AeternoBlade 2 is a hardcore action-puzzle game with unique time-manipulating combat. The game uses anime stylistic that plunges players into the gloomy atmosphere inherited from the prequel. You might want to delve into the first part of the game to understand the entirety of its plot.
Developer Corecell Technology, the studio behind both entries of the series, brought the title to a wide variety of platforms, including PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
This is our AeternoBlade II PC review. Note: the Steam key was provided by the developer for the purposes of this article.
So, what are the main differences between the sequel and the original AeternoBlade? The very first thing a new player will see is the improved graphics: instead of the old-school 2D, ABII is using 2.5D. The game also features partial 3D that managed to gather ire of players due to its inconvenience during battles.
The camera can spin wildly and change the angle of view during a boss combat that in turn might lead to a player not being able to attack normally.
AeternoBlade II features a familiar protagonist that had appeared straight from the prequel, Freyja. The game also introduces two new heroes, Felix and Bernard. Each hero possesses a unique set of abilities and weapons. For example, Felix uses a whip that can create copies of itself, allowing players to weave various combinations together.
Bernard’s weapon of choice is a halberd that can destroy durable objects and slow time to a crawl. Meanwhile, Freyja uses a sword that allows her to teleport. Sometimes players will return to the previously visited locations as different characters to look for new loopholes into previously inaccessible places.
Story-wise, the events of the game take place after those of its predecessor. The protagonist, Freyja, enjoys her life surrounded by various other heroes. However, as a result of her actions in the first game, Freyja disturbs the stability and the balance of the “fourth” dimension and quite possibly others as well.
Now the heroes need to restore the power of the enchanted sword to restore the balance of the dimensions. The story has some unique touches, but altogether the plot is pretty generic. In addition, the way the game goes about its storytelling is simplified as much as possible. But even such an unpretentious story may be left not entirely clear to the player due to the way it is introduced – especially if you are playing a localized version of the game.
The combat system of AeternoBlade II is as simple as it can get to the point of eeriness. The entire feature is based on a combination of attacks, evasions and the use of counter-attacks. With the help of various weapons used by heroes, players can power up their attacks in the process of leveling – a pretty typical gameplay feature for the genre.
Boss battles are quite challenging: they hit extremely hard while being bullet sponges themselves. As a result, you can attempt to kill the boss a number of times before the game takes pity on you and suggests lowering the difficulty by offering an “alternate world” where the boss is weaker.
The music improves the situation slightly by weaving organically with what is happening on the screen.
