Deadly Individualism: No More Heroes 2

making his long-awaited debut Glastonbury let's pause [Music] the last video covered no more heroes exploring how the town is sent to destroy and its inhabitants affected Travis as a person further developing him into a prominent assassin looking for that exit to Paradise but leaving us with a bit of an open ending with slight intention to keep it that way there's no more heroes to live up to the first games and thrall in symbolism deeply provoking world gallery and wonderfully quirky gameplay let's dive into this so much for what Sylvia said at the end of the first game hey that's not what she said suta 51 had absolutely no intention to continue Travis's tale but the decent sales numbers and tremendous feedback they received were able to convince him otherwise however it should be considered that go Ichi sudha himself was a director designer and writer for No More Heroes 1 sadly for this installment he appears to be absent from all these seats or was he this may seem unclear at first but look at how he was credited at the end of the first game written directed designed all by him the one and only take a look here in the credits of the second game the only time his name shows up executive director I don't even know if that position is real or if they have any serious role in the game development as far as I can tell executive anything can mean [ __ ] all at least Sudha had the decency to explain his role loud and clear for No More Heroes 2 I'm going to be credited as executive director I'm just going to take care of the character script in the scenario but the director is going to be someone else we have actually set a director at grasshopper a young one with that said don't believe any sites that lists him as designer or even sole director because it isn't true I'm not surprised that he made time for writing the script considering how imperative he feels it is when it comes to most gaming experiences the story ends up being the design document and the framework for the entire game and its gameplay there really one in the same if somebody came to me and said you had to separate those two things I don't think I'd be able to create a game it's possible that he wasn't able to have a bigger hand on the project because he was too busy code directing Fatal Frame 4 or getting a stream during production of his next major title but more on that another time this can explain why No More Heroes 2 feels lacking in the gameplay variety of non-essential content symbolism and thematic significance slashing up baddies is still prominent in its gameplay but now you have the option to swap between four weapons at any time during your fights but the ability to mix up high and low attacks to extend your combo like the first game don't feel as present this time around at least not with Wii Remote settings but since the two types of attacks are mapped to separate buttons with the pro controller extending combos seems easier to pull off it's just odd to me because I had no problem doing such in the first game I think I hope that you're prompted of the position on the hood roulette power-ups are still present to help you in a pinch but it's not like this games fodder is tough to deal with in the first place although new mechanic would be the ecstacy gauge it's a meter that fills up with every successful strike and it works similar to roulette power-ups but taking damage and means it depletes this encourages you to take enemies on tactfully but sometimes it can't be helped when a bunch of these [ __ ] surround you or spam their guns and knocking you down constantly even in regards of beefing up Travis there's barely any real options this time in the original game you're able to attain upgrades that major weapons battery lasts longer you can train to increase the length of your combos things like that this seems to have been replaced with the new weapons you can attain throughout the game your signature beam katana is back of course as well as a Tsubaki Mk III with a mostly rework moveset along with that you have the peony a huge bastard of a beam katana that slow as hell but pretty fun to use among all the play styles this is the most unique for the series and lastly the Rose nasty wielded by Travis on the cover and god damn it says mash Lee as the game can get the amount of hits with these dueling deadlies is off the charts especially when running on ecstasy this meant the selection of enhancements for your campaign were very slim the gym is back for example but it only offers sessions to upgrade health or damage output there's no lovey cava esque upgrades to seek anymore so we're already missing options completely and abandoning the plethora of little gadgets and upgrades name we provided previously now it's a mere two weapons for your entire campaign yeah kind of awkward holy shed why did they make Naomi's boobs so big this time why do they do that not that I'm complaining although to credit their attempt further at variety and trying to keep the game fresh in lieu of quirky gimmicks Henry and Chenault who certainly provide a unique experience from Travis but they're barely utilized to begin Shinobu burying two full stages and Henry a single boss this is where the repetition of this title is that it's most apparent even when compared to the previous game in No More Heroes won just about every single stage had a certain gimmick to change up the gameplay in order to keep it interesting they didn't really bother to make such an attempt in No More Heroes too when it comes to the main stages in fact let's take a quick look back to the main stages in the first game slash up a bunch of dudes and fight the boss slash up a bunch of dudes baseball minigame slash up a bunch of dudes baseball minigame slash up a bunch of dudes and fight the boss slash up a bunch of dudes scurry to the electric box slash up a bunch of dudes and fight the boss make your way to the subway slash up a bunch of dudes in a confined area so I shot up a bunch of more dudes and fight the boss slash up a bunch of dudes avoid the line minefields while slashing a bunch of more dudes and fight the boss slash up a bunch of dudes and watch a cutscene slash up a bunch of dudes play the space shooter minigame and fight the boss slash up a bunch of dudes get on a bus to slash off a bunch of more dudes in an extremely cramped area while navigating a completely foreign camera angle and fight the boss venue that requires you to avoid giant laser blasts while slashing up a few more dudes run over a bunch of dudes with their motorcycle or end up slashing them up normally if you take enough damage and fight the boss drive through the highway and force on your motorcycle while