I played the first & i heard this one expanded the story...
591468
the BEST part of this game is that they really show a LOT more story.
I only know the series from the movie anime. so i was WOW!!! watching/playing thru the new story.

the goons & mini bosses are repetitive BUT if you get a good rank you get better scrolls.
the bosses were all pretty good. some more creative than others.

lots of new characters to control

you can play with a friend co-op or via xbox live in Dream Mode & you have to level them up from level 1 all the way up. if you don't know its like mini campaigns for every character. like a WHAT IF for everyone. so PLENTY of replay value. trying to get those A ranks with a friend is going to be fun.
 if you play online co-op you get the better scrolls than usual.

there is also TEAM MODE but its not punching each other (which would've been awesome) it's more like =  kill 200 goons first. open 15 boxes first . things like that. whoever beats more missions first, wins.

  I do miss the Meridian Chart to level up. now it just goes by the scrolls you collect & stack. Dodge is ok but i liked jump better. they should've had both.
but overall this game was bigger & better.
this game plays faster than the original. is longer. tells you more of the story.
lots of ATATATATATATATA & man tears. & Mamiya.
2879851
Really enjoyed my time with this especially in comparison to the original version. I remember the original one it took a really long time to level up and it was tedious but this one is more streamlined and more accessible because with the added bonus of being able to warp to areas that you've already been in, a new Chef mechanic which makes level grinding more easier, actually gaining levels while defeating enemies not to mention the fast combat speed for all the characters including brand new moves for each of them to pull off and with the return of the pooka Village to further eat more stuff to gain even more levels and you have a pretty Rock Solid remake. And with the new added difference of the  pow gauge no longer limiting your movement and being like a stamina gauge it only goes into certain specific moves you can do, this definitely fixes a lot of problems with the original title. However you will be revisiting a lot of same areas with each character though that's to be expected considering the story but it's still something I think I should address. Despite that it still is a solid entry and if you have a PS4 or PS3 then definitely pick it up you won't be disappointed and plus the game is really pretty and the music is top-notch so what are you waiting for get out there, buy this and put it in your collection!
744202
This was really my first shooter on rails experience.  I really enjoyed the story & gameplay.  Waves of mutants come after you from blendid backrounds.  I preferred sticking with the magnum & shotgun to keep it challenging.  You definitely want to play this game when the kids go to bed if you have any.  You can "add" more mutants to crank up the intensity.  I am definitely going to replay this game.  I have yet to play the director's cut.  I will go back and play House Of Dead 2 & 3 returns.  Many say it is harder, but cheesier.  That is okay in my book.  I will definitely seek out more on rail shooters like Deep Space Extraction, Ghost Recon,  and Darkside Chronicles.  I don't have a lot of time for games that take a whole lot of involement.  So rail shooters work great for me.  I am currently just playing Umbrella Chronicles.  I have to say I like it better than Overkill.  I am still happy that this is in my collection.  The humor in the dialogue & soundtrack help this game out for me!
4743298
Should you play this version when you've played the others?
Yes.

I've played through both the SNES version of this game back in the day and the GBA version  more recently. There was a large separation between the SNES and GBA versions so I knew I'd enjoy the story all over again. This time around I was nervous that it would be too close to me playing the GBA version. I worried that this would not hold my attention. I thought this was no more than a graphical update but I couldn't be more wrong.

Let me start by saying the difficulty was a welcome addition to this game. With nearly all Final Fantasy games, the first time you encounter a boss usually concluded with his/her death. This was due to little or no strategy being necessary. This time around, I plan on dying the first time I fight each boss at the least. I see what happened and use that knowledge the next time. For the first time, I found spells like Blink, Protect and Shell, Esuna, and Haste to be compulsory instead of peripheral. Strategy in a US Final Fantasy?! Super cool!

That said, the graphical updates rock. It lends a contemporary feel to the game and nothing is lost. The characters themselves might seem a bit blocky during some cut scenes but, for an on-the-go game, it's very well done.

The game has some voice acting this time around and while it's not Gone With the Wind, it was very well done. Unlike many other games, including games like Final Fantasy X, I enjoyed the voice over and if it's not your thing (for retro gamers maybe), It can be turned off. There are always subtitles.

There's still frosting on this cake. There are new additions like the Augments which allow you to impart some traditional Final Fantasy abilities (e.g. Counter) to your characters. There is a "pet" of sorts that can be used in game as a summon and via wifi for monster battles. It's abilities are improved by playing mini-games.

This is easily one of the best Final Fantasy games I have played in years. There is much more enjoyment to be had with this stellar story than the likes of Final Fantasy XII (bleh!).
979416
This is bioshock continued but better than the first, just some added tweaks here and there, don't expect a completely different game, yet this it has a great story. This is a great game, just not a mysterious as the first, but still great.
1545576
I'm going to keep this review short. This game has immersed me in the story better than any other game I have ever played. I felt like I was in the story not watching it. I have played the whole series but this one stands out as being the best.
1511747
Simply put, more of the greatness from the first game. If you haven't played the first one, then do yourself a favor and buy both!
Ideliron
3132759
I'm baffled at how this game is so overly criticized and even mocked.  As a sequel to the story in the previous game, they did a great job on it.  The story continues to be intriguing. The gameplay is unusual in that you have all of the power that you had at the end of the first game.  Thus the game is not challenging. But I consider this a bold move on the game designers part,  because surely they knew it would draw criticism. stop overanalyzing it and just take the game for what it is, as a continuation of the story and it does so well.  My only criticism is that they changed some things, just for the sake of changing them so as not to look too much like the first game, and those things were perfect how they were, ands should not have been changed.  But the game gets 5 stars for following-up the first game perfectly.
4032959
Its rare that I play a sequel and think that all the improvements are better than the original. All to often games dumb things down and make it easier or less complex. Or they just rush games out the door and missing quaility. That is not the case with The Witcher 2! Everything is better than the original. The skills and combat feel more integrated and involving. The story is gripping, the graphics good, and the soundtrack is amazing.

