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The war between the forces of light and darkness wage war in N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights. Following the original that launched during the Xbox 360's infancy, Ninety-Nine Nights has added a new developing partner and changed publishers while keeping the tourch of hack n' slash gaming alive. Want to know what it feels like to take out hundreds of opponents in one shot? Then read on for our complete review of N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights.

Falling under the publishing umbrella of Konami, the sequel to Ninety-Nine Nights has found a new home. Improved and grittier than the original, new co-developer Feel-plus adds their influence into the mix. Who is feel-plus? Well, they have contributed to some other visually interesting games like Lost Odyssey (2007), Infinite Undiscovery (2008), and Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009). Clearly their influence has positively empowered Ninety-Nine Nights style, and even more than the original, Ninety-Nine Nights feels like it is starting to secure its own identity. The emphasis on style has to be discussed because its one of the shining prospects in N3II. From the main cast of heroes to the enemies, N3II blends the all the elements of a common fantasy world with their own unique twist. No matter how shallow the gameplay might be, N3II’s universe is compelling.

Hack n' Slash in Style
The action in N3II is your basic hack n’ slash affair, a fantasy based ‘Dynasty Warriors’ if you will. This type of game doesn’t always lend itself to a stylized approach, so I am happy to see the developers still holding onto their originality. Along with your allies, you will face some interesting opponents and some down right vicious bosses. For a reference think total Japan, Bayonetta weird. The weirder, the better, I say, and even though the approach to fighting these beasts might not stray too far from the basics, the action is fierce and visually stunning.

Hundreds, Thousands, Millions?
The hack n’ slash genre has been on a steady decline, and that could be why I was so jazzed during my time with N3II. It felt good to leave all the calculations and tactics behind, unleashing the fast button majesty on my enemies. Stress reliever, you betcha. The thing with N3II is that it tries to keep things moving at a fast pace, and for the most part it succeeds. The enemies pour out of thin air in the hundreds. Your combo meter will easily go straight into the thousands (not the millions as advertised.) Even more impressive then the original, N3II has improved its numbers and visual standard. Its one thing to have a few hundred characters on the screen, and it’s another to do this in detail without lag. It might not be a huge achievement, but it’s a crucial part of capturing the experience.

Thumb Busting Exploits
In terms of controls, N3II sticks to the same “thumb busting exploits” as the original. The typical wild button pressing school of combinations applies to N3II so much that it’s at the top its class. Moving quickly, slamming buttons and activating magical attacks are the only way to survive. The game is simple in concept; however, your reaction times will have to be at their top of their game to survive the massive onslaughts of enemies. N3II is a hard game and that is still true when you decrease the difficulty to easy. That being said, if you are easily frustrated, expected to be enraged. The tougher-than-normal difficulty and the repetitive nature of the genre makes N3II the type of game that needs to be played in short 20-60min bursts. You could plough through the game in a few sittings, although N3II is better served as the game on standby when you need a break from other games.