| Bushido Blade 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers |
Lightweight Co., Ltd. |
| Publishers |
SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts |
| Systems |
Playstation |
| Official Websites | |
| Online Play |
Mednafen (From the program directly, or via NullDC BEAR) |
| Community Channels | |
Introduction
Bushido Blade 2 is a 3D fighting game developed by Lightweight and published by Squaresoft for the Playstation. Both it and its predecessor, Bushido Blade, were unique in their gameplay style that seeks to recreate realistic sword play; there are no life meters, and a single, clean hit can kill your opponent. The control scheme and fighting system have been streamlined from the first game. There are now 2 main attack buttons instead of 3, but these 2 attacks perform a wider range of actions per stance. The attack deflect button has been replaced with a dedicated stance switcher. Deflecting attacks must now be timed using your own. Jumping and crouching, no longer sharing functions with stance switching, have more control, alongside an overall improvement to the game's fluidity in movement and attacks. The Rapier, Saber, and Sledgehammer have been removed in favor of the more traditional bushido weapons, with the addition of one new weapon, the Yari spear. Traditional, that is, outside of the dedicated gun users, and certain sub-weapons. Limb disabling, such as injuring one's legs to the point where they can only attack while in a forced on-the-ground state, is now exclusive to one arm, that when injured, removes access to certain attacks and techniques. While certain changes leave some preferring the original game, the overall improvements to player control lead to a more realistic feel, more worthy of serious competitive play.
Mechanics
Controls
The game uses a standard Playstation controller.
- D-pad: Move character
- Left Stick: Unused in combat
- Right Stick: Unused in combat
- Square: Change Stance
- X: Horizontal Attack / Reverse Attack
- Circle: Vertical Attack / Frontal Attack
- Triangle: Unused in combat (Used in menus to de-confirm selections)
- L1: Free run
- L2: Unused in combat
- R1: Hop
- R2: Crouch
- Start: Pause game
- Select: Surrender
Gameplay
The key to winning lies in your weapon of choice, and spacing. Each weapon has an inherent weight to consider. Each character has a preference in speed, power, or balance of the two, as well as weapon of choice/proficiency. When combined, these preferences give access to unique weapon stances, and unique moves. Power characters tend to have the advantage after attack exchanges, winning them and following up with a killing blow. Speed characters naturally have quicker strikes and movement, such as overhead strikes while maintaining a run, and making it easier to avoid clashes altogether, moving around to an enemy's open spots. Picking a speed-based character with a visually light weapon, or a heavy character with a heavy weapon may lead to the highest advantage for that character, but success is not guaranteed. Victory is achieved by recognizing the visual flaws in your opponent's stance and attack swings, timing your blocks when necessary, and attacking the areas they've left open in these states.
Movement
- Towards and Back move towards and away from the opponent. Up sidesteps into the background, Down sidesteps into the foreground.
- Double tapping any direction dashes in that direction. Dashing is a good way to cover ground quickly and dodge the opponents attacks.
- Hold L1 while pressing any direction to free run. Attack with Circle or X to do unique attacks. Running in front of a still opponent can start a Sword Clash, and knock them down from behind. 2 opponents running each other will knock each other down.
- R2 causes you to crouch momentarily. While crouched, you can press R1 to high jump, Circle to use Sub-Weapons, or X to Blind the opponent. Pressing towards then R2 causes you to crouch while moving forward. During this forward crouch, you can perform Major Attacks or a high jump forward. You can also crouch while running.
- R1 makes your character do a little hop and a quick attack above their head. If timed well, you can hit someone jumping over you.
- You can also climb up cliffs and higher planes when standing near a ledge by pressing towards it and R1. Attack immediately after climbing up, with Circle or X.
- Press R1 while your opponent's lying on the ground to do a pounce attack.
- Press R1 while crouching to high jump. Press it while crouching forward, to high jump forward. You can attack with Circle or X after jumping.
- When you are lying on the ground, press up or down to roll into the background or foreground. Towards and Back to roll forward or backwards and then stand up. Press an attack button during the roll to do a rising attack as soon as the roll is finished. (Attacking while remaining on the ground is only in the first game.)
Stances
Every weapon has three stances. Press Square to cycle through them. Most generally fall into the categories of High, Mid, and Low, but some characters replace one of them with the special Two Sword stance or Iai stance, depending on the weapon they're using.
- High stances give the highest offense capability. The weapon is usually held over the wielder's head.
- Mid stances are balanced in offense and defense, with the weapon held in front of the character.
- Low stances are more defensive, are lower to the ground, and have the weapon pointed down, or behind the character.
- Two Sword stance is only available to the Narukagami characters who have a Kodachi as a Sub-Weapon, with the exception of Highwayman, on the Shainto side. Specifically: Tatsumi, Utsusemi, and Matsumushi. This stance gives high versatility with fencer-style poking stabs and multiple quick slashes, but hits to the arm holding it will cause the sword to be knocked down away, and completely unusable when it's injured.