avoiding another giant laser and some dudes slash up some more dues while navigating a split maze and fight the boss and assuming you've got all the beam katanas fight one more boss and all of this is layered with exploring sand to destroy for goodies odd jobs and quick assassin missions you must perform in order to keep your income stable since you need to pay a fee for every stage definitely repetitive at times but those little spices of variety sprinkled across the adventure helped make it a more memorable and delectable campaign now to treat the main campaign of No More Heroes - exactly the same way fight a boss slash of a bunch of dudes and fight a boss slash up a bunch of dudes and fight a boss slash of a bunch of dudes and fight a boss fail a sneaking mission probably slash out a bunch of dudes slash up a bunch of more dudes with an irrelevant timer then fight a boss fight a boss slash of a bunch of dudes solve a room puzzle fight a boss slash of a bunch of dudes then fight a boss buttheads of motorcycles then fight a boss fight a boss slash out a bunch of dudes for like ten in minutes / up even more dudes than fight a boss drive down a highway with no obstacles or threats then fight a boss walk down an apartment complex / out a bunch of dudes then fight a boss / up a bunch of dudes for like two weeks then fight three forms of boss oh and somewhere in-between you take on a challenger serves as an extra stage in which you slash up a bunch of dudes and fight a boss although not likely this mission can be completely missed all this could be layered between minigames side jobs but it is an absolutely mandatory there's no fees for stages anymore so the only reason to earn money is for closed the to beam katanas and slight enhancements you can potentially do all of these stages back-to-back in the most mind-numbing fashion traveling across the city was completely replaced with a menu that lets you choose where you want to go and instantly warp there looks really stylish with this transitions but I felt something was lost in the significant change according to the developer is the decision to remove exploring the city was mainly due to player feedback of the first game but I don't entirely agree with this notion open-world has been done right and genres similar to this I've gone into detail in the previous video about how exploring Santa destroys opportunities was an essential part of the experience and themes this was just cutting down a sapling before it can become a tree I have no doubt that open-world was initially planned for this title the end credits has you slowly driving through Santa destroy and it looks well somewhat finished also worth considering how Souter spoke about the sequel very early into production well once again managed to do what we want to do with realizing the open-world but expect big changes for No More Heroes two's open-world yeah talk about big changes to the open-world about no open-world the open-world fans had some complaints so we're definitely going to improve it this interview was conducted about half a year before the game's launch really makes you think how late into the game's development this received the cut odd-jobs had a complete overhaul as well what was originally supposed to be a few extra 2d minigames the designers got overzealous about the idea and just made most of the jobs NES s classics I can't deny that these retro style games made the jobs overall more palatable for players and feel less grinding you're not just mashing a to luck these coconuts anymore you're pulling off some sweet jump kicking skills that catch them while avoiding bugs so this is a different kind of quirkiness of the jobs and it's really easy to enjoy them at a surface level you can tell they had fun designing them except they kept the worst [ __ ] job from the first game exactly the same for this title speaking of jobs there's no assassin missions to earn either I talked about this exclusion to be detriment to the themes discussed in the last video - but I can't get too ahead of myself here in these revenge missions you have to kill everyone on site or just a specific person it's as simple as I'm making it out to be and you barely earn any cash from them so this is definitely no substitute for the assassin missions from the first title come on not even wrestling moves only objectives no actual story related content found in these missions either despite their context these are the leaders of this wave of thugs trying to look as cool as a deadly Viper assassination squad they specifically are the ones that murdered Bishop they even appear in the prequel short and they are not utilized uniquely in any way shape or form Suda even goes on the record saying if he could change anything about this game it's this portion the developers provided more attention to the soundtrack this time around not only did most of the bosses receive unique themes once again but all stages have completely different tracks rather than remixes of the main theme song joong for cada would take over as main composer and sound designer a good chunk of the soundtrack would also be attributed to guest artists all of this being produced under Akira Yamaoka a brilliant composer of the original Silent Hill series being a big fan of the original nomer Heroes he immediately accepted working for suta the moment he left Konami as he is now the main sound director for grasshopper manufacturer there is a lot to analyze when it comes to the music surprisingly enough they absolutely nailed the feeling each part of the game is a voguing when the player is immersed into this adventure full of vengeance and bloodless with nearly every single track and the unforgettable boss teams feel ever more fitting to the character or situation [Music] [Applause] [Music] your first real stage gets you hype with a recreation of the original theme song complete with lyrics making the sound like a celebration [Music] it conveys that the unbelievable is happening and we're going on yet another crazy adventure with Travis something they didn't think whatever happened while the song is not original sin no more years to its origins being from an extra soundtrack that preceded the sequel by about two years I can't deny how fitting this placement is the overworld tune fits perfectly in this sunbathed city on the beachside really wish I could oh I don't know drive my motorcycle to it [Music] [Applause] even some of the revenge missions have incredible tunes that almost speak to you mid-fight sub crazy the track that kicked off this video for example it starts with this build up like something wicked and crazy is heading your way [Applause] [Music] it's here to take you on the biggest