As to the latter hurdle mentioned two paragraphs ago, the controls, I’m sad to say that often times Death Jr. II never really manages to find a happy medium – they are either too stiff or way too loose – but the game still remains playable. Like most games, the PlayStation Portable’s analog nub moves your character, tapping (and sometimes double tapping) the D-pad allows you to swap out your various guns. The circle button allows you to actually fire your guns, while the square button swings your scythe and a few context sensitive commands throughout the game, pressing the square button repeatedly and with other buttons will unleash some of those special moves you can purchase. The triangle button allows you to dodge, X to jump, pressing X and then square allows you to catch rafters, hooks and wires, and pressing and holding X allows you to fly through the air for a short distance. Perhaps the most welcome button function in this game comes from the left and right shoulder buttons, which rotate the camera. While I never played the original Death Jr., from what I understand the ability to control the camera is a new feature. However, it's still not quite enough. The camera likes to wildly swing out of position, usually into an uncompromising one, like the front of your character, and usually in the middle of a life and death situation, like a fatal jump. It is a common problem in video games and in no way exclusive to this one, but it may also be the death warrant for platformers; even though they faired well in 2D, three dimensions may just be one too many for them...at least until developers are ready to devote some serious time and resources to the issue.
This game could also stand for a few more resources being devoted in the A/V department. While I enjoy the style of the game (as I said, it is originally what attracted me to the series), a lot of Death Jr. II simply looks rough. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the worst looking game on the PSP, but it doesn’t exactly push the boundaries of the hardware either. Game such as the Grand Theft Auto series, Monster Hunter: Freedom and Daxter have all shown us what Sony’s little handheld is capable off, and Death Jr. II is far from it...at least not in-game. In most games, whether they are for the Game Boy Advance or the PS3, the cut-scenes often look better than the actual gameplay, and this game is no exception. The cinemas between levels have a very polished and almost claymation look to them, and considering the comparisons to the work of Tim Burton that the last game got, it fits perfectly. The music in the game can be equally fitting, even if it is a bit simplistic and repetitive, but it does have a sort of creepy carnival music flavor to it at times. The sound effects are also pretty decent, but again, you’ll hear a lot of the same sounds over and over again. And, finally, though some of the voices did get on my nerves a bit, the game has quite a bit of voice work, including fully voiced cut-scenes and a few characters even chime in during the actual game from time to time too, making Death Jr. II seem like a more well-rounded experience, even with some of its other flaws.
Death Jr. II has two playable characters, but as I also mentioned before, those characters don’t provide any substantial variety to the gameplay or story. So the replay value that comes from that is indeed somewhat limited. If the curiosity eats at you and you just have to know what you’ve been missing, you can always start another game with the other character, but I’m sure you won’t play for too long before the repetition starts to eat at you even more - no matter which character you chose at the start of the game. Beyond that, the game has a fair number of collectible items, most of them parts used to upgrade your weapons. Making sure you get all of those can be quite time consuming, and even a little fun, but achieving the top weapons isn’t always necessary (and sometimes it isn’t even worth the trouble), but the humor that persists throughout the game gave me reason to strive for them. You can also spend a lot of time collecting energy to buy special moves, but I have to admit, even after amassing most of them, I barely made use of half. Unfortunately, the game isn’t as long as I’d have hoped, and just as it really starts to become enjoyable, the pace levels off in clear preparation for the finale. Though I unfortunately never got to try it, the game also includes ad-hoc multiplayer, which I have no doubt makes the game a little more interesting, even if it doesn’t enhance the longevity. Still, as a portable game - playing it only when you’re in the car (and hopefully not driving) or when you manage to find the time when you’re away from home - the amount of time Death Jr. II could last you might make it worth your money.
Bottom Line:
It is almost painful to think how much potential the Death Jr. franchise has on the PSP (I’m still uncertain of how well it will translate to the Nintendo DS), especially since so few games really stand out on the platform. It is painful because, even though the developers have the perfect vehicle to advance not only their property, but also an entire genre, they chose instead, like so many other titles on the system, to wallow in mediocrity. Plenty of examples of that are quite obvious, like the graphics, which never truly shine, but rather remain just good enough to be passable and match every other game sitting on store shelves beside it.
Sometimes, however, you don’t even notice a problem until you actually play the game, as it is with the controls. While it is true that one of the biggest complaints from the last game, camera control, was indeed addressed in Death Jr. II, the rest of the controls are actually quite rough around the edges. And, finally, a lot of the game just seems like filler. For every truly great level, there are seemingly two more that are just slapped together. For every time you have to spend two or three minutes taking stock of the situation before navigating clever puzzles, there are a hundred enemies just past the next checkpoint waiting to knock you off a cliff. And, what’s worse, the game clearly accounts for that, being stuffed to the brim with checkpoints, health and ammunition. In hindsight, that may be the single biggest flaw here: for a game about Death, it simply plays it too safe.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 7.0 |
Posted: 2007-06-07 07:55:25 PST