I just finished the Prologue last night so I can't comment on length. So far the game has been great fun. At first I got a bit frustrated with combat, but I've since figured it out and find it very fun and rewarding. For anyone that is getting frustrated with combat, just stick with it and try to mix things up. When you first start you can't run into a mop of guys. Maybe throw a bomb in their midst, or try to draw just one or two away. Once you get the hang of it though it is great fun and a lot more in depth than the first game.

The soundtrack is amazing! They did a awesome job and I could honestly listen to the game for hours on end.  :) The graphics are good, not great, the character models could be better. But I'm not complaining because as a whole the game looks great!

The story so far is very gripping. I can't wait to get to the next parts.

The signs(witcher spells) are also much more useful. Several of the signs in the first game were hardly ever used, but I could see using all of these ones and they now have the quick switch menu which makes it very easy to jump to other signs, or items in your pockets.

Anyone that is a fan of RPGs that have action based combat, should really give this a try. It is great fun and worth every penny!
2378933
I loved the 1st Dishonored. I played through the main campaign 4-5X and the DLCs multiple times as well. Each time, I found different routes and took different approaches. The setting and overall aesthetic were a major bonus. I'm not a fine artist, so I'm not sure how exactly to describe it, but the backdrop was sort of an abstract, Victorian oil painting come to life. Although the textures were pretty realistic, it seemed that Arcane was intentional about creating a unique artistic style. This sequel improved on everything I loved about the first one in every way. It's much bigger, more varied, crisper, more realistic (in terms of NPCs detecting and chasing), and more difficult- even at the lowest difficulty.

I won't get into too much depth, because others have covered the story line, but my only gripe was the dialogue/writing. With all the incredible work that obviously went into the artistic brilliance and original, exciting controls/action in Dishonored 2, I was surprised that much of the dialogue wasn't as sophisticated. My best guess is that games are marketed to adolescents and teenagers and that this = some cornball lines that kids that age would be into. In that way, I might be asking too much (as a grown up). However, games like Bioshock Infinite meshed fun and cerebral storylines really well.

The bottom line is that some of the dialogue broke the immersion and took me out of the game at times, which was distracting. I liked that guards were given a greater variety of dialogue for the sequel, but I wish there weren't so many repeated lines from different characters.

Overall, I still love the hell out of this game, have put over 30 hours into it, and plan on putting in a ton more. Def buy it (especially since it's already $20 cheaper)!
1133702
If you liked the first one, you should enjoy this one.
The story is interesting, though I see where they're going with it.  The graphics are definitely not state-of-the-art, nor do they need to be.  Gives it a more gritty, sleazy feel.  Nice touch on the health kits... very much in keeping with the character's mental state.  The Wii controls are taking me a bit of getting used to, but I can tell once I get the hang they'll be a snap.  So far as the controversial way Rockstar dealt with the executions... come on.  If you are that hard up to see them go to youtube, there's a 10 minute "greatest hits" video highlighting all the unedited kills.  At least we got the game.  The sound design is outstanding and is making me rethink my career arc.  A solid buy for only $40.00, and its only $30.00 for the PSP and PS2.
1843790
I decided to pick up this game because a friend recommended me the first one and was going to let me barrow it but before I did i realised the new version was releasing in several weeks so i just pre-ordered it with no previous opinion or anything on the game, I was not disappointed! When I first started it i played the tutorial and was like omg! I love this song and then I failed the tutorial cause I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing the first time through but after the second time I passed it and tried normal mode and lost so bad it was laughable, then realising their was an easy mode I did that and had fun failed the first few rounds but once I got use to how the notes for around etc this game became very very fun. My sibling played a few times just so they could talk smack about how bad it was and after about two tries they said it's actually pretty fun and enjoyable as well. I like this game so much I plan to buy the mini controller for it for a hole new experience! The graphics are really well done, the songs match the notes flawlessly, I was honestly impressed and for sure will be continuing the next releases of this game (may also pick up the original version unless all of those songs are in this game). I highly recommend this if your into note games like guitar hero and have quick reflexes, even if your not a huge fan of this music the game makes you enjoy and love them very quickly! xD
1346119
I wish it was another out I beat the game in 2days but I was a very interesting game I enjoyed ....
1458445
OK, some insights.  First, I've played this game before, including the first one and later on the newest version call just Dungeon.  I loved pretty much all of them, though I'm writing this because this version is the best one.  I've enjoyed it so much I bought another copy.  I'd say that says it all.
3612682
I love story-driven games. I have been gaming for longer than I'll admit and my tastes have changed over the years. I'm more into cinematic/story based games and this is one of the best story-driven games I've ever played.
1653171
I spent over 100 hours playing the mentioned N64 classic. I finally got my hands on this and can say it adds better sound and visuals, a great story, and the "on the ground" combat strategy is unique (that I've seen). I look forward to hours of gameplay to come..
1227979
The first one honestly was better in my opinion .  I feel like there are certain things that needed a little bit more explanation .  But for the most part it was a solid story .