Though not lacking in soul or spirit, it still falls prey to the issues of the original.
Yo-kai Watch returns with a Pokemon-style set of dual sequels and one journey that aims to deepen the series’ lore while retaining its quirky charms. And while Fleshy Souls and Bony Spirits certainly succeed in that regard, they reuse both the same boring battle system and they both open with an unnecessary retread of the first Yo-kai Watch’s plot. Though this sequel certainly adds plenty to the overall experience, it never really takes any steps to fix the gameplay issues that hampered its predecessor.
Splitting the sequel into two games with only minor differences (like unique Yo-kai to collect in each version) reflects a civil war going on in the world of the Yo-kai. Unfortunately, though the opening foreshadows that battle with an argument over doughnuts — yes, pastries are the crux of the conflict — the actual fight doesn’t kick off until late in the 17-hour main campaign. Even then, the battle is over so quickly it made me question why the two factions were deserving of the title spots.
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Yes, pastries are the crux of the conflict.
Instead, things start off with your character, which can again be either a boy or girl, forgetting everything they knew about the world of spirits. The amnesiac cliche is obviously meant to introduce new players to the series, but it’s still a monotonous opening that forced me to replay essentially the same beats as the opening of the first Yo-kai Watch.
That slow start delays a fun, if unevenly paced story that delves into time travel and the creation of the first Yo-kai watch. When tackling this fresh material, Yo-kai Watch 2 can be as charming and amusing as its predecessor, and still adept at dipping into more mature themes like death. Overall though, it handles its story with a lighter, wackier touch, thanks to the use of time travel and, of course, a whole new set of pun-filled Yo-kai names. (Brushido? An adorable ninja with a penchant for cleanliness? Swelton? Well, I’d rather not have him around on a hot summer day.)
Yo-kai Watch 2 also expands on the literal world of the series, not just its mythology. New areas around Springdale are now open to explore, accessible via train or eventually by a teleportation Yo-kai. The fresh locations outside of the first game’s main town, both in the present and the past, offer some much-needed variety with seasides, forests, and other bustling city spots. Unfortunately, navigating around the world by train is a monotonous pain until you discover all of the teleportation locations.
Yo-kai Watch 2’s missions are initially amusing thanks to the bubbly writing. The sequel lives up to the series’ penchant for style in both in its visuals and characterizations — from the transitions in and out of battle to the individual Yo-kai animations, Yo-Kai Watch 2’s world is a continually charming one.
Developer Level-5 has additionally tried to vary up the world with the introduction of new quest elements, like single-question quizes that play into certain missions. Unfortunately, despite these additions, Yo-kai Watch 2’s fetch quests still grow tedious far too quickly as they become overly familiar. And if the world around those quests doesn’t grab you, there’s little reward in going through the motions.
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Despite some new additions, Yo-kai Watch 2’s fetch quests still grow tedious far too quickly.
That tedium isn’t helped by the return of the largely passive RPG battle system. A mixture of real-time and turn-based elements, combat involves a group of six Yo-kai who can attack on their own, I found myself winning fight after fight without ever needing to press a button. Boss battles do require some strategy, demanding I actually target foes and plan out when to use each of my Yo-kai’s special Soultimate attacks.
Combat demands just a little extra attention this time around, thanks to your enemy’s new ability to debuff your team and render them less effective mid-fight, but the process for dispelling that, "purifying" your Yo-kai, boils down to being nearly identical to how Soultimate attacks are performed — complete a small minigame on the lower screen. It’s an simple concept, one that younger audiences can easily grasp, but for those looking for a more engaging battle system, Yo-kai Watch is still not the series for you.
To its credit, Yo-kai Watch 2 at least adds in online multiplayer battles, a disappointingly absent feature in the first entry. The mode evens the playing field by supping up your Yo-kais’ stats while also preventing more than a few higher-ranked spirits from being included on each team, but multiplayer can be susceptible to the same issues plaguing single-player battles.
Multiplayer is one of the many options included as part of the in-game tablet the Yo-kai Pad, which collects a variety of features and is both an impressive sign of the sequel’s increased scope and a reminder of its persistent problems.
The Verdict
Yo-kai Watch 2 isn’t lacking in soul or spirit, and certainly not in expansions to its well-built world. But what can be said about the original still holds for its sequel: the world can be fun to dive into, but actually playing Yo-kai Watch can shift from tedious to outright boring. For every new story idea or impressive blend of humor and pathos in its writing, Yo-kai Watch 2 fails to breathe life into the act of actually playing it, and until something’s done about all the issues with combat, no amount of delicious doughnuts can cover up its problems.
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