confrontation your life threats in every direction [Music] with that guitar cutting its way into the front it's almost as if it's telling you if you persevere you'll make it through and destroy your enemies [Music] but God listener that is part of a tunnel vision in audio you can't stop no idea when it's over your hand but you can't stop picturing it no brakes on this train heading to paradise maybe I'm being too analytical I can't help it these Tunes just really speak to me they put so much thought and care into this game's music it shouldn't be surprising Suda and his gang emphasize greatly how important their games soundtracks are I want to make sure I don't give people the same impression all the time we want to avoid for example having a killer7 like song play in the middle of No More Heroes because that'll wind up making players remember killer7 instead of the game we want them to pay attention to we don't want to repeat what we've already done in the past instead we want to give something new and interesting to the players that's something that applies for the whole design process of course we always want to do something fresh i gushed over the music more but the gaming brit has already touched on this perfectly with a video describing how well directed the soundtrack is I highly recommend you give it a watch well not right now I'm still talking here one thing about this game that seems to be different than the first is that it feels a little more grisly the first game is gory as hell but a lot of the aesthetics and even the sounds in numerators to make it feel more dirty and grimy [Music] [Music] makes me think of grindhouse films but that might be supported by how shallow the story's presentation is compared to the first game before covering the general story in its vos lineup I need to address a major elephant in the room the gaping plot holes anyone that has played through both games probably already know what I'm talking about in the original game you took down CEOs of pizza but and the final boss of this game seeking revenge is Jasper back owner of pizza bat he expresses how Travis murdered his father and brothers which is three pizza but missions making this an ultimate act of revenge so there's no denying that but God changed the bat late interviews even referred to the company still as pizza but the city of Santa destroy has been taken over by a huge conglomerate pizza but maybe they felt the last boss would be better off sporting a bat theme I guess they couldn't have them put on some sort of ass related motif in the original game Travis finds out there's Sylvia's mother that the United Assassins Association was completely fake in this game now it's real Travis doesn't even question it people theorize that the story in the previous game was reported on and inspired a real uaa to be created but this is just fans attempting to fill in plot holes which I really can't get behind I guess Silvia is a shitty mother too since her kid is nowhere to be found maybe someone called diapers on her since she's a murderer con artists the phone booth babe prostitute these are shitty plot holes no other way to go about it perhaps the developers are trying to communicate with its fans that this isn't really going to be that coherent of a story they're not taking the context seriously so why should you well just about all the bosses and No More Heroes one had symbolic relation to Travis's character developing the same can't really be said about the supporting cast there are still hints of symbolism floating around in the game but there isn't enough depth to them especially when you consider this is a grasshopper title this is where their drive for deep symbolism begins to deteriorate what better way to start this dissection than with the introduction and No More Heroes one you first witness this quirky exposition from Travis talking about how he's going to start this badass being katana wielding adventure and he's thrilled to have you along for the ride what he bro join me let's see how far we can take this for No More Heroes - it's much more quiet and foreboding this feels more appropriate for something like the Raider John wick once a God forsaken city where the bodies of angels littered the streets although the narrator provides a comprehensive explanation for the change in tone the assassins of the world has become a commodity a chance for profit and entertainment for the masses but shadows from the wilder days still linger this line eluded me for so long but I think what he's stating now is how the game as many villains are portrayed this time around only a handful are echoes of the past the real assassins those shadows that still linger while others are overly invested about their place in life or simply the opportunity to meet Travis and to show off mister touchdown it's an honor to face you as the narrator stated they see this as nothing more than entertainment in lieu of conflicting or complements or ideologies - Travis there are just figures straight out of Hollywood this is conjecture of course I'm not saying this is absolutely what the developers are going for but this is what I felt was the most interesting aspect of the game that stuck out to me the boss sewer begins with skelter helter brother of the assassin Travis kills in the original game's introduction he expresses very blatantly how much he hates Travis for taking him away it'll be your blood this time when I avenge my brother draw brother who this scenario is a complete recreation of events that started off the original adventure but notice how much more looming and somber this is [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's called fashionably late [ __ ] pairing with the narration of this game it's really letting you know this or do Travis will pursue might not be as vivacious in the long run scout sir is the first callback to the previous game and how Travis has affected people around him without even knowing who they were this becomes an overarching theme for No More Heroes - during the battle you are introduced to these sensual but melancholic cutscenes in which someone totally non Travis is listening to the stories of somebody totally not sylia in this booth dubbed the heaven smile during this Silvia mentions the blanket of snow covering the town after such a long time and how beautiful it made Santa destroy but she states something particular about this beauty what a coincidence that this confrontation between skelter and Travis would be the same night as snow flurries would cover the town it's an indication this will be the last pure fight for our modern samurai here travis has left the sword dormant for the past couple of years but decided to wield his blade