Initial 2: New Stage

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 66 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Initial 2: New Stage Game Cover
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In "Initial 2: New Stage" , players become a captain of the Iudex Soldiers, fighting alongside companions against the Scientia Empire to uncover a decade-old secret. This action-packed game features 10 chapters of real-time rendering cutscenes, with full audio in English and Japanese. Dynamically switch between 4 weapons for intense battles, led by voice actors such as Rie Kugimiya, Maaya Uchida, Kira Buckland, and Christine Marie Cabanos.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews
story24 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • The game is a significant upgrade from the first installment, with improved combat, story, level design, and graphics.
  • Combat is fast-paced and satisfying, offering a variety of weapons and skills that enhance gameplay.
  • The story is more complex and engaging than the first game, with emotional scenes that resonate with players.
  • The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues and a jittery camera that can cause motion sickness.
  • English localization is poorly done, with awkward translations and repetitive voice lines that detract from the experience.
  • Level design is bland and repetitive, with waves of enemies lacking variety and engaging mechanics.
  • story106 mentions

    The story in "Initial 2: New Stage" is generally seen as an improvement over its predecessor, featuring more complex narratives and emotional depth, though it still suffers from translation issues and pacing problems. While some players appreciate the character development and world-building, others find the plot lacking in excitement and coherence, particularly in the early stages. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging moments and repetitive dialogue, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre despite its flaws.

    • “Unlike the first game, where the twintails girl just slashes everything that moves with her budget judgement cut, the story here is more complex; the emotional scenes are strong enough to pull at my heartstrings.”
    • “The storytelling of friendship and sacrifice feels emotional, and the extra NPC dialogues make me actually care about those characters.”
    • “The story of fighting against evil forces may sound simple, but it provides a clear ultimate goal, supported by interesting lore and world design.”
    • “Story... let's skip it.”
    • “Ok, the story never had anything, that is on the first, but here it's worse because the first one was not there, well it was there but not much.”
    • “Don't expect to understand anything going on in the story or any of the descriptions of what moves or abilities do unless you're fluent in broken English.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many reviewers noting its improvement over the first title, featuring intense and captivating tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Each chapter presents different music, starting off weak but evolving into epic themes, complemented by emotional sound design and memorable compositions. However, some players pointed out issues with the abrupt transitions between tracks, which can disrupt the immersion.

    • “The music is intense and captivating, suitable for the action; the effects and quips sound good and don't get too tiresome even 10 levels in.”
    • “The composers did a great job delivering quality sound design and some emotional music.”
    • “Strawberryhill music has done an excellent job creating tracks that move each scene along smoothly.”
    • “What I mean by lack of polish is how this content is used in-game - the music can cut to a new track or to the end of a level within a second, the effects can be jarring if they happen unexpectedly, that sort of thing.”
    • “The music starts awfully but gets better and more epic as the chapters progress.”
    • “Even Emi Evans sings one of the songs in this game, but it doesn't elevate the overall experience.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay is praised for its smooth and enjoyable hack-and-slash mechanics, significantly improved from the previous installment, with responsive controls for both keyboard and mouse as well as controllers. While some players found the story and certain enemy encounters tedious, the overall combat experience is likened to popular titles like Nier: Automata, making it a recommended choice for fans of the genre. Despite minor issues, the game is considered a must-buy for action RPG enthusiasts.

    • “Fun action hack and slash that focuses on gameplay enough to make it smooth.”
    • “During that time I played it on the highest settings and had a solid 60+ fps with no frame rate issues or gameplay problems whatsoever. The controls are much better than the first game too; you couldn't even dream of playing the first game with keyboard and mouse, however in this one you can, and the default keyboard and mouse controls feel great and responsive.”
    • “Overall, it has the hack and slash mechanics I like, and the gameplay makes me feel that I am playing Nier Automata and another ARPG game I play on my mobile tablet every day called 'Darkness Rises.' It really shares a close similarity to those two games in the way it plays, but that's a good thing. This game is awesome and is a must-buy for any fans of ARPG hack and slash games; I highly recommend this game.”
    • “Although the story of the first game and its hack and slash gameplay was kind of boring, and the trash mobs were just a pain to fight.”
    • “Follow the core gameplay and style of the first game with promised various improvements.”
    • “[h1] gameplay and combat [/h1]”
  • optimization20 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance on systems with a GTX 1060 6GB, while others report significant frame drops and poor CPU utilization, indicating a heavy reliance on the GPU. Although recent patches have improved performance, issues like occasional stuttering and frame drops persist, leading to frustration among users. Overall, while there are signs of improvement, many players still consider the optimization to be lacking and are hopeful for further updates.

