bow and the rifle. You can somewhat mash your way with some weapons like in the Dynasty Warriors games but some weapons require a good amount of learning and a lot timing. Weapons such as the rifle and bow do n??ot work like they do in shooting games, so you have to time your shots well and learn the particular way the weapons function as well as to effectively use it in combat.

A new feature in Toukiden 2 are Joint Operations, which are points in the open world map where players can run into other online connected human player's AI controlled avatars e?ngaged in combat with a mob of enemies. Once the enemy mob is cleared, the AI controlled avatar will join as a fifth party member which makes fighting large enemies easier. If  the character was from a human player, a data exchange will occur. If a player is offline, a generic stock character will be in the Joint Operation.

Another new addition in Toukiden 2 is the Demon Hand and functions similarly to the grappling hook-like glowing wrist thing called Thorn from Freedom Wars. This adds vertical movement to the combat such as pulling your character up towards tall enemies to attack higher parts of the Oni. However, it doesn’t have that bit in Freedom Wars where you can latch onto the enemy and directly cut off pa??rts.

The Demon Hand also has different abilities such as pulling down large enemies and? a very useful sp??ecial move that cuts off an Oni part in one hit. It’s also used in the exploration of the overworld which can be useful for the occasional high ledge and crossing over gaps.

New smaller features allow players to send out a little upgrade-able helper robot that gathers items in real time while in the game. There are also magical foxes called Tenkos that can raised and equipped with Mitamas that can help in combat.

Graphically, the PlayStation 4 version looks slightly better than an early cross-generation game because it is just that -- Toukiden 2 is also on PlayStation 3 (only in Japan) and PlayStation Vita. The environments are a bit plain but the character models are great, which is good because those are what you’re gonna b?e looking at a lot. The performance on PlayStation 4 is great with a very fluid framerate, while the Vita version may dip in the mid 20s from t??ime to time but is still very playable.

Like an MMORPG, there’s a bit of that jank in the in-game cutscenes. The stories are delivered in a canned manner, due to the game’s limited set number of character animations. While these seem like primitive in a game that elevates the genre, it gets the job ?done. The pre-rendered cinematics do look well-made when they pop up from time to time.

The voice acting is great, with a Japanese cast featuring a lot of seasoned voice actors that have been in many anime and video games. Toukiden 2 could have used an English dub or more subtitles since there is rather charming random in-game chatter from party members in Japanese that I somewhat understand with my very limited beginner Japanese language ski??lls.

Like other similar games, it still takes a while to get going but there’s enough new stuff to see and do that can keep players busy while the game slowly opens itself up.?? There’s a lot in Toukiden 2 -- it is t??he most accessible?? and most modern entry in the genre so far. It’s the perfect gateway to hunting games that will surely attract newcomers and please fans of the genre.

Toukiden 2 is a great leap towards a much-needed evolution, an?d it dares to add new things and challenge tradition. Hunting games usually get an enhanced edition that adds all kinds of stuff an??d I eagerly await what Omega Force will bring on next time around. In the mean time, I’m gonna play more of this game for a few dozen more hours.

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Devilishly cheap

Head over to Steam right now and find today's release of action RPG Toukiden 2 with a 10% promotional discount. It's a typical release-week discount for the Koei Tecmo PC port, but you can pick up the game much cheaper on PC at GMG. At the digital retailer, the same Steam key release day deal is 23% off with a much larger price break to $46.

Toukiden 2 Deal

• Toukiden 2 (Steam) — $45.99  (list price $60)
• Login or create an account for the best "VIP" discount

The discount at GMG will require you to e?ither login or ?create an account in order to get the final price. Once logged in the game is $45.99, or $14 off the $60 list price.

Earlier today we saw the game jump on the Steam top sellers carts to #2 behind NieR: Automata. That was early in the day, and this afternoon it has fallen slightly lower to the #3 slot due to GTA V's 50% off deal. While reviews are s??o far a bit mixed, ?the sales number looks favorable for this PlayStation port.

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Coming soon in Europe

If you didn't get a chance to create or access your Japanese PSN account to dig into Toukiden 2, now is your shot since it's even easier to do.

The demo is up in North America, and is coming to Europe on March 17. Like many Koei Tecmo games it's referred to as a "carryover demo," so you can play it and transfer your save over if you opt ??for the full version eventually. It clocks in at 7.1GB on PS4, and 1.4GB on the Vita.

Or, if you prefer to not actually play it, you can watch the intro below. Our review will be coming within the next week or so, as the full US rel?ease is March 21.

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It seems alright so far

Toukiden 2 arrived in Japan in July of 2016, but given its niche premise of fighting o??ni during the Meiji era of Japan, it makes perfect sense that it's been held until "spring 2017" for the west. Koei Tecmo ??gave me the opportunity to test out a demo build of the game in advance, and for the most part, it's more of the same.

Depending on your experience with the original, that could be a good or a bad thing. I'm pretty much inline with Kyle's assessment from 2014, as?? I found it to be one of Omega Force's less inspired works, despite the supernatural premise. The sequel, at least in this early build right now even has some translation typos, and not a whole lot that sets it apart f?rom the pack at the moment.