it one more time when challenged by an unknown assassin Travis likely thought that he would just get this quick kill done and go back to jerking off to anime but the events about to transpire will change his life forever skelter would set up this elaborate revenge plan to ensure he would at least permanently wound Travis's life taking away someone that meant a lot to him getting that piece of vengeance postmortem I said I defend you killing my brother didn't I well who's been a brother to you what Travis don't think you can kill without suffering consequences Travis as blood spatter suggests bishops death is where the story truly begins next was Nathan Copeland he views Travis with worshipping eyes listen to me your highness these rankings offer to me neither does my sect or the mob the only true calling was to clash swords with you even nicknames in the crownless King as a reference to how he reached the top of the assassins rank and simply abandoned it I don't know who's talking about me but that nickname is alright this might seem meaningless to the player but the history behind it had a profound impact on some of these assassins Nathan Copeland has two sides of hide represents entertainment for the masses if one side was an obvious enough a famous rapper in every essence his large boom box and exorbitant attire screams it excessive amount of gold chains basketball sneakers and are those sharpen grills like riffraff huh rumor says early on Nathan was supposed to be white so maybe that adds to this his music is influential to people downright hypnotic the public generally Revere celebrities and rappers are this decades most prominent example he created a religion with many followers through the sheer magnetism of his personality as if some sort of televangelist say what you want about people like Osteen and Jake's but these people were influential due to the presentation they were able to get millions of people to follow them if one were to be especially cynical they can say they're followers on the scene can be compared to that of a cult nathan also seems to have parallel with Death Metal his wardrobe and body modifications comparable to Death metals excessive piercings and tattoos there's also some religious undertones what he's saying this is the first real stage in confrontation of the game so I find it likely to be intentional Oh I soared and by rock with death paper me you should go easy on that crazy punch and just like death metal nathan also finds greatness and dying at Travis's blade the moment I've been waiting for the name holy sword is no yours after him is Charlie McDonnell his gigantic padded football gear and army of skimpy cheerleaders he is professional sports events personified one of the most universally televised and viewed programs since the birth of public television on top of his overtly masculine build possibly to compensate for the blatant weakness of his voice he takes his representation to a whole new level transforming into this hulking Mecca which Travis can coincidentally match much like how these events even influenced the countries and states involved in them and rabid sports fans encouraging them as if they're larger than life this fight is literally just that it's larger than life perhaps 26 times larger and there's also the obvious ramifications of kaiju fights something one's significant to Japan's culture of entertainment [Music] next was the optional boss known as Kimmy Howell she greatly respects Travis and also seems to be deeply attracted to him can I call you Travis the great Travis ravenous cool hand TZ crazy what a fan of me nothing more about a fan girl a fan girl with intense fighting skills either way this further represents how passionate people have become and admiring him notably young people such as Kimmy I think the fact that narrative Lee the approach towards a fight is different from all the other assassins it shows a different kind of importance to the theme of entertainment Kimmy was once an outsider looking in when it came to these assassin fights a regular high school girl obsessed with Travis now willing to jump in and take him on she represents hardcore fanatics the people that get just a little too crazy over their favorite movie TV show actor videogame whatever it may be anything and everything designed to entertain the masses has entire communities made up of people like Kimmy know her accent in high school uniform a lot of this reminds me of how out of touch adults thought punk music would corrupt the youth of England an era that sudha adores not sure how Travis feels about the matter but the idea that he can inspire youth like this can be chilling for some okay so much for the dose of innocence but you've got the bloodlust I'm sure about that yeah I'm a JIT and way tougher than I look so don't hold back okay [Music] next assassin is Matt Helms a ghostly child who's seething rage forms into this giant terror if it wasn't obvious enough this form of Matt represents the wildly popular gruesome slasher films that have been prominent the last few decades donning a mask to hide his true face and an oversized weapon some Massacre his victims he is also the only boss fight' whose venue has destructible environment adding to the common tropes of these movies killers busting through walls and other such objects in order to get the upper hand on their victims 30 years ago that child was abandoned left to die in this house as the story goes he made a pact with the devil with his final breath revived through the Dark Arts is a child murdered his parents and now rules this forest feeding on suffering in hate oh it's a since it [ __ ] up somehow or we wouldn't be in this profession down to the expository dialogue that is his oh so sad origin Matt perfectly represents one of the most depraved pieces of mass-market entertainment next is Chloe Walsh she's part of a very niche subculture that had its time in the spotlight around the 90s and early 2000s I lovingly named it goth [ __ ] this kind of culture was exploited the most around this time with vicious pieces like The Crow interview with a vampire and Queen of the Damned there's also other works around this time to note such as Johnny the homicidal maniac Emily and the motif sported by certain artists like Marilyn Manson damn what was I thinking she's definitely not abroad I'd want to hook up with don't say that handsome actually you're just my type thanks but no thanks you'd be even more dashing if you were writhing in agony come closer to me show me your face twisted in pain body with her deafening shriek amorous personality S&M illusion obsession with pain and suffering something so many goth kids pretended they endured and outfit she