Developer: Pyramid, Japan Studio
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS4
Tested on: PS4
Patapon 2 Remastered – Review
The Patapon series might be unknown to some, but these games were actually quite popular in the heyday of the PSP. The games featured the gameplay of a rhythm game, with a tactical experience thrown in the midst of the music. By pushing the correct buttons on the beat, you would send forth your army of Patapons to defeat your enemies in a side-scrolling fashion. Now the series has been released on the PS4, and we’ll be able to present you with our opinion of Patapon 2 Remastered.
Story
The Patapons have emerged victorious from their first story arc and now find themselves on the roaring ocean, hoping to find a new land. Sadly, disaster strikes as their boat is crushed by none other than the Kraken himself, and they are now stranded on a strange unknown land. Luckily, this land just happens to be their ancestral land, and they will be able to settle in Patapolis. The land is now also taken by the Karmen, a fairly hostile tribe that wants nothing more than see them gone. You’ll now have to build up your city, gather the lost Patapons and hopefully make something of your new surroundings.
Patapon 2’s story will progress quite steadily, as you’ll unlock new things on a regular basis and you’ll come across many new strange characters on your journey. You’ll see small cinematics in-between missions, and there is a reasonable amount of one-sided dialogues present in the game.
Graphics
Despite the Remastered version of Patapon 2 being a 2D experience, the gameplay has never looked this good before. Everything looks exquisite on the PS4 Pro and the overall art style is also very likable. You’ll be playing with shadow-like figures with very big eyeballs. These creatures may look a bit creepy to some, but when playing the game, everything looks extremely adorable, even in the heat of battle. The game presents a good amount of different enemy models, and you’ll even have the option to alter the appearance of your hero character and your troops, depending on their equipment. We only noticed that the upscaling of the cinematics wasn’t handled as good as the gameplay. The cinematics are very blurry and look like old VHS fragments, rather than something modern.
Sound
Patapon 2 Remastered is just like the original game, a rhythm game with some battle tactics thrown in the mix. The sound design is great, but it’s something rather special and might not be up everyone’s alley. The background music is quite theatrical and fits the setting of the game, but it will be your input commands and the shouts of your minions that will move to the foreground for the biggest part of the game. This makes it so that the background music is barely audible, except during silent fragments or if you fuck up an input sequence.
Gameplay
Patapon 2 Remastered is a rhythm game with strategic elements. From start to finish you’ll be commanding your troops by punching the right buttons on the background beat of the game. You’ll have to learn different commands to make your troops move, attack, defend and so on. The game also allows you to customize your troops as you gradually unlock new fighters and your own personal hero for your army. The overall experience proves to be straightforward, but also quite tricky to master.
The game allows for different difficulty settings, but even on the easy setting it will take some time to memorize the different input patterns as you progress, as well as the proper timing. You’ll have to give an input of four buttons by pushing one button every measure. The game will then execute your command by letting your troops sing at you, and of course, perform the action you requested. You’ll then have to give your new input, in order to keep the flow going. One single wrong press and your characters will come to an immediate halt. This makes the game hard, as in the heat of battle it’s possible your characters will stop moving because you can’t handle the pressure. The easy setting will be a bit more forgiving when damage is dealt to your minions.
Conclusion
Patapon 2 Remastered still feels like a fresh entry in the PS4 library of available titles. The game has a fun and enticing story, and the original gameplay and design make for a very entertaining experience. While the cinematics look like they were created with a digital potato, the rest of the game is part of a top-notch remaster. If you missed this series on the PSP, then it might be time to consider looking up the Patapon games, especially if you’re fond of rhythm games with a fun story and deeper gameplay than just merely pressing buttons in a proper sequence.
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[…] you owned a PSP back in the day, it’s unlikely you remember Patapon. Aside from a remaster that also got released for PS4, this series of fun action-rhythm games only came out for the […]