Get a look at t??he first 15 minutes for yourself, and stay tuned for our official revie??w closer to launch.

The post Get a look at the first 15 minutes of Toukiden 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

From the makers of WinBack

After some anxiety, Toukiden 2 finally has platforms and release dates for the west: March 21 for America and March 24 for Europe on PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC via Steam. Alongside this announcement, Koei?? Tecmo re??leased a new trailer showing off some new characters and a new village.

Pre-ordering from Gamestop, Amazon, EB Canada, or Best Buy will net you the "Tenko Costume arm?or" which "allows Slayers to dress?? up as their fluffy companions." You'll also get skill and ability boosting "Mitama" for Sanada Masayuki, Sanada Noboyuki, Sarutobi Sasuke, and Chiku Rin In.

I'll admit it: when I first saw news o?f this game pop up in my e-mail I thought "Toki-who?" After seeing Jordan make little hesitation in writing up that news I figured I should at least give it a shot. So with my sexy new router I downloaded the demo on PS4. In fact I downloaded a bunch of junk demos, so I was ready to hit ??that home button if it went south, but it didn't. It was awesome. I tried using the ball and sickle which I'm not yet sure is my style but I like the unique fighter types and the combat itself.

Granted I never invested in a Vita so stuff like this and Soul Sacrifice slipped by me, but I love moments like this where I discover something great I didn't know about before. Kind of like when I bought The Orange Box back in high school and said "Portal? What is this thing?" In any case, I want to try to play the first Toukiden now.

The post Toukiden 2 coming to PS4, PC, and yes,? Vita in late March appeared first on Destructoid.

Platforms to be announced

Oni hunter Toukiden 2 will come to North America and Europe in? spring 2017. This is good!

Curiously, though, Koei Tecmo isn't specifying which platforms it's targeting for the Western release. This is less good! Realistically, PlayStation 4 has to be a sure bet here. The Japanese release of Toukiden 2 also saw PS3 and PS Vita versions, but you know how these? situations can go for the Vita (not well).

You might have seen this Studio 4°C lead-in anime short before. If not, here ya go.

The game's story picks up after 2014's Toukiden: Kiwami and tracks a Slayer who needs to take out a whole mess of oni in an open-world setting that borrows ?from different eras of Japanese history (see the photo gallery below). Whatever gets us slicing and dicing, right? That's ??what I'm here for!

The post Toukiden? 2 settles on a spring 2017 release in the West appeared first on Destructoid.

All three parts

You too can relive the experience of getting completely owned by enemies and having another higher level player jump in and save you by watching the Toukiden 2 original animation. Done by Studio 4C, it manages to capture the feel of the games quite well and only runs roughly five minutes in length, so it's not a big commitment. My onl??y big complaint is the bad CGI monster halfway in.

To clarify, the video below is actually a compilation of all three shorts (part three starts a little after three minutes in if you've watched the other two already). Toukiden 2 is out on July ??28 in Japan on PS3, PS4, and Vita.

If you have a Japanese PSN account, you can grab a new demo on July 21.

The post Watch the whole Toukiden 2 Studio 4C an?imation here appeared first on Destructoid.

To July 28

Toukiden 2 was nearly ready to launch in Japan on June 30, but it looks like there's a little more work?? to be done. Koei Tecmo has delayed the game further into a new July 28 date, noting "quality" concer??ns.

Given the west's insatiable need for action games, odds are there will probably arrive at some point in localization form, most likely on the PS4. The original Toukiden gr?aced the west last year and even had a worldwide PC version.

Toukiden 2 [Game City via Gematsu]

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Out this summer in Japan

Toukiden's follow-up was announced last year at the Tokyo Game Show and since we've seen nothing but screenshots. Nice screenshots, mind. But writing about new scr?eenshots is so 2008 or, perhaps, 2000-and-late. The point is that it's 2016 which means we best be writi??ng about video.

And it looks pretty good! I still prefer the game's 2D art to anything else about it, but when you're making a 3D monster hunter, that can only be an aesthetic flourish. Are there 2D takes on Monster Hunter yet like there are with Souls games?

Toukiden 2 is getting a PS4 demo on the Japanese side on April 11 ahead of its releas??e on PS4, PS3, and Vita on June 30. Western release plans have yet to be announc??ed.

Mr. 3000!

The post Toukiden 2 is looking good in its first gamepla??y trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Devilishly good-looking

Toukiden 2 was announced at Tokyo Game Show last fall, but little else has been revealed about Omega Force's upcoming demon-hunting game in t??he months since th?en.

That is, until now. Koei Tecmo has opened the open-world action title's official website and unveiled the first images of the in-game visuals in the process -- since the debut trailer was purely cinematic.

Toukiden 2 is expected to hit Japan in 2016 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita with cross-play and cross-save compatibilit?y. No pl??ans for a western release have been revealed.

You can find our review of the first game, Toukiden: The Age of Demons, right here.

Toukiden 2 [Koei Tecmo]

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2kiden

Tecmo Koei's Toukiden, a popular hunting action game, will be receiving a sequel in 2016. The demure tran?slator lady says that it will be "...very reali-rea?listic and o-open world..."

?A crazy demon fought a small anime woman in a short cinematic and you'll know more when we do.

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