No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 876 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Game Cover
The sequel to the well received No More Heroes arrives, meaning we now have a grand total of three adult games on the Wii! But can it's quirky humour and excessive gore win your heart over a second time?
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In "No More Heromes 2: Desperate Struggle," players control Travis Touchdown once again, this time seeking revenge against powerful assassins to clear his name. The game features over-the-top action and humor, with a variety of weapons and finishing moves. With a new open world and improved combat system, players can explore and battle their way to the top of the ranks in Santa Destroy.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Wii
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 876 reviews
story55 positive mentions
grinding40 negative mentions
  • The combat system is more refined and enjoyable compared to the first game, with smoother mechanics and the ability to switch beam katanas mid-fight.
  • The game features a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, with memorable tracks accompanying various scenarios.
  • The humor and quirky writing remain strong, providing a unique and entertaining narrative that fans of the series will appreciate.
  • The PC port is plagued with issues, including frequent crashes, lack of graphical options, and broken achievements, making it frustrating to play.
  • The removal of the open world and the introduction of 8-bit mini-games for side jobs detracts from the overall experience, leading to a more tedious gameplay loop.
  • Many boss fights lack depth and character development, making them feel forgettable compared to the memorable encounters in the first game.
  • story225 mentions

    The story in "No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle" is generally seen as less engaging than its predecessor, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and coherence. While it features a grander and more chaotic narrative, it often feels shallow and disjointed, with many plot points left unresolved and character development lacking. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the humor and unique character designs, finding enjoyment in the overall absurdity of the storyline.

    • “There is much more plot than the previous game, a touch more serious, but still doesn't take itself too seriously which is great!”
    • “With that said, No More Heroes 2 does provide a quite compelling story arc, while also tying the first game thematically.”
    • “The story is good and fitting for a No More Heroes game and even includes a few pop-culture references which are a nice touch to the whole thing.”
    • “The story, although much grander, and even a little more chaotic and fun, is unfortunately shallow, with not many twists and turns as before.”
    • “The story is bland, the battle system is a watered-down version of the prior game, but the humor is good though.”
    • “The story is half-baked (like a lot of things in this game); a lot of characters are killed off-screen or appear out of nowhere, making it very hard to follow sometimes.”
  • music114 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its diversity and quality, often considering it a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some tracks are noted as exceptional, there are criticisms regarding certain areas lacking music or featuring less favorable tunes. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a significant improvement over the previous installment, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “The soundtrack is also amazing so it makes up for the fact you have to punch dumbbells a guy in a pink leotard throws at you.”
    • “The music is top of the line and every song fits every single scenario it's placed in perfectly.”
    • “In nmh2, every part of the game has its own music and it all simply slaps; the boss themes, the normal battle themes, even the 8-bit minigame music is great!”
    • “The soundtrack has some bangers once again, but the fashion store's music is absolutely, unbearably awful.”
    • “Music would cut out in certain fighting areas and it'd be kind of quiet.”
    • “This game is what happens when you spend half of your budget on the soundtrack.”
  • gameplay108 mentions

    The gameplay in "No More Heroes 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its refined combat mechanics and smoother execution compared to the first game, while others criticize it for feeling repetitive and lacking depth. Players appreciate the variety introduced by new characters and weapons, but some find the boss fights inconsistent and the side content unfulfilling. Overall, while the core gameplay remains enjoyable and retains the series' signature style, it suffers from pacing issues and a sense of filler in certain segments.

    • “But it's a great game, the gameplay overall is great and once you get the hang of it enough to start doing complicated tech, you really feel like the most badass otaku around.”
    • “Incredible gameplay, soundtrack, bosses, levels and nearly everything about it is as close to perfect as a hack and slash can get.”
    • “The gameplay feels smoother, all more soul-caliber-like, feels faster with its combos (both with your sword and your punches and kicks), almost giving a Devil May Cry kind of speedy style to your attacks.”
    • “Instead, it feels like a set of inconsistent mechanics without any context to the point where the game becomes a routine boss rush mixed with a bunch of meaningless and poorly designed gameplay segments.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the game is repetitive.”
    • “Compared to the first game, this does not have the money grind until you can fight against the bosses, but the gameplay in this one feels worse than in the first game.”
  • graphics72 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the unique art style that blends punk rock and anime influences, while others criticize the lack of graphical options and frequent technical issues such as frame drops, screen tearing, and bugs. Although there is a noticeable improvement in visual quality compared to its predecessor, many players feel that the port from the Switch is lazy and fails to utilize the capabilities of PC, resulting in a barebones experience marred by glitches and limited settings. Overall, while the aesthetic is appreciated, the technical execution leaves much to be desired.

