We’re starting to see more classics emerge from the long-lost Sega Saturn platform, and I’m here for it. I just finished my review of Under Defeat a little while back, and still turn to Capcom Fighting Collection regularly for some Night Warriors fun. But City Connection added yet another “lost” title to Nintendo Switch this week, after making a run on other platforms. Prepare yourself for Assault Suit Leynos 2.
Essentially, you’re put into the role of a pilot of a large mecha suit. And before you start dreaming of crushing people Voltron-style, you should probably understand it’s not a typical action game. No, sir, this one has baggage. You’ll need to accompany others and tactfully use weapons to defeat enemies, with a rather interesting control scheme. In other words, it’s tough. Probably even tougher than M2’s Assault Suit Valken Declassified, which gloriously dropped last year.
Fans of this type of game will eat it up with both hands, even if the game itself is undoubtedly short. Fortunately, New Game + is here to keep you busy, and there are plenty of unlockables. But the question is…will you get there?
I say that because, between the intense difficulty and the complicated control scheme, this may not be a game for everyone. It was built for a specific audience and continues to cater to it, with no room for newcomers. There’s still fun destruction aplenty, but I can’t help think but adding right-stick aiming or other options could’ve softened the blow. It’s good, but not necessarily everyone’s speed.
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Brings the Pain – A Lot of It
In Assault Suit Leynos 2, you actually feel the weight of your mech. It doesn’t go running into combat like this is Contra or anything. Nope, you have to carefully maneuver it with boosts and jumps. There’s hardly any sort of tutorial to walk you through anything, so you have to live and learn. If you live, that is.
Then there’s the combat system. You do have a lot of cool weapons in your arsenal, with the ability to unlock more. The problem, however, is that they run out; and getting more isn’t nearly as easy as it should be. Hell, the first stage alone has a massive boss that is likely to drain your arsenal very quickly. That’ll leave you high and dry.
This introduces you to Assault Suit Leynos 2’s brutal difficulty scale. It just doesn’t let up. And while hardcore players will appreciate that, others may be turned off. Heck, Valken Declassified offered options aplenty for everyone. This just yells at you to “Git gud!” in a repeated fashion.
Gameplay feels…all right, I guess? The lack of right stick aiming does feel like a loss here, as I felt that would’ve done a world of good. As it stands, it still plays pretty good, and there’s wanton destruction galore to deliver. But, again, resources run out quickly here if you’re not careful. That may leave some of you utterly frustrated that you’re not making progress.
What’s more, the game content itself is painfully short. You’ll be done with Assault Suit Leynos 2’s story in about a couple of hours, or maybe even less. There are different assault suits and weapon loadouts to experiment with. Plus, the New Game + structure is perfectly intact. You want a challenge? Oh, baby, will you get one.
There are other features as well, like the ability to rewind (very helpful) and plenty of save states. This will help you progress, if you feel like making the journey. Alas, there aren’t any other special features, like an art gallery or behind-the-scenes documentary. I think the story behind Assault Suit Leynos 2 would’ve been fascinating to hear about myself. Like, how does a programmer go about creating such a tough-as-nails adventure?
So, yeah, Assault Suit Leynos 2 has its positives. But more could’ve been done with it in terms of accessibility and, I dunno, more fairness? It’s definitely something for the hardcore crowd.
How Brutal Is the Presentation?
City Connection knows how to treat its Saturn conversions, as we’ve seen from the past. Assault Suit Leynos 2is no exception, as this is pure 32-bit goodness.
While the game is laden with slowdown (surprise!) and visual issues, it does look the part. It resembles its classic Saturn brethren down to a science, complete with that 4:3 approach. Its explosions look pretty lovely, and the bot designs are impressive, even after all these years. Still, it is a Saturn port, so don’t expect anything leaps and bounds.
The audio is pretty good, too. Though the dialogue is in Japanese (hope you brought a translator), it’s authentic. And the combination of a fun sci-fi score and booming effects will definitely make you feel nostalgic.
I do hope City Connection keeps releasing games of this type, and with this sort of visual and audio treatment. It’s a nice addition to the ongoing historical canon to save retro games – even if this isn’t for everyone.
Lock and Load?
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute is a tough recommend. That’s not to say it doesn’t deserve an audience, because it does. But compared to Valken Declassified, it comes up short. There’s nothing to really welcome new players, and its large arsenal of weapons and suits can’t make up for the very short campaign. The new technical features are nice, and the presentation is faithful to the original, but it’s still missing a bit.
I’m sure fans of the original that don’t want to pay $300 for a copy will happily indulge in this chaos. For everyone else, watch YouTube videos first to see if it’s something you want to get into. Assault Suit Leynos 2 is a savage beast, and not likely to be tamed by everyone.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Big thanks to Clear River Games for the review code! Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute is available now for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC/Steam!
Want more hardcore reviews? Check out our thoughts on Under Defeat and Macross: Shooting Insight!
