Swords & Bones 2 – Review
Last year we embarked on the first adventure of Swords & Bones and were pleasantly surprised with this new title by SEEP. Now the second game in the series has been released, and as tradition has it, we immediately picked it up to see how it compares. Swords & Bones 2 feels almost identical to its predecessor but introduces a new mechanic. This time you will be playing with a different protagonist, and one can only guess if the two worlds are related or not.
Story
Every 500 years the Demon World invades the Human world, and previously there was the Wolf Demon that invaded the kingdom of Vestus. This time it is the Scythe Demon that takes his swing at complete domination. From the Palace of Evil, he creates monsters that roam the streets, and these attack the inhabitants. The Scythe Demon found this approach too slow and took it one step further: he poisoned the water supply in the rich city of Gaudia, killing all its citizens so that he could have a total unrestricted rule. However, there was one survivor, Princess Berenice who was protected by the sacred family relic called the Trophy of Heroes. She embarks on the quest to defeat the Scythe Demon and take revenge for her fallen townspeople.
Story-wise it starts with this nice intro, and after that, you get to go on your adventure. The only story interactions after this are when you are fighting against bosses as they shortly introduce you to the next place, but this isn’t an essential piece of story content. It ensures that the flow between levels is not interrupted and it gives you a goal for the next level and your quest for revenge.
Graphics
Swords & Bones 2 comes back in its full 16-bit glory. The graphical style that we are used from SEEP is still as amazing as ever and playing this game really invokes nostalgic feelings. The game uses a mix of hand-drawn assets during the story segments and in the shop, while employing 16-bit-inspired graphics for the actual gameplay. The animations look really nice and make the overall combat and platforming experience really fun. Each biome has its unique setting with different enemies that fit the scenery perfectly.
Sound
Just like the graphics, the sounds are made with the same era of videogames in mind. The soundtrack sounds amazing and the music is so catchy that there is a high chance that you will be humming along in no time. The sound effects themselves even sound a bit older. You can hear Midi-inspired sparkles, impacts, and death sounds.
Gameplay
Swords & Bones 2 is an action-adventure game that will test your skills and wits in its many challenging stages. As you get introduced to the story, you begin in the first level, where you are left to your own devices. The controls are quite easy to figure out, but a short explanation would have been nice as Swords & Bones 2 comes with a new mechanic. Now your hero is equipped with a shield that is able to absorb a hit or two.
Much has remained the same compared to the first title. During your quest, you will find money, which can be traded in the shop for power-ups, new spells, or items. Returning players from the first game will notice the almost identical gameplay, so it’s pretty straightforward. However, this time, you can also buy new shields that are able to withstand more punishment than your standard wooden shield. So early on in the game, it can be a hard decision between upgrading your defenses or increasing your max health.
The game is pretty difficult, as the enemies are relentless and every small misstep is punished. Like in other SEEP games, you can quickly start to see the patterns in the enemy movement to avoid taking damage. Completing the game is perfectly doable, as your adventures are spread across ten levels per zone, with a boss level as the tenth stage. Depending on your skill, this game can take several hours to beat, or you can fly through it within around two hours if you have a lot of experience with similar games.
Conclusion
Swords & Bones 2 is a nice sequel to the first game. The gameplay, graphics, and sound quality have remained the same. Returning players will enjoy the comfort of playing a title in which they feel right at home in a completely new setting. New players will discover a title that is hard but rewarding, as you can upgrade your character to give you more chances for survival. There are enough levels to keep you entertained for a while, and even highly skilled players will find a lot to love here.
No Comments