Find yourself writing the review of Fugue: Melodies of Steel 2 It's a wonderful feeling. The first episode of Fuga was not a commercial success: despite a nice embrace from the community, quite a bit of goodwill from the press, and a legacy full of passion from the Solatorobo team, the box office was not favorable for Malt and company. However, it was enough to convince CyberConnect2 continue the path taken, not stop at the first obstacle, tell the story of a whispered world through a simple work of art, a barely sketched dubbing.
The Japanese team simply did what everyone should do: not adapt a project's ambitions to actual sales prospects and not worry about it, defying any business advisor. Escape: Melodies of Steel 2 follows the structure of the first episode in an almost similar way, with some pleasant additions and discoveries to color a fascinating and moving journey, even more mature than the first.
A story of revenge
If the first Fugue is comparable to the story of a group of small anthropomorphic heroes who fight against an evil empire, with a rather sweet and delicate progression, the second chapter begins immediately with a total alteration of the status quo: the Tarasco, a The chariot, the demonic weapon of the first Escape, becomes the group's fighting vehicle against the Taranis, the weapon that helped Malt and his companions defeat the empire. A dark character, a distant world and ancient characters come to a setting that does not stop transmitting the atrocities of war, the difficulties of the people who suffer it but does not stop telling the exploits of small and sweet fighters, who have matured since so. the first trip and, unfortunately, faced with an incredible desire for revenge.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 once again picks up the direction and photography of the first Fuga, offering fans a product that, between the warmth and sweetness of a children's cast, fascinates and enchants, promoting an interesting and never banal narrative dance. If the first chapters will make you feel like you are aboard a chariot in a desperate race, prepare yourself for an even more marked and merciless rawness: perhaps, from this point of view, Escape 2 is more like a traditional JRPG for a narrative approach, less focused on a total war and more vertical on a type of ethereal narrative, which comes from afar: we liked the choice to differentiate ourselves, the team knew how not to trivialize itself in an obvious re-proposal. CyberConnect 2 knew how to offer a different key to the setting, its characters and their growth, orchestrating interesting and sometimes unexpected turns.
Planes and emotions
Perhaps the greatest deficiency of the first Escape was precisely the absence of flight, of air, of travel between islands so loved by those who came to this world from Solatorobo. This time, the team decided to integrate, although not markedly, the aircraft, allowing variations on the classic one-way path management: the ship can take us back to some areas of the progress line to allow us to replay sections, or attack enemies along the way. The trick combines perfectly with the addition of the Managram, the Tarascus cannon, which unlike the Taranis weapon - which sacrificed a character - does not completely kill the sacrificed victim, but cancels the accumulation of experience for that battle and destroys the morale of the equipment. , making Link Events impossible, the moments in which to increase the bond with the members.
If you were wondering if fight and the tank management remained unchanged, the answer is yes: the battles are always turn-based, with management of active and passive skills, enemy weak points, special shots and Hero mode. However, there's a new trick here too: during the game, Malt will have to make decisions that will move his personal personality bar towards understanding or determination.
Depending on how we develop the protagonist, we will unlock passive abilities that will be activated randomly, helping us in battles. Escape: Melodies of Steel 2 is confirmed to be very solid: the combat system is even more stimulating, brutal, strategic and full of possibilities, just as the exploration of cities and ruins has been enriched and made denser, more similar to the JRPG expectations. However, we can confirm the absence of English dubbing (Japanese and French only) and the possibility of speeding up the progress of the Tarascus, an absolutely welcome addition for the second, third and who knows how many voyages it will make.
Conclusions
Tested version Nintendo Switch digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 39.90 € Holygamerz.com 8.5 Readers (13) 8.3 your voteCompelling, non-trivial, moderately challenging, with more content, interesting characters and developments capable of glueing you to the screen: CyberConnect2 includes a sequel that convinces, confirms and dispels any remaining doubts about the new direction of the Little Tail Bronx series. The somewhat strategic structure of the JRPG, the narrative with an important weight, the ability to tell a story with the sweetness of small anthropomorphic animals hits the mark, with the only defect of a game system that remains firmly - perhaps too much - minimalist in terms of exploring the environment and interacting with NPCs. Again, expect to have to do more than one playthrough to see all the endings.
PRO
- Mature and compelling narrative
- The combat system is even more intriguing.
- The new additions give liveliness to the story.
AGAINST
- NPC exploration and development still very limited