is every bit of goth culture and entertainment wrapped up in one boss she's paired up next to Matt Helms in the boss lineup and the overlap between horror fans and young goth culture seems to be more than a coincidence after Chloe begins the second act of the game and nearly all of it is dedicated to the survive fallen of the original No More Heroes dr. lett shaikh returns seeking revenge on the ones who did him in last time so Henry makes a cameo he's already reached Henry and now he wants to finish the job by killing Travis or encasing him as well maybe it can actually be argue that he is literally both let's shake and dr. shake combined through small nuances of course destroying him leads not only to you recovering Henry but also shown oghuz arrival she is now dedicated to being Travis's disciple did you call me master I don't have time for apprentices you have any idea how much pro wrestling is backlogged on my VCR I came to tell you I got back safely from Asia you should be happy I didn't even know you left he doesn't seem to care about her desire to have him be her master though listen up Shinobu this is my war I don't need help from anybody well the thing is it's kind of too late for that huh what are you talking about I'll explain later master but you should go to the bathroom first seriously it's a long story fine but I'm not your goddamn master the two bosses Shinobu goes up against our million gunman and the destroy Minh yeah I'm not calling what is now two separate entities new destroy man that's dumb million gunman has very little character a man who's so exorbitant ly rich he shoots money at you although it can't be ignored that he shares many similarities with dr. piece from the first title it's possible he was originally written in as dr. piece his outfit and weapon of choice are staunchly similar and both of them were ranked as number nine in the UA a perhaps they thought it was too absurd to make him return along with everyone else who already is even if he merely shares an essence of dr. peace and spirit it supports how the second act seems to prioritize old shadows with the intent to haunt Travis before her confrontation with the destroy Minh Shinobu visits bishops grave a man comes by doing the same it's this bishops grave yeah we friends yes we never met him possible but we knew each other where we exchanged the many readers even though our countries and languages were different we too understood each other although he was only pen pals with Bishop the two have developed a close relationship no doubt he was affected deeply by his death do you know his best friend Travis of course excellent in that case would you please give this to him it is from Bishop yes it is a lot of things I suppose but despite the implication that he may have the means to fight and possibly take revenge possessing the rose nasty he only wants to pay respects to his late friend this could be a callback to suitors old days of how he witnessed all different walks of life react to death of ones they cared for since his first real job was for a funeral home unlike Travis and some of his adversaries he doesn't crave vengeance or anything like that he continues to be a humble man wishing his friend a good eternal rest Shinobu confronts the destroy men defeated by Travis he comes back as two entities you know it's dangerous coming to a place like this alone you ought to be more careful seriously terrible things can happen I see it on the news all the time maybe that's why she came it's what she wants two grown men to keep her company horny [ __ ] my Master's got his hands full so I'm taking his place not that it matters the results gonna be the same I don't have time for this you're taking Travis's place Wow I gotta say I'm feeling pretty distant fight oh listen to this [ __ ] acting like she's some kind of femme fatale shut up and fight she says she's she's so rude reminds me my complaining customers now Travis he knew how to fight like a gentleman sliced me in half sure but he did it with grace a lot of people say this was a cheap rehash of destroy man's mysterious character in the first game how these two are literally just destroy man and destroy man that's a pervert I mean I did for a while and don't get me wrong it still is kind of cheap but destroy mine really did have two sides of himself working together before he was very kind and patient when in his mailman disguise had to take care of some customers than filed complaints my apologies he was trying to get the upper hand but wouldn't let it get in the way of his politeness it's almost as if he's doing the other side of himself a favor but still stuck to his current persona I just need you to look the other way for a second a second yes just a split second all right ah damn it the more manner full side of him was still present after donning the suit almost as if he needed help to get ready seeing as how a Travis was able to avoid his trick he decided to go for it again with the handshake continuing to be a proper and patient man he was able to lure in Travis one more time we're both fighters aren't we not killers at least for now this is a sign of sportsmanship that we respect each other before and after the fight good luck likewise destroy spark one could even say this grin was the moment that other side of destroy man took over entirely for the sake of the fight after all at this point he was completely cynical obnoxious and aggressive correct is this guy an idiot or one this is a joke you fell for the oldest trick in the book oh man you are something huh this is the best and you really crack me up this man had two separate sides of his personality sharing the same body now they're able to coexist through the miracle of cybernetic enhancements unfortunately this new aspect of destroy man's double life isn't given much time to develop and mainly consists of callbacks he'll I spent more time analyzing him in the first game again than I did for his return but I suppose I wouldn't have reached this conclusion if it weren't for his depiction in No More Heroes - it just felt underutilized for this game and we're left with probably the most frustrating fight due to its design and multi-level venue from dr. lett shaked the destroy Minh this was mostly a revisit of opponents from the original game they're concentrated appearances seem to be intentional it's possible they're in homage to an old theme and storytelling Souter used to focus on known as killed the past which relates the necessity for the story's protagonist to destroy the echoes of a time they once dwelled in all the relics that burden them from growing and moving on with the help of Shinobu Travis would destroy these vestiges of the past