PlayStation 2 Critic Reviews

Worlds above what the first game was, with the greatly improved graphics (beautiful Cel-Shaded graphics)and game modes.

Finally the game fans of the series have waited all this time for.

An amazingly accessible and fun experience in a genre overfull with games that pride themselves on their depth and complexity.

8 / 8 / 8 / 7 - 31 silver [Vol 791; 13 Feb 2004]

Even though it's not in the premier league of fighters, I can honestly say for the first time that non-fans will find this an inviting game with its own brand of depth. [Jan 2004, p.133]

The incredible improvement on load times alone (Budokai 2 loads about 3 times faster than Budokai 1) should be enough to excite its fanbase right out of the gate. Let alone its more balanced damage system, increased character roster, and better production values.

The biggest bummer about the game, though, is the absence of last year's entirely enjoyable story mode. The new Dragon World mode is simply not fun enough to warrant the lack of a fleshed out story mode.

Light years better than the original game that was released last year. The controls are much better, the visuals are very similar to TV show, and it is an overall improvement.

The cartoon style might not appeal to hardcore Tekken devotees, but there's certainly a lot of fun to beaten out of this one.

Improves on the original in almost every respect, from an enhanced presentation to superior controls and a broader set of skills. However, the fighting mechanics are still a little simple and the ability system is too restrictive, which makes the game feel rather shallow.