A fast paced and solid if somewhat predictable follow up to the original hack & slash classic.
The combat has essentially remained the same as Sigma with the noted addition of some fancy new melee weapons which mix up the action pretty well as you'll be forced to use different ones depending on the situation. Finishing moves on limbless foes are as ferocious as they are satisfying and give you an adrenaline rush that most combat games would envy. Camera angles have also improved and though they're still far from perfect at least now you can see most of your bone crunching moves against your enemies in full view.
The omission of the windmill & incendiary shurikens are a tad strange and bizarre but nothing too drastic as to affect the overall combat. Likewise, although the blood gore has been reduced in this version the action is so relentless and fast that you'll soon forget about it only to concentrate on survival and decapitating your foes! Add in 17 levels, 4 playable characters, excellent team mission mode and video replay and you've got plenty of depth in this title. So what are the drawbacks?
Well the visuals which were one of the hallmarks of the first game (for it's time) have only marginally improved and moved forward. True the graphics are crisp, clean and pretty but hardly awe inspiring for a PS3 title. Part of this is of course, testament to the greatness of the visual upgrade in Sigma however, you can't help but think that perhaps the developers were simply berethed of ideas as some levels look sterile and bland. The tight level design and adventure has now been replaced with a more linear approach and it somewhat goes astray in the middle when you're just moving from location to location. It's not too discerning as the action comes thick and fast but whereas Sigma gave you the vigeran world to explore and unravel here you're simply moving from point A to B.
Don't get me wrong as this is no DMC2 which, was inferior in every way to DMC. It's simply that Sigma 2 sticks so closely to a tried and tested formula and thus, is not as groundbreaking as the first title was nor can the core game be considered THE front runner in the HD beat em up genre. To sum up it has a more DMC4 vs DMC3 or Resident Evil 5 vs Redident Evil 4 feel to it. Let's hope then that Sigma 3 brings in new ideas and game designs to the fray and is built using the power of the PS3 rather than a mere upgrade of a 360 title.