If you find yourself easily frustrated by a challenging experience, League of Evil 2 offers something of a gift and a curse within its gameplay.
On one hand, as tricky as the original League of Evil was, League of Evil 2 ups the ante by leaps and bounds. It is challenging nearly right from the start. Whether it’s absurd times that a three-star speed run requires, or the out-of-reach places that the bonus briefcases are placed in, League of Evil 2 looks to frustrate at every turn.
As bad as that might sound to some of you, there’s a silver lining – your failure is only seconds away from success. The average League of Evil 2 level lasts under 20 seconds, meaning that although you might blow it and die, you’ll get plenty of opportunities in a short time frame to get it right. Sometimes it can be particularly frustrating to suffer so much failure in such a compact amount of time, but finally conquering a level in League of Evil 2 is a well-earned experience.
Visually, the game is a step up from its predecessor as well. Colors seem more vibrant and everything, including the weird cyborg hulk that you control, looks bigger and a little better drawn.
Place a challenging, visually interesting game on top of the same tight control scheme from the original League of Evil and what you wind up with is one fantastic sequel. It is familiar enough to be welcoming to returning players, but fresh enough that it feels like a clear upgrade over the original. If you can manage to not smash your iPhone on the ground after experiencing a little hard luck in the more challenging levels, you’ll find a great platformer here.
