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- Idea Factory
Death end re;Quest 2
Released On: Aug 25, 2020
74
6.6
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or average
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
74
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
38% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or average
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
74
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
38% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
While Death End re;Quest 2 didn't have quite the same impact on me as the original, that's only because things are never as surprising the second time around. I still found this game to be an intensely engaging blend of a brutal kind of horror, classical turn-based JRPG, and fan service. It's a mix that I would never have thought could work prior to this series, but Idea Factory has proven otherwise, and done so incredibly effectively. I wish I could delve more deeply into the themes in this review, because there's a lot to talk about with this particular dark mystery and I'm looking forward to discussing it at greater length with people down the track, but just be aware going in that there are layers of nuance to this game that it will never get the credit it deserves for.
Death End re;Quest 2 tells an impressively dark story with aplomb, and if you can handle the subject matter and difficulty spikes is a must play.
User Reviews
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Despite a few faults here and there, its numerous strengths make the game worth a look. Stellar writing, endearing characters, phenomenal voicework, eye-catching artwork, a catchy yet haunting soundtrack, and a delightfully dark atmosphere all stand as Death end re;Quest 2‘s strongest points.
Death end re;Quest 2 follows the mold of its predecessor but is ultimately more enjoyable. There are times when the day portion of the game feels like it’s going on for too long but the story is at least interesting enough where it’s not too tedious. The battle sequences are simple but the enhanced knockback mechanics make them more enjoyable. It’s not the deepest RPG out there, both in terms of depth of a character development and combat mechanics but the gameplay is enjoyable and the story finds a way to be grisly and dark while still having an overall lighthearted feel to the game. It does have the certain feel to it that Compile Heart/Idea Factory games have, but Death end re;Quest 2 is arguably one of their strongest games overall.
The sadistic events that surround the town of Le Choara are what makes Death end re;Quest 2 such a compelling read. While the combat is passable by IFI standards, it's the quality of writing that makes this such a memorable title on its own.
Sadly, many monsters end up feeling
repetitive, and the environments are bland.
You only have three true party members too
(characters from the first game become
usable, but to all intents and purposes aren’t
an actual presence in your squad).
As enthralling as the horrors in
La Choara may be, it can be a
slog to reach credits even when
the game’s only 17 hours or so
long. [Issue#179, p.76]
Death end re;Quest 2 tells a decent story in and of itself, and does so with good overall production values, at least on the visual novel side of things. But whereas the first game clicked with me better and made me generally interested in what was to follow, I’m afraid that my anticipation for a third installment is at an all-time low now. The already-repetitive combat has been further stripped down, and is now something I actively dislike about the game, and while the story sort of works as a standalone project, the attempts at tying the two games together are puzzling and tenuous at best. The game is not entirely without merit, but the overall picture being painted is now one of a fractured franchise whose parts don’t mesh well with each other.
I have so many questions about this game, but if I could use one word to summarize this game, it would be "disappointing", because there was so much potential but it ends up being a mediocre sequel to the original DERQ, which was a jrpg that I really enjoyed and was above average for the standards.
So the question now is, why do I think this game is mediocre? I can boil it down to 3 points:
1) Worse Characters.
The main roster consists of 3 characters which are Mai, Rotten (or Rottie), and Liliana, and that's about it. What about the others? Oh, there's Shina but she doesn't fight, instead, you use her Avatar, just like the avatars of the other girls. But that's not actually Shina fighting with you!
Anyway, the main trio is really pathetic: Mai starts out really interesting but ends up being really meh, and Rottie is constantly **** Mai to become her girlfriend (just to be fair, Rottie does get good scenes much later). As for **** exists I guess, she doesn't get many many good scenes except very few in the middle and maybe at the end.
As for the rest, I appreciate the fact there are a lot of NPC with faces, but that's about it. Overall, the characters feel mediocre and not that interesting, and even in the end, it's really disappointing.
2) Too much VN, very little JRPG:
The first game was a mix between VN and JRPG, and it felt like a decent mix in my opinion as both parts were required and they had a contrasting feeling, with the VN parts being in the real world and the JRPG in the game world. This game however brings far too much VN sections and this also causes the problem that "there's no more distinction" between the two parts and now you're basically in the real world, sorta.
On top of that, there's much, MUCH fewer choices now, and the game is also lacking in the atmosphere since it's basically one location, a city called "Le Choara" (and later on another area), so even on that regard is lacking! Even the Pain Area is the same thing as the first! They added some unique puzzle mechanics sure, but that's it! There's so much less to explore in this sequel that it makes Neptunia look like a better game!
And last but not least...
3) Death end Re;Quest 2? More like Corpse Party 3!
I'm almost certain that this game wasn't meant to be a sequel to DERQ but instead was meant to be a game more akin to Corpse Party: If you remove everything about the programming, the gaming world, the hacking and etc, this game becomes a jrpg about the occult where you fight demons at night and need to discover the truth. I appreciate that they tried to tie the first game though, in particular by adding bits of story with Lydia from the first game in ng+, but i really don't see this game as a sequel to DERQ: the fact that you're "hacking" in the real world, the fact that you're using avatars in the real world, it's a mess. Stuff like Glitch Mode isn't even explained, or the Buggie, or why the world is filled with Code...
In addition, the game is very short, clocking in about 24 hours or less, depending on your reading speed, and there's not much content beyond the Pain Area, which probably took me 2 to 3 hours to finish, and only because it's long and really repetitive.
Honestly, this game is just disappointing but it's not bad, which is the problem: if the game was simply bad I wouldn't bother too much but this game had a lot of potentials, a lot of promise, but it comes out just as another below-average jrpg, whereas DERQ1 was above average!
And add the fact that there's a freaking sequel bait in the EX ending, we're supposed to get another DERQ **** honestly, I'm not having many hopes and, honestly, DERQ1 had a pretty decent ending.
Do I recommend it? Yes but don't buy it full price, it is NOT worth the full price: I spent 40 and I still feel disappointed.
And if you can, grab and play the first game, cause there are going to be spoilers from the first game.
Report
PlayStation 4
Summary In collaboration with Corpse Party scenario writer Makoto Kedouin, this horror RPG follows Mai Toyama’s search for her sister in a quiet lakeside town. She’ll unravel clues to the town’s past by day, and battle Shadow Matter by night. Can you uncover the truth before reality is consumed by darkness?
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Aug 25, 2020
Developer:
- Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory
Genres:
