River City Girls 2

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 489 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
River City Girls 2 Game Cover
River City Girls 2 is a rare sequel that improves on almost every aspect of the original, a must play for fans of the first game, and highly recommended to anyone who likes beat 'em ups.
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Picking up shortly after the original, River City Girls 2 once again put you in control of Misako and Kyoko - as well as Kunio, Riki, and a few new characters - as they set out on an all-new beat-'em-up adventure across the mean streets of River City. New moves, new enemies, new recruits, new environments, and the return of an old foe await, along with the same over-the-top sense of humor and adre…

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 489 reviews
story14 positive mentions
optimization7 negative mentions
  • Fun, funny, and amusing gameplay with tons of content.
  • Improved combat mechanics and character variety enhance the overall experience.
  • Great art style and soundtrack that complement the game's atmosphere.
  • Performance issues, including a locked 30 FPS, detract from the gameplay experience.
  • Repetitive backtracking and fetch quests can make the game feel tedious.
  • Dialogue and character interactions lack depth and variety compared to the first game.
  • story113 mentions

    The story of River City Girls 2 continues directly from the first game, featuring Misako and Kyoko as they navigate a series of humorous and meta quests involving yakuza revenge and various fetch missions. While the narrative includes plenty of charm and references, many players feel it lacks the engaging qualities of its predecessor, often relying on backtracking and filler content that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a fun and quirky atmosphere, bolstered by a vibrant soundtrack and a larger world to explore.

    • “The story picks up just after the end of the last game when Misako and Kyoko defeated a yakuza boss thinking she had kidnapped their boyfriends Kunio and Rikki, the protagonists of the original River City Ransom game, just to find out they'd just gone to a spa to relax, so now the yakuza's brother and father of course want revenge and set it off by getting Misako and Kyoko expelled from River City High.”
    • “The story is hilarious, the replayability is there and worth running through multiple times.”
    • “But all together this game is amazing, the variety in each character brings out a new feel, the story is fun and interesting, the side missions give you more to do, and bringing back characters from the first game was an awesome touch, not to mention the Double Dragon references.”
    • “The main story is a step down from RCG1 at all levels.”
    • “The story doesn't need to make 'sense.' The main issue with the story is that it lacks all the charm that the first game had.”
    • “A story that mocks you for investing any mental energy into it is not a story worth experiencing.”
  • music96 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many praising its high quality and catchy tracks, particularly those by Megan McDuffie. While some tracks are reused from the first game, the addition of new music has been noted as a positive enhancement, contributing to the overall enjoyable atmosphere. However, a few reviewers mentioned that not all new tracks are as memorable, and there are occasional issues with repetitive play of certain songs during gameplay.

    • “The soundtrack is pretty good for this kind of game.”
    • “The fighting mechanics are good, plenty of humor and double dragon references, a decent story, interesting bosses, and an amazing soundtrack to jam to.”
    • “The music is also really good.”
    • “The music is shit and plays dumb songs almost every chance it gets.”
    • “So it's a shame that sometimes you'll be stuck with the same song for ages and then the other extreme by the end of the game when you'll be moving so fast you'll rarely hear past the first minute of a piece of music.”
    • “I have never seen an art asset and music team let down by everyone else on a project so hard since... well, the first installment.”
  • gameplay72 mentions

    The gameplay in River City Girls 2 is generally praised for its expanded mechanics, including new playable characters, improved combo systems, and engaging side quests, which enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted issues such as loading screens disrupting flow, minor bugs, and a lack of depth in boss battles, which detracted from the otherwise fun and humorous beat-em-up action. While the game retains the charm of its predecessor, it has received mixed feedback regarding its pacing and execution of new features.

    • “The gameplay is addictive, and the sprite work, cutscene animation, and character portraits are top-notch.”
    • “The visuals are as polished as ever, the addition of fun mini-games for side quests helps keep the gameplay loop refreshing, and the combat and combo system are vastly improved: a combo counter, two wall bounces, new moves, a new meter, air combos, new cancels, new ways to launch, and more gimmicks to set characters apart!”
    • “The gameplay is absolute combo fun and very enjoyable; the writing is hilarious, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
    • “This disrupts combo and overall gameplay flow.”
    • “However, the patch also did a lot of changes to the gameplay, physics, and flow, making the game feel very off to many players, myself included.”
    • “After reading the credits, it feels like there were way too many resources dropped on having a billion voice actor cameos instead of adding enough gameplay content to separate it from the first game.”
  • humor40 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players enjoying the witty dialogue, character interactions, and meta-referential jokes, particularly the nods to classic titles like Double Dragon. However, some critiques highlight that the humor can feel forced or inconsistent, especially when it detracts from gameplay. Overall, the game balances fun and engaging combat with a lighthearted tone, making it an entertaining experience, especially when played with friends.

    • “The gameplay is satisfying, and the humor and tone of the game is very entertaining, as well as the character interactions.”
    • “The story is hilarious, the replayability is there and worth running through multiple times.”
    • “The writing is very entertaining and funny in my opinion (much like the first game), I wasn't cracking up at every joke but it was always fun to hear the characters talk and interact.”
    • “I wouldn't call RCG2 a story-focused game, so I don't think it's fair to deduct points just because I personally didn't enjoy having my kick-ass gameplay interrupted by MCU-tier quips and unfunny jokes.”
    • “The humor in this game feels forced and often falls flat, making it more of a distraction than an enhancement to the experience.”
    • “While the game tries to inject humor, most of the jokes feel outdated and fail to resonate, leaving me more annoyed than entertained.”
  • graphics29 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their excellent pixel art, charming cartoon-style cutscenes, and vibrant visuals that enhance the overall aesthetic. Players appreciate the attention to detail, smooth animations, and the colorful art style that remains consistent with the previous installment while introducing new elements. Overall, the visuals are described as top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's appeal, especially in a co-op setting.

    • “Graphically amazing, I love the art.”
    • “Awesome pixel graphics!”
    • “The original game was left in a broken state where some moves had bad graphical glitches; thankfully the community fixed it... the devs didn't.”
    • “Visuals are cute and colorful.”
    • “The pixels crunch, the combos are animated smoothly, and it all just feels right on the graphical side, even more so than the first game.”
  • optimization27 mentions

    The game's optimization has seen significant improvements following a performance update that addressed initial issues like 30 fps locks and stuttering, making it more playable for many users. However, some players report that this update altered game mechanics, affecting combos and physics, leading to frustration. While the beta version has been praised for resolving most performance problems, minor hiccups still persist, leaving a mixed reception regarding overall optimization.

    • “Update: since writing this review, there has been a performance patch released that fixes the 30 fps issues mentioned in this review.”
    • “The beta significantly improves performance, to the point where I wish that was the version that released first.”
    • “The game is fantastic now that the performance on PC has been fixed; I can wholeheartedly recommend it to all beat-em-up fans out there!”
    • “The caveat comes in when this game launched; it was not only locked at 30fps but it had baked-in stuttering.”
    • “Performance is all over the place and makes the game unplayable.”
    • “At release, this game ran at 30fps with constant stuttering on all platforms including PC, despite the original supporting uncapped high frame rates without issue.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding in the game to be tedious and frustrating, often exacerbated by poor controls and mandatory backtracking. While some appreciate the depth it adds to the brawler experience, many feel that the grind for resources and moves is overly burdensome, detracting from the enjoyment of combat and exploration. The balance between money, leveling, and progression is noted as a positive aspect, but the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a chore rather than a rewarding experience.

    • “I've collected all recruits and their special last 2 variants. All that's left is to collect all the achievements, and then it'll be onto the fun plays where it's all just deaths and not farming money and moves because of how impossibly fun this game's combat is.”
    • “This game has maps (levels) that could be a cool 20 minutes beat 'em up style but it extends to fetch quests and 'minigames' that make it a tedious hour (looking at you ocean heights).”
    • “And this really sucks when you desperately need the healing items, but you can't get them because farming the enemies is really hard and tedious and not fun.”
    • “Another issue is the mandatory backtracking which feels tedious and tiring alongside the longer load times.”
  • replayability15 mentions

    Overall, the game offers significant replayability due to its multiple playable characters, each with unique movesets, and the humorous story that encourages multiple playthroughs. However, some players feel limited by the lack of diverse game modes and the linear nature of the map, which may hinder the overall replay value. Despite these concerns, the fun mechanics and character unlocks keep players engaged for multiple runs.

    • “This is an amazing and fun game, it has simple mechanics and yet they are quite fun and there is a lot of replayability with the extra characters you get if only to see the changes in attitude.”
    • “The story is hilarious, the replayability is there and worth running through multiple times.”
    • “What I want to point out is that the first game was tight, short, and sweet with tons of replayability.”
    • “There are not any other game modes besides story mode at this time, so only allowing 2 story mode plays per save slot seems to limit replayability.”
    • “Regardless, I think a linear map design would be better and more replayable, especially for multiplayer, than trying to be an underwhelming metroidvania.”
    • “New minigames are not replayable (yet?) without doing a new run.”
  • stability11 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability has seen significant improvements compared to its predecessor, with many players reporting no crashes or freezes during gameplay. However, some users have encountered minor visual glitches, frame-rate drops, and occasional input unresponsiveness, indicating that while the game is generally stable, it still has some lingering issues that can affect the experience.

    • “The game runs great on Steam Deck!”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs during my playthrough.”
    • “The performance is smooth, and I appreciate the consistent frame rates.”
    • “It had a rough start due to constant frame-rate drops and glitches here and there.”
    • “40 bucks for a broken buggy experience.”
    • “Update: the fps-fixing open beta game freezes every time I beat the first boss (right after the animation), I'm not sure whether it's a beta thing or not.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of River City Girls is characterized by a light-hearted and playful tone that enhances its memorability, with many users praising its ability to not take itself too seriously. The combination of this upbeat atmosphere and engaging music contributes significantly to the overall experience, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “It's a perfect fit for the game's atmosphere and is largely responsible for making this game memorable.”
    • “What I find special about River City Girls is its light-hearted atmosphere that doesn't take itself too seriously.”
    • “We need more games with tone and atmosphere like this.”
    • “Nothing beats the atmosphere and the music either!”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate a strong negative sentiment towards the monetization strategy, with users criticizing the game as a "soulless cash grab" and expressing frustration over the absence of microtransactions, suggesting a desire for a more genuine gaming experience.

    • “There are zero microtransactions, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.”
    • “I appreciate that the game has zero microtransactions; it feels fair and balanced.”
    • “The absence of microtransactions is a breath of fresh air in today's gaming landscape.”
    • “I just can't with this soulless cash grab, dude.”
    • “This game is riddled with microtransactions that ruin the experience.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and takes away from the enjoyment.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by engaging voice acting, impressive character design, and a humorous narrative that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the depth and personality of the characters, contributing to the game's entertaining gameplay and immersive world.

    • “The tight gameplay, the world, the funny writing, the immaculate OST and character designs make this game a must-play. I would literally buy this game twice—no, thrice—no, four times!”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players find the emotional impact of the game to be profound and heartbreaking, highlighting its incredible potential. Despite current issues, they express a strong desire to recommend it once these problems are resolved.

    • “It's even more heartbreaking because, as I said, I think this game is incredible, and when it gets fixed, I have no issues recommending it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

Buy River City Girls 2

Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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