Toukiden 2 Review

Developer: Omega Force

Publisher: Koei Tecmo Games

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Platforms: PS4 (reviewed), PS Vita, PC

If you have been waiting for the next Monster Hunter like game, and if you only play on Sony’s platforms you have waited for a great while, Toukiden 2 is set to scratch that itch. From the same developer who gives us the “kill thousands of soldiers” Dynasty Warriors games, Toukiden 2 takes place in an alternate pre-20th century Japanese society, focused on demon hunting, crafting, item and gear collecting, and exploring. This is the third game in the Toukiden series and luckily Toukiden 2 is an even more refined experience which offers more hunts, greater variety, and extra opportunities to interact with fellow NPC or online Slayer’s.

Time To Slay Some Oni

The premise is simple, yet told effectively. The original Toukiden alluded to an event called the Awakening, in which the Oni (enemies) overwhelmed the world and caused the Otherworld areas to permeate into human civilizations. Toukiden 2 introduces us to a man or woman who was there when the Awakening happened. This particular Slayer is taking part in a battle at Yokohama, attempting to hold back the invading forces. Except a gigantic Oni appears, sucks this warrior into an Oni Gate, and leaves him or her displaced outside Mahoroba Village ten years later. With no clear way to get back and possibly being pulled out of existence due to being in an age with no connections or ties, it’s up to players to make their fellow Slayers part of a community and continue their fight against grotesque monsters and overwhelming odds.

While the story is intriguing, with a variety of somewhat memorable characters, it’s still more or less a game about putting four party members at a time against gigantic beasts ready and waiting to completely annihilate your group. Taking up arms against the monsters plaguing the outskirts of a small town, it’s up to these brave Slayers to put the beasts down despite them being demons that can not only regenerate limbs on a whim, but effectively respawn and carry on their eternal crusade.

From the get-go, you are able to equip all manner of weaponry, ranging from swords, knives, spears, gauntlets, chain & sickle, bows, clubs, naginatas, sword and shield combo, chain whips, and even rifles, with no limitations locking you into specific weapons. These can be used for light, heavy, special and body part-breaking attacks. Mitama abilities can be triggered by pressing a trigger and a button, offering offensive and defensive skills. Demon Hand abilities can be used to attack, parry or destroy parts of an Oni’s body in battle, as well as travel around the field, grant elemental abilities to your weapon, and decimate certain items in the area. The Demon Hand ability in particular is the biggest addition to Toukiden 2 and can make an ill-prepared combat run turn in your favor.  Each concept is well explained and easy to use, resulting in a game where even someone coming to it for the first time can quickly adapt to situations and become a capable warrior.

Deep Customization

After you are done fiddling with the deep character creation tools, you are set to learn about the plethora of RPG systems, items, and gameplay mechanics in the game. Much like other titles of the genre, quests and, for the most part, dished out at a desk ranging from killing copious amounts of smaller beasts like imps, hot-headed flaming skulls and small spiders to the far more interesting monstrosities which require a little more direct attention. Before setting out however, you can handle your jobs through the mission-desk and you will be ported straight to the relevant mission location as soon as you approach the outside doors with selectable AI team-mates filling any of the other 3 slots not taken up by your online companions.

Once you are ready to leave your village, this is very much an open-world game. You can walk freely out into the open world and take side quests from NPCs or join multiplayer “Joint Operations” which are littered around some of the dungeon-like areas. But the biggest thing is you can freely explore these giant open areas without taking on missions or doing story objectives. If you want to gather materials on your own, you can just form your party and just journey outside the town running around, fighting whatever bosses or enemies you encounter and choose to fight.

It is important to fight the large Oni you come across though as this is the only way to unlock Mitama. Mitama are the spirits of heroes and occasionally historical Japanese figures, captured by the demons who invade this world. By killing Oni, they merge with their savior to add to their power. Your character in Toukiden 2 has the ability to carry multiple Mitama instead of just the one, giving you a wider range of abilities which you can mix and match for unleashing powerful abilities. Certain combinations even give you additional bonuses if they come from the same era of history or had a connection in their own lives and eras.

As you progress through the game you will meet new characters, unlock new armor and areas to explore, as well as encounter new types of Oni. No matter how big or small, the end goal is always to take out every Oni you come across. Large and medium sized Oni will take on a slightly different fighting method however. When using the Eye of Truth ability, which enables you to see secret, the player will notice the limbs of Oni shine a bright white. These are what you must hit as to ensure a swift victory. Extremities, once hacked off of the enemy, then must be purified so they are not reattached to prolong the fight. Doing this weakens the Oni to hopefully make quick work of them. Purification is also used on defeated enemies to acquire the multitude of items used for crafting and fulfilling objectives.

Hack-And-Slash Goodness

With so many systems in place you would think Toukiden 2 would provide enough differentiation to not become boring. Unfortunately, over time you will get a sense of repetition as you continue to play. However, fighting the monster is only half the fun. The designs behind the different Oni are varied and enticing even though you run into the same types far too often, and the attacks are almost as varied. Meaning you must keep your guard up at all times to prevent falling in battle. While animations and graphics seem to be a bit stiff, battle animations are thankfully more varied and the character art, music, and writing are charming and lend themselves to the environments well.

Overall, Toukiden 2 is a massive RPG which has deeper mechanics than Omega Force’s other hack-and-slash title Dynasty Warriors, but still feels very familiar, repetitiveness and all. The open-world exploration and less focus on mission really helps the experience feel different enough, although there are some issues with the presentation and character animations. Fortunately, whether you are a new or returning player to the series this title stands on its own and is a worthy Monster Hunter experience.