Shin Hokuto Muso
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2
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Developer(s) | Koei |
Distributor(s) | Tecmo Koei |
Series | Warriors |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U |
Release date(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Wii U |
Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (Japanese: 真・北斗無双 Hepburn: Shin Hokuto Musō) is a video game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. It was released in Japan on December 2012[5] and in North America on February 2013.[6] Unlike the first game, the game is all Japanese voices possibly to save the budget.
In 2020, a mobile port with additional playable character was released.
Gameplay[edit | edit source]
Shin Hokuto Muso retains its base 3D third person action beat em' up Dynasty Warriors based technical feel, while providing some overhauls to its predecessor's gameplay mechanics. This includes:
- An universal increase in movement speed.
- An universal dash feature replacing the jump mechanics of the past game.
- A dodging system done with the dash feature that allows players to evade attacks of any sort at the cost some of the Spirit Gauge, with the ability to counterattack at anytime and regain a set moderate amount of Spirit to replenish upon a direct accurate hit.
- The Health Gauge is sectioned into portions, helping to reflect the state of condition and health the player is in, allowing for a greater awareness of assessing the situation. If the player is not engaged in combat for a while, the gauge will replenish back to its nearest limit. The Gauge can be upgraded to have one more additional stock when in higher levels, and certain abilities will allow for the bypass of the regen limit.
- The Spirit Gauge is given a risk-reward incentive in the form of the Mighty Aura mechanic, in where maintaining at least one stock of the Spirit Gauge allows for a state of increased stats, helping to mirror the idea of the series' use of power auras.
- The Kills counter is replaced with a Combo Hits counter, emphasizing and encouraging a greater focus on non-stop fluid combat action in active gameplay.
- Health and Aura item pickups are now given their own separate distinct categories; Health is found in the form of bread, Aura maintains its water form, while meat makes for the items that replenish both Health and Aura.
- The Focus Gauge and Hyper Signature Attacks mechanics have been removed and reintegrated as appropriately to each character; in example Kenshiro's Hokuto Zankai Ken is made to be his Special Technique, allowing him to not just finish a foe stylishly in his signature fashion but allows for lesser foes to act as a Meridian Shock inducing "time bomb" to weaken nearby crowds of foes, while many Hyper Signature Attacks are made to be Signature Attacks that are as accurate to their cost in exchange for their power.
- Each character are also given a "secret" minute set of abilities that are not specifically pointed out directly in game, encouraging study of that character's play style and analysis of what is activated than not to give them more accurate abilities and boosts to their specifications and needs. In example, Kenshiro has a constant base "Contagion" effect that will activate if he has the Poison Ability equipped, while Kaioh bears a constant Concentration effect that will gradually restore his Spirit Gauge over time.
Shin Hokuto Muso does away with its earlier Karma progression point and Meridian Chart skill tree based growth system, instead going for a "work out" action skill based growth system depending on what actions the player takes in combat. Stats are also given a greater expansion:
- Defeating foes with Normal Attacks has them gain growth in the Life stat, increasing the character's Health Gauge
- Defeating foes with the Mighty Aura active has them gain growth in the Aura stat, increasing the character's stocks in the Spirit Gauge
- Defeating foes with Strong Attacks has them gain growth in the Attack stat, increasing the character's overall strength and damage output
- Defeating foes while their Health is in the green has them gain growth in the Defense stat, increasing the character's resilience to damage
- Defeating foes while maintaining the Combo Hits counter has them gain growth in the Technique stat, increasing the character's ability to dodge enemy attacks, increases the attack rate which one can place foes in Meridian/Vital Point Shock, and allows Dream Mode characters access to their more powerful Signature Attacks
- Karma in turn still comes to play in Shin Hokuto Muso as a mandatory collectible feature gained from defeating foes and seeking out treasure chests, and helps to boost stats on their own.
- Signature Attacks come to bear Growth Features dependent on each kind of Signature Attack, allowing for tactical emphasis and focus if one wishes to boost a certain stat.
The Ability System returns in the form of the Scrolls System, which goes for a puzzle system based collection power up and equipment mechanic. Players are encouraged to collect Scrolls, which can be found in their own distinct chests either in Story or Dream Mode, and are gained upon completing chapters depending on one's Rank. When collected:
- Scrolls come to feature Stat features in a horizontal row, a Level, and at least one unique Ability; Stat features are always distinct, never featuring the same Stat side to side.
- Scrolls must be equipped in the Equip Scrolls Menu. The space which Scrolls can be equipped are in a 3X5 esque pattern. The rules are that vertically, Scrolls must be aligned to form rows of a various stat; rows are known as Nexuses, and grant different beneficial Abilities and Stat multipliers. Nexus Abilities are dependent on the number of Stats used to make up the row, while kind of Stat, and the combined levels of the Scrolls used in that Nexus determine the Stat multiplier.
- The goal of Scrolls is to combine a number of Scrolls in harmony with each other to gain an Ultimate Nexus, in where a 2-Point Nexus, 3-Point Nexus, 4-Point Nexus, 5-Point Nexus, and one unused Stat feature gives a powerful foundational combination of Nexus based abilities that will allow characters a great advantage in combat.
- Scrolls must be gained by each character independently.
- Scrolls are randomly generated and when earned will be as powerful as according to one's character's "level", or combined feature of their overall Stats; lower levels will feature "damaged" scrolls, in where low level scrolls with missing Stat features and no Ability will be more common, while higher levels, a 4-Point Nexus, gaining high Ranks from Chapters, and engaging in Online Dream Mode will allow for a greater chance of more valuable scrolls.
