Last year's Otogi: Myth of Demons turned out to be one of the year's most pleasant surprises. Developer From Software has long been known for its quirky and imaginative games, but Otogi also sported some of the best graphics and sound seen and heard to date on Microsoft's powerful system--and some pretty incredible action sequences to boot. In the game, you assumed the role of Raikoh, an undead swordsman charged with cleansing medieval Japan of a demonic infestation. In the newly released follow-up, Otogi: Hyakki Toubatsu Emaki (we'll call it Otogi II for short), Raikoh is joined by four new, playable characters and will once again take on legions of demonic adversaries in a series of strikingly beautiful yet highly destructible levels. We eagerly snatched up an import copy of the game and are here with the details. In short, while the game isn't currently slated for release in this country, let's just say you're going to wish it were.

　　Raikoh is joined by four new companions in the impressive-looking sequel to Otogi, one of last year's better action games.

　　Though Otogi II features a greatly expanded and very cool cast of playable characters, it essentially plays a lot like its predecessor. Each character feels immensely powerful. They all can leap high into the sky, execute a shadow-dash maneuver either on the ground or while airborne, pull off powerful combos of fast and heavy slashes, and more. Though the characters cannot exactly fly, they can remain aloft while slashing in midair, and certain moves propel them higher into the sky. Using these tactics, it's possible to remain airborne pretty much constantly, and indeed, Otogi II's huge stages defy you to explore in every direction. They also defy you to destroy anything and everything in sight.

　　Apparently, collateral damage is not a cause for concern for Raikoh and his allies. In fact, the demonic infestation seems to be so severe that it's perfectly acceptable and even desirable to leave every single area in complete ruins (watch some of the destruction unfold in our exclusive Inside Look: Environments video). The original Otogi game featured surprisingly realistic destructible environments--Raikoh was so powerful that his heavy slashes could demolish entire buildings, huge stone columns, and more. If anything, the environments in the sequel are even more destructible than those of the first game. Huge piles of treasure chests, entire bridges, massive gates, warships, temples lined with hundreds of painstakingly crafted statues, and other immense and impressive objects can all be smashed to smithereens by any of the game's main characters. And the results, from what we've experienced, are as dramatic and as satisfying as ever.

　　The core of the gameplay remains similar, meaning you'll be fighting lots of demons in midair while smashing everything in sight. Sounds like a good formula to us.

　　Raikoh isn't the first character you'll meet in the game. Instead, you'll initially play as the priestess Seimei, a woman clad in the traditional Shinto robes and armed with two powerful fans. She fights her way through some crow demons (Otogi players will recognize these) to a gigantic cherry blossom tree--the final resting place of Raikoh. She needs his help, but the summoning process comes at a great cost. Her four allies slay themselves at her command, and with their blood, Raikoh is restored. The cherry blossom tree explodes into splinters as Raikoh's mystical blade gently floats into his grip. The swordsman stands as silently as ever, prepared for the new task at hand. He is joined in the afterlife by Seimei's four companions, who thenceforth become playable characters, though Seimei herself is no longer readily selectable after this first mission (though apparently she can be unlocked later on).

　　As mentioned, Raikoh's four new companions are each very cool in their own right (see them in action in our exclusive Inside Look: Characters video). Kintoki is a huge man wearing a lion-shaped breastplate and a wide-brimmed hat that covers his eyes. His weapon of choice is a massive axe, with which he can send enemies flying backward with such tremendous force that the resulting collision is enough to leave a crater. Kintoki can also simply grab his enemies (even very large ones) and throw them into objects in the environment or into their cohorts. He is the least mobile of all the characters and cannot double-jump like the rest of them, but he certainly makes up for it with strength that rivals all the others.

　　Shina is a ferocious, dog-headed character wielding two swords, one of which is double-bladed, so it's really more like three. His incredible speed and whirlwindlike attacks can make short work of multiple enemies and leave tremendous destruction in their wake. Sadamishi is the most unassuming of the new characters. She looks like a young girl clad in a priestess's robe, but her massive scythe is indicative of her true power. Finally, there is Suetaki, the strangest of the new characters. This tree spirit can virtually fly, and while it has no arms, a razorlike, spinning wheel on its back can deal grievous damage to all of its enemies, and from quite a long range.

　　Raikoh was one of the coolest new characters of last year, and he's a tough act to follow. But his new companions in this sequel seem every bit as unique and appealing.

　　As in the previous game, in between missions, you'll be able to purchase new accessories and change your character's equipment. Now, you may also choose from multiple different stages at a time, in addition to choosing from the multiple playable characters. As a result, the sequel has a much less linear feel to it than its predecessor. So if you find a particular stage to be too difficult, chances are you can simply choose another level and gain some experience that way or try it as a different character. Characters gain experience points, and each level has hidden secrets in it and ranks you based on various criteria, so there's also an incentive to revisit the same stages you've already cleared.

　　The core action itself feels pretty similar to that of the first game and is as chaotic as ever. Enemies both large and small, both terrestrial and airborne, will often crowd you and attack with powerful slashes or ranged magical spells. However, your attacks can easily strike multiple opponents. It can sometimes be difficult to tell what's going on amid the supernatural combat, but it's all part of the unique and mystical feel of the game. One thing we clearly noticed is that Otogi II has a much more lenient learning curve than its predecessor, in which Raikoh started off very vulnerable. Here, the characters can take more of a beating before they are defeated, and the stages themselves ease you into the experience a bit better.

　　There still seems to be a lot of interesting variety to the settings and the particulars of the missions, and while some of the stages are reminiscent of the areas from the first game, the entire game has a retouched look to it that's very impressive. Furthermore, the same sort of outstanding, atmospheric soundtrack permeates the action. Featuring lots of traditional Japanese percussion and string instruments, this soundtrack is the perfect fit for a game that's all about otherworldly battles.

　　This sequel looks to have more of everything that made Otogi such a great game in the first place.

　　Otogi II is import-friendly, more or less, though you'd need the right hardware to play it. Some of the menus are in English, and while the game is highly story driven and all the dialogue is in Japanese, it's not difficult to understand what needs to be done in a given mission. It would be nice, though, if importing the game weren't the only option. Otogi: Myth of Demons was easily one of the most original and most memorable action games on the Xbox last year, and from what we've played, this new sequel sure doesn't look like it's going to disappoint anyone who enjoyed the previous game (let alone someone new to the series). As such, we're very much looking forward to the possibility of this game getting an official release date in North America. The original Otogi was actually touched up and enhanced for its release on these shores, and it also featured excellent English voice-over that captured the spirit of the original Japanese, so we can only hope that the sequel gets the same lavish treatment. To take a look at the game for yourself, check out our free video preview and gameplay videos.