    • “The graphics are really cool in this game - like really pretty cool.”
    • “Graphically superior with a refined style, but the new camera angle was difficult to get used to, although combat does feel a lot more satisfying.”
    • “The game offers some nice graphics and a really beautiful aesthetic, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same.”
    • “This game has no proper in-game graphic options, it's capped at 60 fps, the textures are lazily upscaled so there is tons of artifacting, horrendous pop-in, and no Steam input.”
    • “However, this port is also lazy at the same time as it’s just directly ported from the Switch version with no additional graphical options to take advantage of being available on PC.”
    • “Excluding the bad port (no graphics options and a Wii game shouldn't need a powerful PC to run the game), I don't recommend this game to new players on its own merits.”
  • humor45 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its irreverent and experimental style, often pushing boundaries with self-parody and colorful jokes that reflect a more edgy era. While some humor may feel dated, it remains a significant aspect of the experience, with plenty of inside jokes, funny side missions, and bizarre moments that elicit laughter. Overall, the game's blend of dark themes and comedic elements, along with memorable characters and quirky mini-games, contributes to its fun and engaging atmosphere.

    • “This is a very fun hack and slash game with a lot of humor that you definitely wouldn't expect for a game that came out originally on the Nintendo Wii.”
    • “In short, this game is so fun and fondly remembered because it's unafraid to take chances with experimental ideas, and its sense of humor is so completely irreverent of basically everything that it even makes sure to dismiss and parody its own self, every single chance it gets, and totally succeeds at it.”
    • “I would recommend this game just for all the inside jokes and funny side missions.”
  • grinding40 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with many reporting issues such as bugs that waste time and money, as well as a lack of engaging side content compared to the previous installment. While some mini-games offer a quick way to earn money, the overall experience is marred by technical problems and a sense of unfulfillment in the grinding process. Despite these drawbacks, some players still appreciate the base gameplay and narrative, suggesting that the second game improves on the first by reducing the focus on grinding.

    • “Grinding for money is extremely unfun.”
    • “The main line missions are generally grindy, and there isn't anything interesting or unique about them compared to the first game.”
    • “Tl;dr, base gameplay good, story good, music great, side content grindy, unfulfilling, and boring.”
  • stability24 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, crashes, and visual glitches, particularly in the PC port. While some users experienced a relatively smooth gameplay experience, others faced frequent freezes and issues with achievements. Overall, the port is considered unpolished and disappointing, leading many to recommend purchasing it on sale rather than at full price.

    • “Also runs great on the Steam Deck!”
    • “I beat it multiple times except this port barely works, is very buggy, crashes, and freezes a lot as well.”
    • “I have spent 1 hour actually playing the game and the other 2 hours is me troubleshooting, trying to find out why I crashed and playing up until I can save.”
    • “In regards to the PC port, well... it could've been much better and it's slightly disappointing considering how buggy it is, so I recommend buying on sale like I did.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The optimization of this port is widely criticized, with users reporting significant stuttering issues, random crashes, and a lack of support for higher resolutions and frame rates. While locking the game to 60 fps can improve performance, many players still experience worse performance compared to other versions, leading to a consensus that this port is poorly optimized and has received inadequate support and patches.

    • “As for performance, it runs smooth as butter if locked to 60 fps with NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD's equivalent.”
    • “This port is sadly poorly optimized compared to every other version of NMH2.”
    • “What can I say... random crashes, stuttering, no support for higher resolutions or FPS, and finally negligence... months on end with no proper patches truly a miserable port.”
    • “Optimized like a dumpster fire.”
  • character development14 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while the character designs are praised for their creativity and appeal, some bosses lack the depth and personality that made characters in the previous installment memorable. This absence of development detracts from the overall engagement with certain characters, making them feel less interesting compared to their predecessors.

    • “The character designs are great, as is the music.”
    • “This is what made the original No More Heroes bosses interesting; they had some sort of character development that gave them personality.”
    • “This is a nice addition to her character development and is also my favorite design-wise.”
    • “Some bosses lack character development compared to the previous game.”
    • “There are definitely times in this game where it can feel like filler (rank fight number 4 literally has you kill 100+ goons to start the gameplay level, then you fight through basically 40+ more to start the boss fight, for example). However, all of the character designs and their boss fights are still enjoyable (with the exception of the final boss).”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as a deeply moving experience, characterized by a heartbreaking narrative and a beautifully bittersweet ending that evokes strong feelings, including laughter and tears. Players report it as an emotional rollercoaster, highlighting its romantic and heartfelt moments that resonate profoundly.

    • “The ending is truly romantically beautiful, sweet, funny, and heartfelt.”
    • “Beautifully bittersweet and melancholic, made me cry in the club 😢”
    • “It would genuinely be easier to give a play-by-play of this game because it's an emotional rollercoaster in the worst way.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, players feel that this game offers less replayability compared to its predecessor, No More Heroes 1. However, it compensates with an impressive soundtrack, a reduction in money grinding, a greater variety of playable characters and weapons, and a more streamlined experience without unnecessary open-world elements.

    • “Less replayability compared to No More Heroes 1.”
    • “This game has an unbelievably amazing soundtrack, less money grinding, more playable characters, no unnecessary open world, more weapon variety, and less padding.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is noted for its improved character designs and engaging music themes, particularly in standout boss fights like the 5th graded encounter. However, some players feel the overall experience is marred by a rushed feel and excessive oversexualization, which detracts from the enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, certain elements, such as humor and UI changes, are appreciated.

    • “I am in love with Margaret (5th fight); her design, atmosphere, and music were just great.”
    • “The music themes and sceneries were unnecessarily good, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The designs of Travis, Sylvia, and especially Shinobu got such improvements, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
8hMain story
14hCompletionist
8-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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