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tako_yaki's Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2)
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| [March 5, 2008 09:09:15 PM]
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GAMEPLAY
It's very easy for me to get wrapped up into the mythical world of Lunatea, but it's also very easy to loose interest in the game after you've played it a couple times. I'm afraid that the game--for the most part--is a time time thing. However, completing the game isn't all there is to do in the game. There are plenty of worlds to explore over and over again. Furthermore, there is an overarching side quest, where for each level--or vision in the game--you can collect 150 dream stones to unlock a picture in the scrapbook or every time you collect all 6 stars you get a Mommet Doll. By collecting these items you can unlock hidden features like the two time-attack stages.
There is a stage that can be unlocked where a second player can take on the form of Klonoa's side-kick, Popka, and occasionally give Klonoa boosts when he needs it. It's handy for helping out a newer player, but other than that there isn't a real multi-player mode. But that does not mean you don't have time to interact with the people around you. It's a single player game, but easy to transfer the control between players. Furthermore, I find it to be very pleasing to simply watch another person play.
I was also very pleased when the board-riding levels were added. They were my absolute favorite levels to play, hard to control, but very fast paced.
DESIGN
I thought that this game wasn't very much different than other platformer games. Other than the fact that you're on a 2D path when the rest of the world is in 3D. However, I thought the way you defeat enemies was quite innovative. Klonoa uses a magical ring that shoots out things called "wind bullets" they are short range, but they blow up an enemy like a balloon, and then you can carry them over your head to through into another enemy. Also Klonoa uses the blown up enemies as a means of "double jumping". I also like how certain enemies give off certain abilities. An enemy with wings might help carry Klonoa, and there is an electric based enemy that gives an electrical boost to Klonoa's double jump--helping him go even higher.
The overall story of the game is fairly simple. The same out hero comes to save the world kind of thing. But the game's creators do a good job of keeping the player in the dark, allowing the player to find out the history of the world as he or she continues playing. I think this is a great way to keep the player interested, assuming he or she wishes to find out what has happened to the peaceful world of Lunatea, and why all the kingdoms have sealed themselves off. I was surprised, there were quite a few cut scenes in this game, but move along the story very much. The language used is gibberish, and can get annoying at times.
New conflicts arise when there are bosses at the end of every kingdom, but also when Leoria, the sky pirate, comes along to stir up trouble. She wants to obtain Klonoa's ring for her own purposes. But the entire setting of the game is a conflict between reality and dreams.
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| [March 5, 2008 07:02:19 PM]
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SUMMARY
Although the game is called Klonoa 2, there is little to do with the first game. The story follows the hero Klonoa, who is known as the Dream Traveler, as he is called to the world of Lunatea to help save it. By doing so he also unveils the mysteries of this strange and enchanted world. As Klonoa travels through the world he unlocks the different kingdoms, reuniting them once again. The last of the kingdoms, which has been completely separated from the rest of Lunatea is the Kingdom of Sorrow, because people started to forget about sorrow--thus casting the kingdom into another realm. Throughout the game Klonoa, as the Dream Traveler, learns more about the world of Lunatea and attempts to reunite all five kingdoms to make Lunatea whole again.
GAMEPLAY
Despite Klonoa 2 being a simple platform game, I really enjoyed it. First of all the animation and all the characters are incredibly cute. If that is not your thing, you might not fancy this game. The game itself is visually pleasing, but also very fun to play. First of all, the kingdoms in this game give the game world a very mystical feel, taking on names like the Kingdom of Tranquility, the Kingdom of Joy, Discord, Indecision, and Sorrow. I love the levels because each kingdom is vastly different from the next. Furthermore all the different levels within the kingdom range from indoor to outdoor settings, and even has board-riding stages. Now those stages are my favorite because as a little something extra the creators allow you to perform tricks and flips with L1 and L2 buttons. Just something to spice up the experience.
There is definitely a very fairytale feel to the game, and the feeling is very hard to explain. There is nothing like playing a game with no knowledge of the world and it's history, and slowly being able to find out its secrets through cut scenes and through the level designs. This made finishing the game very satisfying, and kept me wanting to play more just so I can figure out more about the mysterious history of Lunatea. The title in itself is very ambiguous, making Lunatea sound like a person. But instead, the game is about removing the veil of mystery from a world that people are starting to forget. The direct translation of the Japanese title is "Klonoa of the Wind 2: Thing That The World Wants to Forget". I think both titles do a great job for creating the proper mood of mystery and wonderment that is needed to play the game effectively to get the full experience.
The cast of characters and even the enemies are absolutely adorable. And the best thing about this game is that none of the characters are actually "Evil". There is an antagonist, sky pirate Leoria, but as you continue through the game and continue to encounter her, you learn that she is not actually bad at heart. She just has different goals. Also there is the King of Sorrow, who is trying very hard to revive the Ishras Ark, but only so he can reconnect his Kingdom to the rest of Lunatea, because as time went on people wanted to forget about Sorrow and thus cast the kingdom into another realm all together.
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tako_yaki's Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 5 March, 2008
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