- A sequel that learned from the previous one
- You're exploring, fighting, fishing and solving puzzles once again
- This is a great way to use a fishing rod.
Can something considered an animal be truly evil without some sort of human influence? That's a pretty big question to throw out there, much like the dastardly Skyfish from Legend of the Skyfish and now Legend of the Skyfish 2.
Mother Gaia Studio is determined to make us associate the image of a fish in the sky with absolute terror. I mean, it's a bit of an eyesore, which is why this 2D hack-and-slash puzzle adventure gives us the chance to throw it back into the water: what we need to know is whether this sequel gives us enough to make us think it'll stay down this time.
What is Legend of the Skyfish 2?
If you’ve been living under a rock long enough to not notice when the Skyfish flies overhead and threatens to destroy everything, then you might be feeling a little lost. Luckily, Legend of the Skyfish 2 provides a brief summary of the story so far. Once upon a time, a great monstrous creature known as the Skyfish threatened to destroy a fantasy land and its people.
It seemed hopeless until a warrior from Red Hook fought through various trials to defeat it. Since then, the world has returned to peace and many lands have established defense forces in case evil should rise again.
But it seems that evil is truly rising again, and all the Red Hooks are disappearing. Now, only one lone Red Hook apprentice stands in the way of the Skyfish's return to power. Exciting, isn't it?
Hooked on Legend of the Skyfish 2
There are many things a sequel should do: one of them is to learn from mistakes, another is to expand on the original property. Legend of the Skyfish 2 does both and could find its rightful place on portable platforms. The first thing to note is the improved graphics. While it retains the storybook art style of the previous game, it has improved. The colors are brighter, the lines are cleaner, the animations are smoother, and overall, everything is much sharper, so you can enjoy what is happening.
Then there's the fluidity of the gameplay. The first game struggled to maintain a proper running pace, but the sequel picks up on that. The on-screen controls work well for exactly what they're intended to do. Moving feels natural and solid, dodging is quick but not too quick to be cumbersome, and the fishing mechanic is effective and precise, with combat feeling tighter as more focus has been placed on arenas and boss fights.
The fishing rod is the breakout star, a fun way to dart around areas, luring confused enemies towards you, and lunging at larger foes to deliver a special punch.
The scale of the game has also increased dramatically. Each area you go to is much larger, with a decent amount of exploration to do. There's a mix of obstacle courses and puzzles thrown in, so you can put that imaginative joint and juicy brain to good use. Each environment introduces its own elements, which change things up and make you adapt.
Sunk on Legend of Skyfish 2
While Legend of the Skyfish 2 is definitely better than the first, there are a few things that don't quite make the catch of the day. While the combat is faster and more functional, it does get a bit repetitive. There are different types of enemies, but many of them share the same tactics despite having different wardrobes.
They also suffer from a debilitating weakness to fishing rods and being stunned by basic combos. You get additional weapons and fishing lures to expand your arsenal, but this makes the main threats even less dangerous.
This repetition also applies to puzzle and maze areas. Most of the time, the solution is simply to follow the strictly defined path until you reach a button, level, or face that needs to be hit. There are rewards to be found by checking every nook and cranny, but they are usually not very well hidden and getting there is as simple as saying, “Oh, there's still an empty spot on my map.” Challenge rooms can be fun, but they are few and far between.
There's also a bit of Roundabout Syndrome (™) going on here. While the areas are much larger, they're also quite similar. It's easy to get lost with no distinguishing features in a game that's supposed to be a nice, smooth adventure. Sometimes you'll find yourself going through an entire section with nothing of note only to end up right back where you started. At least the game is fairly generous with checkpoints and travel points.
Catching the Legend of the Skyfish 2
Legend of the Skyfish 2 is a sequel that continues the 2D hack-and-slash adventure story with major improvements. Everything looks better, feels better, offers more, and challenges you to see, do, and collect everything. It's still a bit repetitive and lacking in challenge with many locations merging all their sections. Even so, give it a try to become a legend who puts an end to the Skyfish once and for all.