    • “In terms of performance, the game runs smoother and solid along with mouse and keyboard control.”
    • “Frames are stable above 60 as long as you have a GTX 1060 6GB. This can be addressed in the future as the development team is still working on the game, adding content and improving optimization. No drops at all and it is a fluid experience, though there may be some stuttering in some levels, but it only lasts a couple of seconds and is rare.”
    • “Takes all the good from the first game and improves in almost every way. The game did come out badly optimized but seems to run pretty well now after many patches. Still, FPS drops from time to time, but for the most part, it runs well now!”
    • “The game performance isn't that good on my machine.”
    • “Game performance isn't good; the game puts all the rendering and load on the GPU. Even if you have the latest GPU or the most optimized setup, it will drop frames inevitably. It's ridiculous that when I checked CPU load, it's 1% just for this game and GPU load is 99%.”
    • “The game did come out badly optimized but seems to run pretty good now after many patches; still, FPS drops from time to time.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received high praise, with users noting significant improvements in combat, level design, and overall visual quality. The particle effects stand out as particularly impressive, and players recommend running the game on medium to high settings for the best experience. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's appeal, enhancing both the gameplay and storytelling elements.

    • “Graphically, the game is excellent, particularly the particle effects.”
    • “Good hack and slash game with great graphics, soundtrack, and voice acting.”
    • “Recommend to play at max on medium graphics.”
    • “Lastly, I have a 1070 and I'm not sure if Unity3D is the issue (as I've never seen a released U3D look this good besides ReCore), but I was using about 60-70% of GPU's power at 1080p60 for PS3+ graphics quality.”
    • “Everything from combat, story, level design to graphics is way better here.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is significantly enhanced compared to its predecessor, featuring a more complex narrative that effectively conveys themes of friendship and sacrifice. Players appreciate the strong emotional scenes and the depth added by extra NPC dialogues, although some feel that the emotional expression could be improved, particularly in comparison to Japanese voice acting. The sound design and music contribute positively to the overall emotional experience.

    • “The storytelling of friendship and sacrifice feels emotional, and extra NPC dialogues make me actually care about those characters.”
    • “The composers did a great job to deliver quality sound design and some emotional music.”
    • “Unlike the first game, where the twintails girl just slashes everything that moves with her budget judgement cut, the story here is more complex; the emotional scenes are strong enough to pull at my heartstrings.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is frequently praised for being very funny, with moments of hilarity stemming from the dialogue and text presentation. However, some players feel that the comedic tone clashes with the narrative's more serious elements, suggesting a disconnect between the writing style and the intended story.

    • “The English text is often very funny, and the text warping in the boxes adds to the humor.”
    • “It's hilarious at times, but if they wanted a more serious story, the writing and dialogue shouldn't be like this.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in "Initial 2: New Stage" has been criticized for being shallow and unoriginal, with reviewers noting that the main character design feels overused and fails to deliver a deep plot. Overall, the game does not meet expectations for those seeking rich character arcs and engaging storytelling.

    • “If you are looking for a game with deep plot and character development, 'Initial 2: New Stage' won’t meet that expectation.”
    • “The main character design is boring, mostly because it is overused.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks originality.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its appealing and immersive environment, contributing positively to the overall experience.

    • “The environment and atmosphere are truly captivating.”
    • “The ambiance of the game creates an immersive experience.”
    • “The atmosphere is beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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