- Iai (quick-draw) stance can only be used by certain Shainto members, and only with the Katana or Longsword. Specifically: Gengoro, Kaun, and Tony Umeda. Attacks in this stance have quick startup, but long recovery.
Attacking and Defending
Single Hit Fatality System
As stated in the PS1 manual: "This game is designed to reproduce realistic sword fights. So, battles may end by just one fatal hit to the head, chest or abdominal area. When this occurs, the damage will be displayed in red. All other weapon strikes are represented by a burst of color at the point of impact. Different colors represent different situations."
- Red (blood) - Shown during a Fatal Hit.
- Blue and Purple – Shown during a perfect parry / Perfect Defense.
- Green – Shown during a defensive parry / Defense Break, where the parry has failed and the character is thrown off balance, open to attack.
- Red and White - Shown during a Neutral Hit, when weapons hit each other or other obstacles.
- Pure White - Shown repeatedly during the Sword Clash / Close Contest struggle.
- Orange - Shown during a Damage Hit. Non-critical damage is inflicted, but weakens the enemy. When an arm's severely damaged, you cannot use Sub-Weapons or Blind.
Repeated Attacks
If your weapon clashes with the opponent's, a Neutral Hit occurs, where red-white tinted spark will flash. If you were not thrown off balance after the clash, press Circle during this to do a retaliating slash. In certain situations, depending on your stance or the position you're in after your attack, you can also retaliate with X. If the weapons clash again, you can attack again.
Counter Attacks
If a Neutral Hit occurs, but you are significantly staggered into a disadvantage due to your previous attack or stance, press X to do a counter attack. There are four different animations depending on the direction your weapon is deflected.
Defense
While there is no longer a blocking mechanic in this series, it has been replaced with parrying. To parry an attack, you must press an attack button just before your opponents attack connects. It is roughly similar to parry timing in Third Strike. There are two different types of parry defense:
- Perfect Defense, or perfect parry, occurs when you parry an attack using the attack button opposite from the one your opponent used, visually shown by a blue and purplish hit spark. For example, if your opponent did an overhead Vertical Attack / Frontal Attack if Circle, you would press X just before the attack connects. However, your character's weapon proficiency and power determines if you're actually at an advantage after a parry. (It is suggested in the official strategy guide that you follow up a Perfect Defense using the type of attack your opponent used.)
- A Defense Break (Poor Defense or Defensive Parry), happens when you parry successfully, but used the same type of attack your opponent did, shown by a green hit spark. You'll be thrown off balance, and, against Power type characters with heavy weapons, highly susceptible to fatal hits before you can recover.
It is not impossible for Speed characters to win these exchanges, but it may be preferable to use free running, sidestepping and fake outs with quick strikes to get your opponent's open spots, or whiff punish their overall slower attacks.
Sword Clash / Close Contest
This occurs when attacks from you and your opponent connect with each other at the same time, as opposed to before or after the attacks. You will then enter a tug of war to see who can push the other to the ground. Mash X or Circle button repeatedly to win the struggle. If both players started off in a standing position, they must win 3 struggles in a row to knock down the opponent. The opponent can regain balance and advantage by winning a struggle. To exit the struggle altogether, press back while both players are standing.
Pounce Attacks
Press R1 when your opponent is lying on the ground. Your character will jump high into the air and stab the opponent. Generally the opponent has enough time to see it coming and roll out of the way, but doing it quickly enough can be useful. The Yari amd Naginata have a short jumping spin which is difficult to get a fatal blow with, but can knock the opponent back down.
Major Attacks
Major Attacks leave you open to attacks during the initial crouch's startup, but lead to unique powerful moves, like far reaching thrusts, leg sweeping strikes, or a special move unique to that character. Press Towards+R2 to crouch step forward, then press Circle or X.
Sub-Weapons
After crouching in place with R2, press Circle. Depending on the Sub-Weapon, it can cause stagger on hit, or kill the opponent outright. Sub-Weapons can be parried using either attack button. If they're still on the ground after being used, you can stand over them and crouch to pick them back up. You can pick up your opponent's Sub-Weapons and throw them back, or hold on to them so they can't use them. If your arm is injured enough from Damage Hits, where an orange flash occurs upon non fatal hits, you cannot throw or pick up Sub-Weapons.
Blinding The Opponent / Sand Attack
Press X while crouching. The range is shorter than most Sub-Weapons, but causes the same stagger, cannot be blocked, and can be used as long as you are standing on ground terrain or water. If you're not standing on a natural surface, your character will do the animation without throwing anything. If your arm is injured, you cannot perform a sand attack.
Karami Waza / Grabs
Press Back then X when close to the opponent. These typically perform an instant kill, but can be parried before they start, with Circle at the right time. These are only possible with certain character/weapon combinations. Weapons themselves can physically get in the way of you being close enough to grab, but if you were too far away for a grab, you will just do a normal X attack. You have to be very close for it to connect, barely one foot away at most. However, as long as you are facing towards them, you can grab them from any angle they're facing.