Dusk Diver 2 review

The obvious appeal of Dusk Diver 2 is the combo-heavy, brawling punctuated by flashy special moves. But it’s the setting and characters that separate the game from its pugilistic peers.

Plucky, pony-tailed Yang Yumo was the protagonist of 2019’s Dusk Diver. With an aversion for trouble, a fighting style gleaning from years of watching martial arts movies, and a spiritual connection to a far-flung ancestor, she was a likeable, relatable lead. But much like Akiba’s Trip interpretation of Tokyo’s famous Electric Town, the depiction of Taipei City’s Ximending neighborhood might have been the real star.

The venue’s pedestrian-centric paths provided just as much personality as the cast. The venue delivered the kind of alluring eateries, tea shops, clothing stores, and pristine subway stations that invite real-world tourism. Save for a plot device that imagined fractures leading to a realm filled with Chaos Beasts in need of subduing, the setting was an idyllic getaway. Punching foes was a nice dividend.

The Store that Feeds and Protects Us

Unsurprisingly, Wanin International’s follow-up, Dusk Diver 2, revisits Ximending, but this time the map is twice as large as the first game. Like Akiba’s Trip or the Yakuza series, you’ll find urban spaces that mix real-world merchants with mock ones. Sure, Tunaz Mart might not be a real convenience store, but the pristine rows of bottled drinks cooling behind glass doors and shelves stocked with a variety of delectable instant noodles convey authenticity. In Dusk Diver, the store also serves as a clandestine headquarters for a group that safeguards humans from trans-dimensional peril. Sadly, they struggle with mercantilism.

Like any respectable sequel, there’s an amalgamation of returning and new characters. So, expect to be reacquainted with Liu Yusha, Yumo’s slightly airheaded but eternally loyal best friend from high school. Now, college students, the pair tackle another reality-ripping threat. But Dusk Diver 2’s writing works best when it’s depicting Yusha’s concern for Yumo’s bouts of enervating pain, caused by an attempt to extract the protagonist’s spiritual capabilities. And yes, resident tough-guy Leo returns. Like most of the cast, he embodies a tweaking of trope, with his rugged demeanor counterbalanced by his insatiable sweet tooth and tendency to turn into an adorable little stone lion.

New Spaces, New Faces

There are some notable newcomers as well. Bette might wear French maid attire and have the genteel mannerisms to match, but she’s also a formidable ninja capable of kicking ass. Meanwhile, Megrez is an expert in Dragon Vein technologies, whose base is close to the human realm. Beyond helping Yumo regain her powers, he is also a scientist who understands her ability-boosting gear. Sadly, a childhood spent watching Kung Fu flicks isn’t quite helpful enough to subdue Chaos Beasts.

Wanin International’s affinity for the Persona series is unmistakable. Collectively, the game’s Guardians of Kunlun feel like an oddball family, who overlook their peculiarities to fight as a cohesive team. While the writing doesn’t get into the heads of its cast as perceptively as the P-Studio team, there’s an undeniable appeal with Dusk Diver 2’s group of likable idiosyncratic types. The sequel offers a succinct synopsis of the events from the first game and even an in-game summary, but you might feel like you’re missing out when it alludes to key events from the previous outing. Not playing the original might feel like transferring into a new school as a sophomore.

Fighting (to Stay Interested)

But like the original, Dusk Diver 2’s brawling isn’t remarkable. Characters are outfitted with light and heavy attacks that gradually fill a character’s SP gauge, allowing for a handful of flashy special attacks. Pummel enemies enough times and you’ll put them in a break state, where you can perform a two-button finisher. Disrupting opponents is handled remarkably; with characters able to instantly print 3D creatures that can interrupt their assaults.

Coupled with a dodge and counter as well as the ability to learn and upgrade new skills, there’s just enough sophistication in your arsenal. But Dusk Diver 2’s balance feels untuned. Often, you’ll have to juggle foes for far too long before they perish. Not only does this feel tedious, but it makes your character seem feeble. Musou games convey character potency by being able to toss subordinates around with a button press or two, but woefully, that’s not the case here. Another issue is the lack of enemy variety. You’ll be confronting the same creatures far too often.

Team Player or Individualist?

Unlike the first game, Dusk Diver 2 allows players to swap playable characters, with the AI controlling up to three of the other party members. Expectedly, you’re always performing the lion’s share of the work, with allies taking intermittent shots at adversaries. In combat, everyone draws from the same pool of experience, which allows for a bit of flexibility. While you certainly share experience with your whole team, you might prefer to specialize with a character that matches your preferred play style. From Le Viada’s ranged capabilities or Leo’s tanky output, most of the customary brawler classes are accounted for. At the same time, your party members have limitations. As such, you might have to tag out Viada who isn’t effective against armored opponents.

One of the game’s other missteps is the tedium of side quests. Too often, these events are uneventful fetch and delivery quests with a bit of beast-busting. These errands help to breathe some life into NPCs, but many feel too overextended with excessive travel or repetitive confrontations. Oddly, a late-game offering of expeditions seems at odds with the mounting urgency of the game’s plot.

Conclusion

Despite some asset recycling for the game’s recreation of Ximending, Dusk Diver 2 offers some tasty visuals. The neighborhood is a culinary paradise, with stat-boost delectables that are often mouthwateringly rendered. The game’s dungeons are often imaginably designed, with one early setting resembling a twisted arcade where you’ll have to evade huge air hockey pucks. Sonically, the game’s soundtrack is as varied as its gastronomic influences, so you’ll enjoy some synthy house as well as driving guitar tracks.

Like most sequels, Dusk Diver 2 habitually builds on the strength of its predecessors. While enemies are too spongy, tackling them with a team of four switchable, special-summoning characters can be invigorating. But in other ways, the title demonstrates some missteps. The appearance of a side-quest built around distributing flyers demonstrates the developers struggling to find things for the Guardians of Kunlun to do. And that’s odd given the density and dynamism built into Ximending.

Dusk Diver 2 was played on PlayStation 5 with
review code provided by the publisher.