Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Released: 1995 Genre: Platformer
Clockwork Knight was a charming game that had an interesting premise that was let down by its rudimentary gameplay. But at the very least it did give new Saturn owners another title that showed off the hardware. Sega were ambitious with the title to the point they had to split it into two titles. While Clockwork Knight 2 is technically the second half of the first game the extra time in the oven has done wonders for its design. Clockwork Knight 2 is a far better game than its predecessor and one that I recommend to platforming fans wholeheartedly.
The game immediately picks up where the first left off. Pepper has rescued Chelsea but she still refuses to wake up. Before they can get to the bottom of this mystery an unknown enemy kidnaps her again. Now the toys have to explore the house once more to save Chelsea again. Interestingly the Japanese and PAL versions begin with a truncated version of the final boss battle from the original to establish the continuity. Sorry US gamers, you got the short end of the stick.
As this is a continuation it is identical to Clockwork Knight mechanically. Pepper can attack with his keyblade, use it to wind up and inflate enemies and toss them around. You can still push and pull things as well as use the keyblade to wind up objects in the background to reveal secrets and shortcuts. His momentum when running and his jumping physics are still a little wonky but manageable. The difference this time when it comes to the play mechanics is that the game makes better use of them throughout. But that is just the beginning of its enhancements.
One of the most interesting parts of Clockwork Knight was interacting with the background. 3-d objects like books and such would drop in and out and the effect was really cool. Unfortunately these instances were kept to a minimum. The interactivity with the environment has been significantly increased for the better. Opening books can swat enemies and reveal pages that form stairs. Using your keyblade you can wind up gears to influence background objects to reveal alternate paths in the levels. Enemies in the background will launch attacks and even themselves at you. The stages bustle with activity and feel alive in a way the first game should have.
The level design is all around better even though Clockwork Knight 2 came a few months after the first one. I mentioned enemies in the background. Most stages feature two planes that you can switch between at certain points. It adds a layer of much needed complexity. Most levels have more than one path to the end and plenty of shortcuts. Manipulating objects on two planes is incredibly cool and shows progression from the rudimentary platforming of the original. There is a sense of depth within the levels that makes them seem larger than they actually are even though you spend most of your time walking left to right. In addition there are thirty-two cards hidden throughout the game which unlock a cool bonus when found. You will have to work for it though as they are well hidden.
Clockwork Knight 2 adds some more variety by letting you finally ride your trusty steed BaroBaro. These auto-scrolling levels are a riot as they look ridiculous and are exciting as hell. Both tracks are expertly designed and full of raucous moments. Giant sharks wanting to take a bite, boats full of octopi and falling pins that threaten to crush you as you switch tracks is simply awesome. Even the boss battles are better than the first game. Most go through multiple phases such as the paper/ink boss and the final battle against….ah, that would be telling.
This is not a challenging game even with the at times messy controls. The game literally showers you with extra lives. Be it from points or finding them in the levels you will earn at least two or three per level. After each boss battle you can use coins in a minigame to earn scores of extra lives easily. It is not unheard of to have upwards of thirty by the second room. Outside of the boss battles you will have little trouble breezing through the game as it is just as short as the first one.
Like the original Clockwork Knight 2 has four rooms with two levels each and a boss stage. The levels are longer but still easy. To make up for the game’s brevity there is a wealth of extra content. Bosses galore is a boss rush that lets you fight every boss from both games. Getting the best ranking on all eight unlocks a number of minigames that riff on other popular titles like Super Mario Kart and Space Invaders. You can also view all of the cutscenes from the start. Now granted the video compression is absolutely terrible but it is a nice bonus. While I would have preferred more content in the story I do appreciate the effort to give the game longer legs.
In Closing
Clockwork Knight 2 is far from a classic but is a solid platformer all around. It fulfills the promise of the first game and offered Saturn gamers a good game in the classic mode. It is also dirt cheap and an easy recommend.