but what about her she is most definitely part of his past and was amongst the ranks of Travis's other foes I can kill more fighters for you whatever my master wants master [Music] looks like he's not really feeling it I can't I feel like that pervy teacher in a porn with this rejection Shinobu takes her leave the last glance she shares with him completely lacks emotion no sadness no anger she feels nothing she is completely done trying for Travis realizing there's nothing here for her and this glance marks is the last time they'll see each other I mean she'll probably come back in another game eventually but Union back to Travis he drives to his next opponent Ryuji is an interesting character a possible call back to Travis's old ways is looking like a modern samurai himself or just the most of Zoku it's also worth noting his weapon of choice seems eerily similar to what Dark Star wielded there appears to be symbolism in this fight relating to mythology no more appropriate place to have this fight than the midway point of the entire campaign or well it's sort of close in eastern mythos it is common to see Tigers battling dragons and here is the very fight in a modern depiction Travis didn't need to share words with Ryu Zhi he sees the symbolic vehicle and knows what he must do the two beasts are quite opposite of each other yin and yang the ground in the sky in a way these two are finding ultimate balance in the heat of their battle but knowing one will eventually overcome the other this could be why Travis initially chose to spare him after winning the fight out of great respect which Silvia disrupts of course stop stop why you beat him he had nothing left I know that but he was a true warrior and you've done him down like a bug this is not such economic Travis transitioning over to Henry still in deep slumber we get a glimpse of that horrid dream he was having Henry wakes up to this repugnant creature is it already obvious what she represents all that cutesy animate trash that Travis obsesses over while there are communities in the West that go nuts for this crap it's a complete phenomenon over in Japan the brief nod to Charlie's mecha fight in the TV can potentially confirm this is what they were going for [Music] what are they going for an inflation fetish - oh now I'm definitely overthinking things then again the next scene is literally Travis beating off to his way about time you woke up yeah are you the one who rescued me I had a fight to win you would just collateral damage Henry takes his leave and well it doesn't look like Travis quite killed his past just yet Margaret moonlight is up next continuing this trail of Japanese driven mass media she's an example of their pop idols in every essence from her fashionable hair heavy makeup lolita alpha and song the most pop inspired tune of all boss themes and the only villain track to have distinguishable lyrics [Music] [Music] pop idols like cutesy anime are a much more prominent part of Eastern culture they are absolutely cherished in their society everyone knows them and their music perhaps this is why she asked Travis this question you know this song nope here we are at the home stretch ranked number three is Captain Vladimir this lost elder sporting an old cosmonaut suit in a mess of tangled wires and devices who tries to take you down with a satellite that shoots a huge laser blast bit of a deja vu huh they're both ranked third besides that captain Vladimir may represent old sci-fi feature films about a man lost in space in art and mass media that used to be much more prominent full of people that cared for it now almost completely abandoned up next is rank to Alice Twilight the Sun is setting a sign that we're nearly at the end of Travis's path Alice represents a conscience of assassins affected by him she practically begged him for closure she wants to know how on earth he found a way out I've seen a lot in my journey up the ranks an endless cycle of violence now broadcast is a spectator sport why Travis why do so many assassins join if we are all going to end up killing each other in the end does it really matter why to me it does it matters more than anything we've all become trapped don't you see dickly to the violence to a life in the shadows once we join the ranks we can never get out his big secret was as simple as can be they'll be stupid if you get tired of the battles just [ __ ] quit but that's why we all want to fight you to learn your secret don't you get it get what you are the crownless king the one who got out you reach the top then walked away well I'm back now aren't I it appears as though she's made her decisions she's in too deep this is emphasized by the burning photos which we can't even [ __ ] see without data mining she was once a family woman but it seems that was a lifetime ago and has since lost herself in a seemingly endless cycle of killing before the fight she gives us one last thing to reflect on you are the normal here show me your passion release me from this cycle free us all in a crimson this line signifies that Travis is the only one who was able to stop unlike all these heroes in the games Travis decided to completely reject that title something nobody else thought was possible he managed to escape the life of a killer realizing it would destroy him from within much like what it did to Alice and many of the other assassins you are incredible everything I hoped for tell me your name promise me you won't forget there once was an assassin named Alisa notice she says assassin not person not woman this further cements how far her character is gone she has nothing human left inside of her [Music] Silvia you are now officially ranked second see that that was a battle look at this blood which humans are alive even if we are assassins seeing Travis reacting so emotionally to Alice's death and his confrontation with Silvia relates to how much he has changed over these events this shows how much Travis has grown as a person he also expressed this as a resentment towards sylveon how she uses him as a tool like everyone else I bet you've already forgotten she existed same way you would have forgotten me that's why I'm tearing down the uaa he starts to hate her because of how much she embodies the UA a but it's possible that boiling hatred might be fueled by a passion he has for her so you do hate me I'm crazy about you what do you mean [ __ ] if I know the encounter with Alice and his aftermath would have been breathtaking and a perfect way to wrap up this tale you know until they ruin it with one of the worst villains ever made immediately after what's his fighting style how's his broadcast face gonna look when he dies so much hot still it why why do tell an