Kagero: Deception 2

by Tecmo

Product Details

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• ASIN: B00002STJ7
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,010 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Tecmo's really hitting high gear right about now. After the success of Monster Rancher, the company is feeling confident enough to expand on the concept that made Tecmo's Deception so brilliant, and then some. For those of you not familiar with Tecmo's Deception, it was one of the most innovative games of the year when it was released back in 1996. Basically a real-time strategy RPG of sorts, Deception eschewed the usual sword and sorcery cliché, for a more unique approach to what people called a role-playing game. You were brought back from the dead after making a deal with the devil to wreak havoc on those responsible for your fate. Instead of leading the charge against an army of foes, like they do in most RPGs, you were trying to lure your enemies in your castle into your wide array of traps. Kagero: Deception 2 builds on that premise.

For starters, the first thing you'll notice in Deception 2 is that you can actually see your character. Yes, like in Tomb Raider. Your character's name is Millennia (or whatever you decide to call her) and the introductory CG reveals that Millennia was abducted as a child and re-emerged in her teens as the adopted daughter of a race called the Timenoids (yes, Timenoids). Essentially a tool for the Timenoids, a race that gave up humanity for immortality, Millenia is their human emissary of death. Used as the lynchpin in the war between the two factions (Timenoid and human), it is Millenia's responsibility to deal with the groups of human invaders who would take over the Timenoid castle. As in the first game, Deception II has dozens of thieves, barbarians, soldiers, ninja, knights, and sorcerers trying to enter your castle and steal vital artifacts, among other things. Being the sole proprietor of the castle, you must stop them.

Thankfully the interface in Deception 2 is much improved over the original. Gone is the ability to create monsters with the parts of dead enemies, but otherwise, everything else is a substantial improvement over the first game. Before each of the 30 or so levels is a little intro scene where those about to enter your castle discuss the situation outside. During this time, you occasionally confer with your guiding spirit, who may or may not be looking out for your best interests. Once those cheeky bastards enter the castle, you must tease them with your scantily-covered self into chasing you through the castle. Now, while the first few participants are fairly dim, and seem to be willing to walk into just about anything (including the spikes, boulders, and flame-throwers) you prepare for them, the later assailants are much more difficult. During gameplay, not only can you set up traps to punish your opponents, you can set them up (a la Rube Goldberg) to form chain-combos. For example, you can align a series of chain reactions to go like this: knight walks past wall, section of spiked wall slams out into knight, knight is thrust into electric chair, explosive mine drops from ceiling onto knight in electric chair sending him hurling into fireplace on opposite wall. It gets fun. The number of traps available in the later levels is astounding. And when the number of tricks is combined with the large number of rooms and various elevations, you can set an endless variety of traps for your unsuspecting enemies. But it's not a cakewalk; later opponents, like the quick moving ninja, take careful planning since they're able to deftly avoid slower traps. A good strategy must be implemented to compensate for these sort of variations.

In between matches, you can purchase different traps. As you progress, you'll find yourself building a considerable stable of traps, which you can switch among matches at will. At the end of each wave, the game will break down how your opponents died, with various rankings in various categories - very nice attention to detail for such a bizarre game.

Perhaps the one thing that keeps Kagero from being a truly astounding game is the graphics. The original Deception was OK for its time, while Monster Rancher looked great. Unfortunately, while Millennia looks awesome, the rest of the characters in the game look poor by comparison. While there was certainly effort made to make each person's face fairly detailed, the bodies were made of a relatively low polygon count, It doesn't affect gameplay, thankfully, but it could've looked better. The game also loads every couple of rooms to compensate for the huge environments and multiple characters. Textures are also a little grainy and the game feels less polished as a result.

Another problem is the frame rate, which is remarkably inconsistent. While running down a small hallway with only Millennia in sight, the game moves at 60fps, for a moment. When you enter the big room connected to the hallway, the game slows to about 15fps. Same thing when explosions and other special effects go off. When traps have been successfully triggered, you get a multiple-view replay of the hit. The presentation gets a little wacky (as in unintentional 'wacky') and could probably have used a little fine-tuning.

These lapses, however, are really just little aesthetic gripes. The game does boast multiple endings, providing high replay incentive. If you can get past the cheesy cover art (the original Japanese cover was so much cooler), Kagero provides an engrossing, addictive game that gets better as you play. If you liked the first game, you'll love this one even more. While it removes a few things that made the first so much fun, it more than makes up for it by shifting gears and streamlining. In fact, Kagero will more than likely pick up a few new recruits along the way. With a deep storyline, interesting main character, and endless variety of ways to play, Kagero: Deception 2 will snare you in its own unique trap. A great game that's a blast to play and comes highly recommended. --James Mielke
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Product Description

This is the game Kagero: Deception 2 for the Playstation 1. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most original video games ever, June 30, 2005

By 

Tiddlywinks (California) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Kagero: Deception 2 (Video Game)

And not only is this one of the most original video games I've ever played, but it's easily one of my favorites on the Playstation. Forget flashy graphics -- gameplay is what Deception II is all about.

GAMEPLAY - 9/10
Run about the castle setting various pitfalls for the bad guys (which include knights, assassins, wizards, peasants, ninjas, and many others) and watch them die in the most horrible ways as they cluelessly set off your fiendish traps. The gameplay is simple, yet their are many choices to very be made. Do you want to smash someone with an iron ball or fry them with an electric rod trap? You can also buy new traps between missions as you rack up points so that your collection is always growing.

GRAPHICS: 6/10
Rough, but still pretty good for a PSX game. Besides, the roughness adds to Deception II's charm, which is dark, very dark, and downright weird.

SOUND 8/10: Some very good music, most of it suitably dark and atmospheric. Likewise are the sound effects well done, from explosions to the snap of bear traps to the groans of dying victims. Thankfully, the dialogue in this game is text-only, as video game voice acting is usually quite horrible and instead of enhancing a game usually detracts from it.

BOTTOM LINE - 8.5/10
As far as Kagero games go (three are available on the PS1 and one on the PS2 called "Trapt") Kagero: Deception II is in a class all its own. Yes, despite its inferior graphics, Deception II is actually a BETTER game than Trapt. If you're looking for one Kagero game to get, make sure it's this one. In short, Deception II is a strange and unique game and one of the few PS1 titles I continue to play.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gem For PlayStation Owners, June 14, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Kagero: Deception 2 (Video Game)

Despite the fact that the graphics are looking a little dated especially compared to those of most of today's games this title manages to shine through, and quite brightly. The concept is you are Millenia (the default name) and you have been taken under the wings of an immortal race that is being hunted by humans, you're job is to kill all intruders. That's right you're the bad guy who hasn't wanted to be totally evil and not have to have a lame reason like they kidnapped my girlfriend to kill things in a game. The gameplay is very well done, it will probably take you no more than 10 minutes to get the control scheme down pat, the multiple endings increase the replayability and the story is very driven. For the price you can't go wrong. Every PlayStation owner should have this title in their collection.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OK, let's be serious . . ., May 17, 2005

By 

C. R. Evans "machetejack" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Kagero: Deception 2 (Video Game)

This IS a very fun game, but it is not the best of all time. It IS fun, but not for killing children (you sicko). This game is about choice. You choose to slaughter everyone you meet, which is hard (dying people flee for their lives too fast). Or, you can spare any who wish to run. You build your own traps and choose how you want to use them.

Pros:
Changing levels
Good trap system
Plenty of fodder
Graphics were good for the time

Cons:
The traps go away after every level
Control is occasionally faulty

Worth the money, warn your kids of the violence.