Swords fly and heads roll as samurai masters clash in Kumho 2

Craving some slashing and hacking in the setting of an ancient Japanese dynasty? Then Kumho 2 is the game you should buy.
What sets it apart from most fighting games is its series of different scenarios and the computer’s ability to recognize your fighting style and devise strategies to counter it.
Graphics are on par, if not better, than most games in this slash-and-burn genre.
Players enroll their chosen warrior in one of three sword-fighting schools in order to master its unique fighting style.
Once a school has been chosen, there’s no way to switch unless you’re slashed to death or you beat the game.
To become proficient in sword-fighting skills, you attend classes or participate in practice matches where the techniques you learn are needed to beat an opponent.
You can also enter prize matches, in which you fight for the opponent’s sword, or forbidden matches, in which you fight to the death. Every fight, except for the forbidden matches, is fought with a wooden sword.
The goal of Kumho 2 is to beat 30 sword masters, first with a wooden sword and then with a real sword. That requires lots of skill ― and time ― while you’re constantly risking your life. Your player dies if he’s slashed by a real sword.
The verdict: Kumho 2 is a dangerously addictive game to play.
It requires lots of time to finish, although play can be suspended and resumed later.
Kumho 2 demands strategy and skill. Pushing the buttons non-stop, like a maniac, won’t do you any good, unlike so many other battle games. The computer instantly picks up repetitive patterns and your opponent will fight accordingly, making him especially tough to conquer.
This is a classic fight game; the one to own.

by Brian Lee