ironic question coming from an assassin Jasper bat junior seems to bring something full circle however no more heroes - starts with Travis fighting a man seeking revenge for the death of his family and he's ending this tale fighting someone with the same motive this implies that revenge is a never ending cycle and can be perpetuated by occurrences that seem insignificant to you it's a matter of perspective Travis thought they were just faceless goons but to Jasper they were his family and the events will cause horrible consequences it's called justise go to hell don't ever compare bishop with your [ __ ] family more significantly Jasper bad jr. is the ultimate representation of mass entertainment does he look like the CEO of a highly successful food chain no he looks like their goddamn mascot a corn essential to selling some of the most fruitful franchises I bet you could think of a few mascots you'd like to deck in the face Jasper is no different the brightly colored motif cartoonish face ear grinding voice I mean why else hire Yuri Lowenthal unless you want your character to sound like an annoying prick and let's not forget his superhero form he looks like he's ready to fight crime and sell cereal lastly his final form symbolism is as colossal as his appearance going full masks ah he becomes what only the most significant and adored mascots ever be a goddamn Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon come on friends unleash your hate your anger everything I'll take it all and [ __ ] kill you with it some people might find out unorthodox how I analyze these bosses would sudha and his team really have taken so much from different facets of entertainment a common comparison when it comes to suit as work as Quentin Tarantino in an interview he had this to say about it for No More Heroes one and two I wanted to include a lot of elements from cinema I guess that's where the Tarantino comparison comes from because he does the same thing cinema is an art form but it's indisputable how it became an imperative form of entertainment over the past few decades and it's no secret that sudha takes much inspiration from such and he took this game as an opportunity to express his love for all different kinds of pop culture out there why else do so many of these assassins feel otherworldly as if they belong in different games this could reflect on how the story itself was written rather than a quirky tale rooted with symbolism or philosophy it was rooted with heavy emotions and clear motives this game feels more based on characterizations in cinema rather than its themes even seen a kung fu movie spy flicker western Shakespeare for God's sake if you wanted revenge you should have come for me and it works well there's particular scenes that really hit me hard the first time I watched them it's over captain this this is oh yeah welcome home so I'm finally back after all this time fresh oxygen blue sky beautiful as I remember glory to the Soviet Union just leave him alone let him rest in peace we must dispose of the remains it's policy screw your policy he's back with the earth after who knows how long you're not gonna suck him up with your damn vacuum maybe I get emotionally invested in these characters too easily I don't know but these are the aspects that help me condone the lack of depth and its symbolism you know Travis's wardrobe is starting to get a little stale I think it really needs to do some shopping at suka Vaughn NYC their clothing line has some head turning styles like the beautiful utsukushii and badass Liz Joan this sauvages man I hope I said those names right check out their web site on the link below despite the big changes in No More Heroes - and shift that focus on its story I think it still bears the three main themes individualism society and death we still see individualism and watching Travis grow into this infectious hero for the town of Santa destroy this direction created something many fans of the original game would inherently rebel against players are the original No More Heroes love Travis because of how unconventional he was this is exactly how sudha designed his character I wanted a hero unlike anything seen before someone who's more like you and me someone who sees the world more casually I wanted to make a hero that could really be an extension of ourselves Travis isn't the best hero you could think of but the thing about him is that he thinks he's the best hero in the world essentially Travis did become that hero he thought he was and that might be the case because the world or should I say writer let him unlike the first game the people he interacts with really don't hold him back at all and this is unfortunately made for a somewhat weaker portrayal of individualism wow this is a complete departure from what we became accustomed to destined to upset many returning players wanna see more of the silly dim-witted but high achieving Travis touchdown we grew to love in the original game I can understand why the creator's took the liberties that they did they couldn't beat the rhythm of the first game again there's no way it could be about Travis unknowingly stepping into this assassin gig again not realizing what he's getting himself into again and portray his struggle with the town and its inhabitants influencing his way of life again for this to be a formidable sequel No More Heroes too had to bring the story and themes in a different direction but in all fairness we still get to see them fall flat on his face here and there I want players to feel the way that Travis feels and lives as they play through his battles Travis is the kind of person who is an unlikely hero and doesn't want to be the center of attention but after being offered a big stage he grows up slowly and becomes a real hero at the end I want players to feel that anyone could be a hero through Travis this game isn't about some weird perverted [ __ ] trying to become more than he presumably is again this is about a weird perverted [ __ ] who has become more than what we presumed he can be Travis has become the no more hero yeah that of course not everyone is there to inflate his ego I like her better when she's horny much like some of the remnant psyches and killer7 and how they disrespected the main characters from time to time some folks at this game don't care about Travis or how great he's perceived to be the first game was about the town its inhabitants and how their environment formed him as a person now we see the aftermath of Travis's actions and how he as a sole individual was able to influence a society of Psychopaths and killers we also saw noticeable change in the way society is portrayed the creator's wanted to show what becomes of the