- Scrolls are exchanged in a trade system known as the Proffer System; Scrolls that one character has but has no use for can be offered in a large exchange pool for other characters to use. In turn, if one character gains a Scroll through the Proffer system, that Scroll is forever marked as Proffered and cannot be offered back to the Proffer pool, making it specifically only for that character, until that Scroll is thrown away. This is done to keep players mindful of their exchanges and to discourage repetitive abuse of the Scrolls system to play favorites with the cast and be entirely reliant on the use of Scrolls, while to encourage level minded fair gameplay and to trust how one plays and uses their character on active and adaptable skill and technique to advance through the game.
Characters[edit | edit source]
Voice actors in parentheses
Playable Characters[edit | edit source]
- Kenshiro (Katsuyuki Konishi)
- Raoh (Fumihiko Tachiki)
- Toki (Tomokazu Seki)
- Jagi (Wataru Takagi)
- Rei (Takehito Koyasu)
- Shin (Tomokazu Sugita)
- Souther (Nobutoshi Canna)
- Mamiya (Naomi Shindō)
- Yuda (Keisuke Baba)
- Shū (Takahiro Yoshimizu)
- Jūza (Masaya Takatsuka)
- Fudō (Hiromu Miyazaki)
- Ryūga (Takeshi Mori)
- Bat (Umeka Shōji/Daisuke Kishio)
- Lin (Kanae Itō)
- Ein (Kazuya Nakai)
- Falco (Hisao Egawa)
- Shachi (Hiroshi Kamiya)
- Hyo (Ryōtarō Okiayu)
- Kaioh (Unshō Ishizuka)
- Heart (Takahiro Fujimoto)
- Outlaw (Kenji Akabane)
- Amiba (Tomokazu Seki) (DLC)
- Nameless Asura (Takashi Sadahiro) (DLC)
- Han (Takuya Kirimoto) (DLC)
Other Characters[edit | edit source]
- Kiba Daiō (Kōhei Fukuhara)
- Uighur (Ryūzaburō Ōtomo)
- Zeed (Shunzō Miyasaka)
- Colonel (Ryōhei Nakao)
- Devil Rebirth (Tetsu Inada)
- Raiga (Keiji Hirai)
- Fuga (Masaru Suzuki)
- Soria (Keiichirō Yamamoto)
- Kaiser (Takahiro Fujimoto)
- Boruge (Yasuhiko Kawazu)
- Spade (Ryōsuke Kanemoto)
- Mad Sarge (Takahiro Yoshimizu)
- Fox (Yōhei Azakami)
- Hyui (Ryōsuke Kanemoto)
- Shuren (Hiromu Miyazaki)
- Alf (Sōta Arai)
- Yuria (Hōko Kuwashima)
- Airi (Umeka Shōji)
- Misumi (Keiji Hirai)
- Toyo (Madoka Yamanaka)
- Taki (Machiko Kawana)
- Jackal (Masaya Takatsuka)
- Kō
- Dekai Babaa
- Shiva (Hōko Kuwashima)
- Ryūken (Hideyuki Tanaka)
- Ōgai (Hisao Egawa)
- Rihaku (Eiji Takemoto)
- Asuka (Umeka Shōji)
- Buzz Harn (Sōta Arai)
- Gill Harn (Keisuke Baba)
- Myu (Machiko Kawana)
- Rui (Akemi Satō)
- Jakō (Eiji Takemoto)
- Jask (Ryō Takishita)
- Sheeno (Takeshi Mori)
- Akashachi (Tetsu Inada)
- Leia (Akemi Satō)
- Tao (Shunzō Miyasaka)
- Jukei (Ryūzaburō Ōtomo)
- Sayaka (Madoka Yamanaka)
- Kuroyasha (Takuya Kirimoto)
- Narrator: Hideyuki Tanaka
DLC[edit | edit source]
- Playable Extra Characters
- Amiba
- Nameless Asura
- Han
- Kenshiro Alt Outfits
- Kenshiro (Land of Shura outfit - Blue)
- Kenshiro (Land of Shura 'Comic Zenon' outfit - Red)
- Muso 1 Costume Set
- Kenshiro (original manga)
- Toki (pre-199X)
- Raoh (original manga)
- Rei (original manga)
- Shin (original manga)
- Souther (original manga)
- Jagi (original manga)
- Mamiya (original manga)
- Raoh Chapter Costume Set
- Yuda (original manga)
- Shu (Nanto Jūnin Kumite)
- Ryuga (original manga)
- Fudo ("Mountain" attire)
- Juza (battle attire)
- Tentei Chapter Costume Set
- Bat (Boruge fight)
- Lin (Boruge arc)
- Ein (original manga)
- Falco (Shura no Kuni)
- Shura no Kuni Costume Set 4
- Shachi (original manga)
- Hyo (original manga)
- Kaioh (original manga)
External Links[edit | edit source]
- Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2
- Shin Hokuto Muso Official Site
- Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 User Manual (PDF) (English | French)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://www.4gamer.net/games/168/G016853/
- ↑ http://gematsu.com/2012/11/fist-of-the-north-star-2-dynasty-warriors-7-empires-dated
- ↑ http://gematsu.com/2012/11/fist-of-the-north-star-2-european-release-date
- ↑ http://gematsu.com/2012/11/fist-of-the-north-star-2-wii-u-japanese-release-date-set
- ↑ "Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 Slated for December". Anime News Network (2012-07-27). Retrieved on 2012-07-29.
- ↑ http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/19/fist-of-the-north-star-kens-rage-2-trailer-of-manliness/
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