Review By

Brad Gallaway

An unexpected sequel to a small title that got trashed in reviews, few people heard of, and even fewer enjoyed, Rengoku II: the Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. is making a second run at the PSP courtesy of venerable developer Hudson. Some might think a decision to try the game again was madness, but you know what? I couldn't be happier that they did.

Rengoku II is a third-person actioner featuring a combat android and his journey to the top of an eight-tier tower. The story's premise is that immortal automatons were created to wage war on behalf of humans, and then later trapped inside this tower to battle as a source of eternal entertainment. One member of this legion has developed sentience and seems to be recovering fragments of unexplained memories while struggling to reach the highest level.

Like its predecessor, Rengoku II could be described as a robot killing robots in a series of rooms. It's a fair assessment and the game might seem simple, but the complexity comes from the constant need to change strategies and re-arm the android with newly-acquired weaponry.

By efficiently eliminating opponents, their weapons can be salvaged and attached. When bonded to the android, its appearance takes on the characteristics of the weapon. For example, a sword will turn an arm into a fleshy stump sprouting a thin blade; a laser will reshape its face into pinched cannon, and so forth. The developers have packed a huge arsenal into the game, each item possessing different characteristics modifying the tactics used for minute-to-minute victory. Unused weaponry can be transformed into raw material used to increase the android's abilities and statistics. For people who like tinkering with such options (Armored Core fans take note), this aspect of Rengoku is as addictive as a drug.

With a large variety of weapons to choose from, the game asks players to examine combat technique closely, almost on a microscale. Frequent evaluation and experimentation is a must. For example, in one segment the majority of enemies will use grappling or bladed weapons, necessitating a long-range load-out of guns and rockets to stay out of harm's way. In other areas, the very nature of the environment itself will require new tactics—the way to fight in a completely open space can be different from surviving in narrow hallways. (Swords and chainsaws are recommended for that.) Rengoku's depth might be easily missed by players who aren't willing to buy into the formula, but it's there.

The first game's stark, nihilistic tone and existential theme struck a chord with me by perfectly matching the bare, lifeless environments and the phenomenal art design by Japan's Jun Suemi. Raw, organic shapes meld with weaponry and sharp edges to evoke connotations of internal violence and a brutal struggle for survival. The visuals are just as challenging and distinct in Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N., but I feel the intellectual side has taken a bit of a downturn.

In Rengoku II, the developers have added cutscenes and a significantly larger amount of exposition than before. Although I'm usually in favor of "more is better" when it comes to storylines, I'm not sure it works here. The dark, hopeless themes that added so much to the game artistically are now blunted by a fairly standard, mediocre story. Personally, I think the game might have been better off by abbreviating this new plot and sticking with the style, not the substance.

Although their attempts with the storyline go slightly astray, it's clear to see that the developers have tried to improve every aspect of the Rengoku experience. There are lots of little touches that weren't present before like the way a light in the android's chest changes color according to the presence (or absence) of enemies, or the addition of new warp shortcuts that send players back to the equipment/save point room. I also appreciated the fact that Hudson took the time to incorporate a comprehensive tutorial that was conspicuously absent in the original. It's hard to get players to warm up to your title when they're thrown into an unfamiliar situation with little or no preparation, a fact which they seem clearly cognizant of and have taken satisfactory steps towards correcting.

In total, I think it's fair to say that Rengoku II: the Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N isn't really a sequel, but essentially an improved and more polished version of the first game—a sort of Rengoku redux. But, don't think I'm complaining. Although the series has been poorly received in the games criticism community, I found merit in Konami's choice to bring it to the States the first time, and the same is true of this sequel that no one, including myself, expected. As a matter of fact, there's even been talk of a PlayStation 3 iteration, which is great news in my book. Rengoku is a tight, focused experience not aimed at the average gamer, but it carves out its own niche and fills it nicely. It's an acquired taste perhaps, but one that I definitely crave.