The game, however, is neither painless nor easy. You play Sir Daniel Fortesque, back from the dead and thrown into the 19th century willy-nilly when some twit decides to bring dead things back to life and cause all sorts of havoc. The gameplay itself is very similar to the first game, although offering a bit more variety. As the game progresses, you can participate in a forgettable fight as Dan-kenstein and, much more coolly, stick your head on a little hand that roams around and explore secret areas. You've still got the sword-fighting, but along with it are pistols and whatnot, even your own arm. It's always fun to chuck your arm at an unsuspecting enemy.
The puzzles in ME2 are a good bit more challenging at times than in the first one, and the game as a whole offers a lot more originality than the first one did. But it's a sequel, and as such, does nothing to really add to the genre. In fact, you'll probably find yourself fighting with the camera more often than not, although having it controllable by the right analog pad is a godsend. The game is slightly buggy, however; I've managed to lock Fortesque in never-ending sword swipes by pumping the attack button a bit too much, although it clears up whenever you leave the room. And hit detection sometimes seems to be a bit off, not connecting when it seems like it should and connecting when you damn well know it shouldn't. But these are minor gripes.
Areas end with big bad boss fights, which will tax you as you try to figure out their weak spots and then do enough damage to them to get out. If you kill enough enemies in a given area, a Chalice of Souls will appear, allowing you to upgrade your stuff between battles. Very nice.
