Toukiden 2

It's a superb co-op action game in its own right.

Toukiden 2 does so many things right not only when compared to its predecessor but also when compared to the sub-genre as a whole. The addition of new weapons is welcome, but the Demon Hand makes combat and traversal feel much faster than before, making up for the lack of a deep combo system. The open world makes the experience feel more epic, since you don't always have to rely on missions to get some action, a fact that's strengthened by the lessened reliance on the mission board mechanic. The story remains engaging, and although the presentation could be better, it is better than most other games on the platform. Toukiden 2 is certainly one of the better monster-hunting games, and fans of the genre would do well to check it out.

By speeding things up with the Demon Hand and turning genre conventions on their head by making the game open world, Toukiden 2 succeeds in so many areas where the original had failed. The dialogue is absolutely awful, but the story is another nice addition and sets the game apart from its contemporaries. Though I tend to think hunting RPGs are a much better fit for a handheld than a console, Toukiden 2 still impresses in ways the original game never foreshadowed. If you are a monster hunter at heart and want to try something a bit different, you could do a whole lot worse that Toukiden 2.