town after Travis makes a name for himself they wanted to show what this place is like when it has a hero the UA a seemingly handled by Sylvia is ran and psych a entertainment presumably still names such since this is the same building instead of being an underground tournament run by a con these fights are not broadcast for mass appeal integrating into Santa destroys corruption more than ever before money was so unimportant you didn't even earn bonuses through assassin kills this and the abandoned assassin missions might be their way to convey that the concept of Travis had Anna put his nose to the grindstone to make something out of himself isn't beneficial to explore yet again that part of his story has already been told instead of Travis's Trek and boss line up being a representation of how this world of assassins is affecting him as a person they flipped the concept we see how Travis's action have changed those people and built a whole new league it's almost as if he became an icon a revolution for Santa destroy a new era led by an unaware Shepherd our last theme is death it was what scouts are fought for Nathan warship Matt spawned from destroy man overcame Alice tried to figure out and Jasper wanted more than anything else in the world the mysterious cycle of death that was perpetuating for all these people including Travis himself many believed that their death would lead them to paradise but it's possible that Travis didn't need that to find his [Music] now bats and paradise [Music] No More Heroes 2 is still a somewhat memorable experience but I feel as though it lost a lot of the charm and appeal from the first games world on top of that the hack and slash gameplay feels a bit clunky er and significantly more repetitive the developers stacked onto this problem by making some of these stages an absolute chore with its waves upon waves of enemies this doesn't make the game harder only more tedious I will give credit that the boss fights themselves bear more variety No More Heroes ones bosses were generally people at average size and most strategy was as little as fighting back when they finished attacking and mind their invincibility frames which are abundant some certainly had their unique gimmicks but I think to added much more variety in design than the bosses themselves and didn't really need a miscibility frames in order to provide a challenge and one can't forget the fights that feel completely unique to the rest of the game regarding the story I understand a lot of people did not enjoyed the narrative as much as the first game while I can't concur to some extent that the characters are not nearly as endearing or memorable this was most likely suitors intent to take Travis considering he didn't think a sequel to this game would exist in the first place so back to the original question does no more heroes to live up to the first game's enthralling symbolism deeply provoking row gallery and wonderfully quirky gameplay and just about all regards no but let's be honest can anything No More Heroes was clearly born from a very personal level of suitors mind and history but that said Travis's story in the first game was meant to feel a bit open-ended since it's not like suit his own life is nearly over now never mind back in 2007 so when it came to creating a sequel to what he likely perceived to be an abandoned story I think he felt a bit cornered and how he should write it while I'm sure people typically blame the supposed absence a suitor for what Travis became considering the story does feel somewhat like it was written by fans a little too obsessed with him it was still his responsibility as the writer which I'm sure is something he wanted and I think people are being too harsh saying this portrayal of a more grown Travis is some sort of self parody that makes them unrecognizable I would agree this is a bit of a departure of the established character but I'm sure most people that are avid fans of certain video games or cartoons can think of much more severe examples in which a character they once found endearing enjoyable morph into an unrecognizable atrocity and be honest as Travis and no more heroes to really as bad as these the game certainly has its highlights such as a masterful soundtrack higher weapon variety and retro minigames but the experience is brought down by its incessant need to oversimplify so many features from the exploration of the world to its core gameplay regardless they spun an interesting tale I appreciate the evolution of Travis's character and how he inadvertently affected society around him with his previous actions the music also goes a very long way when it comes to enjoying the mob slaying it feels more conclusive than the previous game it's undeniable how misled this title feels but there's something satisfying about our No More hero possibly finding that exit to paradise you're looking for this whole time Sanna destroyed needs us I know are you while this game very much felt like the end of Travis's journey it looks like we'll see him wield his trusty beam katana at least one more time in the near future I've already given my thoughts on Travis strikes again but you can expect a quick review of the game around its launch and a full analysis afterward coming up will be the lowest point of Sudha's career with a very downtrodden project his company had to take on think shadows of the dam was just a fun gun-toting demon hunting adventure that sudha wanted to make from the start you don't know the half of it but you will next time thanks for watching big shout out to suka bon NYC for sponsoring this video I wouldn't even be recommending their cool clothing brand if I didn't think they were awesome and shout out to Chase face for providing his velvety voice for the video one last thing I started a patreon page recently I love making videos and always do my best to make time creating more content but a lot of aspects of my life are starting to change and it's no secret how a YouTube ad revenue is getting support from people that appreciate my work will help me keep going and making more content you all enjoy as well as upgrading my current equipment so maybe consider becoming a patreon you'll get some nice little perks such as being able to influence what I work on next transcripts and very early previews to upcoming videos [Music] you

Channel: GhenryPerez

Views: 200,319

Keywords: No More Heroes 2 analysis, No More Heroes 2 review, Ghenry suda51, ghenryperez suda51, Suda51 retrospective, suda51 retrospect, No More Heroes ghenryperez, ghenry no more heroes, ghenry retrospective, Ghenry Grasshopper

Id: Fyy2IZZUTtI

Length: 60min 31sec (3631 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 02 2018