Again to the Little Tail Bronx

It felt like we weren’t going to see a sequel to 2021’s Fuga: Melodies of Metal. For starters, it ended quite conclusively. It additionally solely bought modestly, and it appears like Cyberconnect has been making an attempt unsuccessfully to get the Little Tail Bronx collection to take off since Tail Concerto in 1998. But, right here we’re, with Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2.

I couldn’t be happier. The unique Fuga was a surprisingly well-executed design that obtained loads of mileage from what may very well be thought-about quite simple mechanics. So, how do you broaden on that? What are you able to do to enhance what has already been polished to such a gloss?
Not a lot, I assume.

Fuga: Melodies of Metal (PC, PS4, PS5 [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X|S, Swap)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Writer: CyberConnect2
Launched: Might 11, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Going down one yr after the occasions of the primary sport, Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 sees the kids reunite. Nonetheless, earlier than they even have time to meet up with each other, an historic evil is re-awakened, a pal of theirs is killed, and so they’re left chasing a brand new foe. Surprisingly, though the youngsters nonetheless discover themselves on the wheel of the enormous Metallic Slug-like Taranis, the plot manages to be largely completely different.
Specifically, I like the way in which Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 improves on its solid. Whereas the kids are all nonetheless youngsters, one yr is an eternity if you’re pre-teen. They’ve all grown from their experiences throughout the struggle and now have new strengths and insecurities. Characters who I possibly didn’t love within the first sport, like Jin and Wappa, are given the possibility to shine anew. Likewise, two boss characters from the earlier title make their manner aboard the Taranis, and within the new gentle of their diminished standing, they add a pleasant taste to the happenings on the tank.

That stated, the narrative nonetheless has a few of the similar issues as the primary sport. The overarching plot appears to be stretched out to accommodate character progress. This time, it has hassle specializing in any vital occasion. One thing occurs to shake issues up, after which it’s shortly resolved, and we transfer on. It’s positively not horrible, but it surely’s not as fascinating because the earlier story, and that one was already not spectacular, to start with.

That’s an enormous metallic slug

The gameplay is more-or-less remixed quite than modified. Every of the characters has been gutted of their outdated abilities, and so they get a completely new set of them. As soon as once more, they commandeer both a machine gun, grenade launch, or cannon on the Taranis, and so they might have one thing completely different this time round.
There are extra widespread modifications. The grenade launcher, for instance, is the place you’d generally discover the assaults that hit a number of targets within the first sport. In Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2, these are unfold out throughout the machine weapons and cannons. The modifications don’t make the sport dramatically completely different, however they do imply that you simply’ll must undertake new methods to succeed.

The enemies have additionally been tweaked. Whereas the enemy was defeated within the earlier title, you continue to largely combat their tanks. This (together with many different questions raised at the start of the sport) isn’t initially addressed, however you ultimately do discover out why you’re preventing zombie tanks. However whereas they’re the identical outdated machines of struggle, numerous mutations inside them imply that they’ve loads of new tips up their sleeve. Total, there’s extra selection right here, even when a few of the items are fairly acquainted.

Powered by a forsaken little one

Maybe probably the most harrowing distinction is with the Soul Cannon. In Fuga: Melodies of Metal, you possibly can chamber a baby on this huge metallic appendage and destroy something in your path with a single blast of terminated innocence. Nonetheless, doing so would internet you one of many much less passable conclusions to the sport. Much less tragically, it might kill the kid.
That wouldn’t lower it for Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2. You’ve already had one sport to construct up your abilities, and it’s much less doubtless you’ll must lean on a “get out of failure-free” card. Now, if you end up on a dropping trajectory – say, your well being drops under 50% in a boss battle – the Taranis will choose a baby at random to load into the cannon. You then have 20 turns to complete the battle, or that little one will get a one-way ticket to the opposite aspect of your opponent.

To offset this, the Taranis additionally has entry to the Managarm, which makes use of youngsters as ammunition. Nonetheless, the Managarm solely leaves the kid injured and isn’t a assured win just like the Soul Cannon. It additionally means you don’t get expertise factors from the battle you used it in, but it surely is likely to be higher than having to scrap unrealized potential off the wall.

Unconventional ammunition

You’ve in all probability figured this out already, but it surely’s greatest in case you play Fuga: Melodies of Metal earlier than shifting on to the sequel. There’s a recap accessible if you wish to know what occurred within the first sport, however Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 works extra as a continuation of the story quite than a totally new entry within the collection.
To that extent, Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 is likely to be a bit too conservative in relation to advancing ahead. Lots of the property are utterly recycled, which I don’t often rely as a nasty factor, however they’re not repurposed, simply reused. So, lots of the levels happen in the identical areas of the primary sport, and the backgrounds really feel largely unchanged. Elements of the sport have been touched up however in any other case left the identical. I really feel just like the intermissions and the plumbing of ruins for loot might have been utterly revamped simply to offer gamers one thing recent to do, however they weren’t. They really feel the identical.

To be honest, I performed the 2 video games again to again and didn’t actually really feel bored or underwhelmed. There’s an excessive sense of deja vu in Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2, however the core gameplay nonetheless proves to have longevity past its easy mechanics.
I’ve combined emotions about how related it’s to the earlier sport. For one factor, the $39.99 asking value – whereas affordable when you think about the size and high quality of the sport – appears like rather a lot when held as much as its contemporaries within the small-budget area. Alternatively, if slicing corners was wanted simply to permit the collection to proceed, then I’m all for it.

Outdated mates

That’s a very powerful factor to remember: Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 is a continuation of the primary sport. Whereas it remixes loads of issues to offer you a recent expertise, nothing has been overhauled or upgraded to offer you one thing new. In case you needed extra Fuga – and who might blame you? – then that’s what you’re getting right here. Nonetheless, in case you didn’t benefit from the first title, then there’s no hope for you right here.

Yoann Gueritot, one of many administrators who has now moved on to Platinum Video games, has acknowledged that Fuga is deliberate as a trilogy. I’m positively on board with that, however I additionally sort of want the collection was doing extra to earn that. A cohesive collection of video games is okay, however I desire to see issues evolve, broaden, and attain for perfection as CyberConnect2 troopers on. Fuga: Melodies of Metal 2 is complacent. It’s nice, however we’ve already seen its greatness. Finally, it’s going to want to load one thing new into its cannon if it desires to get its dazzle again.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}