Patapons are back and if you didn’t like the original, the sequel doesn’t offer enough improvements to convert you. The original attaction of Patapon was its unique control style. You control a bunch of very cute eyeball creatures with the use of PSP’s face buttons. By using combination of 4 drums conveniently mapped to the 4 buttons, you can order your army to march, attack and defend against enemies small and big alike. Even though the battles happen in real time, the biggest problem (that hasn’t been fixed in the sequel) is the delay between when you start to input the command and when your army actually does it. You always need to be one step ahead of the enemies and predict their movements – or, in the alternative, just memorize them – in order to survive this difficult game. Although the difficulty has been reduced since the original outing, it is still a brutal game and the difficulty is compounded by the fact that there is no pause. For a portable game, that is unforgivable as once you start a pretty lengthy mission, you must see it through without stopping.
Another issue that returns is grinding for equipment. There is no easy way to create armour or weapons: you must revisit cleared levels, beat cleared bosses in order for them to drop. This inefficient system forces you to go through the same battles over and over again – albeat with difficulty increased. This sort of forced level grinding is simply unacceptable as it doesn’t give you an alternative.
In the end, if you enjoyed Patapon, you will enjoy Patapon 2. If you didn’t like the original, don’t be surprised if you find the sequel to be lacking.
Rating: 60%
1up: Patapon 2 melts the time away and before you know it your PSP will need some juice.
Giant Bomb: Patapon 2 hits the same notes, and it hits them just as hard, though as a mildly iterative sequel, it might not have the same impact on returning players. If you haven’t played Patapon before, though, this is arguably a more approachable game, and a more attractive package in general.
Destructoid: If you’re a fan of the series, then this should be an easy get. If you’re not, then it might be best to consider if the frustration with backtracking and boss battles is worth your time.
