Kessen II

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Koei
  • Release Date: Sep 26, 2001
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
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  1. Harley(Pogo-the-monkey)D.
    Nov 13, 2002
    10
    Absolute brilliance the fights are brilliant the spells are great and the plot is very good! cant i please give it 11 out of 10? (to be perfect i wish they had summoning abilitys like ff10 and summoner 1/2 now that would make it perfect!!!
  2. thedarkpau
    Jun 5, 2012
    2
    What a fail of the a game. Just look at the damn graphics absolutely horrible. Graphics are everything fora game and this game doesnt have it! Long live Graphics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  3. KyleD.
    Jan 6, 2002
    9
    Pretty damn good.
  4. Austin
    Oct 20, 2001
    10
    Rocks, kills other games...I mean kicks ___ Gotta get it! Real good Action. Long gamplay!
  5. JackieM.
    Apr 15, 2002
    10
    How is this game not a ten? Sure it's no Advance Wars, but many have been known to play though the games dozens of times before getting bored, plus it fixes everything from Kessen 1, such as impossoble AI, fog of war, etc. , what could be wrong with it, what other game puts you in battle with 10000+ others, at one time!
  6. ChrisT.
    Apr 17, 2002
    10
    Absolutely brilliant, good story line. Voice acting could be better but that doesn't affect the game to much. The thrill of messing up the computer in some brilliant strategic move is always satisfying
  7. JoeM.
    May 18, 2002
    10
    This game rocks on! I'm an aussie and i think it covers every strategy type, but it should be more like Dynasty Warriors 2! That's the best strategy game ever! Like others, i would say it needs a two player mode, but it would be great if you could control the Wu empire instead of Shu and Wei!
  8. Sean
    Jul 27, 2003
    10
    Great! I love it. Its just as good as dyansty warriors 4(not graphics)
  9. Wargamer
    May 16, 2008
    8
    If you've finally grown tired of mashing your fingers into oblivion on Dynasty Warriors, you could do a lot worse than jumping ship and moving into the RTS genre via Kessen II.

    Kessen II's plotline is a romanticism of the 3 Kingdoms Era. The plot revolves around Liu Bei (the player's faction) and his love of Diao Chan whom he fawns for at ever oppertunity. Eventually, Liu    If you've finally grown tired of mashing your fingers into oblivion on Dynasty Warriors, you could do a lot worse than jumping ship and moving into the RTS genre via Kessen II.

    Kessen II's plotline is a romanticism of the 3 Kingdoms Era. The plot revolves around Liu Bei (the player's faction) and his love of Diao Chan whom he fawns for at ever oppertunity. Eventually, Liu Bei notices there's a war on as well.

    Aside from the occasional wince of embarassment from Liu Bei, the game provides a solid plot and excellent gaming. Your armies have a massive array of abilities (particularly on later stages), and there is a lot of replay value due to varying difficulties and an unlockable faction.

    However, there are downsides; you are heavily restricted in terms of deployment, and you pretty much have to play out a pre-chosen strategem on most missions. The game also slows to a crawl when you've got a lot of abilities kicking off, and frankly some of the battles are more "annoying" than challenging.

    Nevertheless, Kessen II is a good, solid game. Regardless of how many Dynasty Warriors titles you own, or not, there are many hours of enjoyment to be had here    … Expand
  10. Jhsyfur
    Mar 23, 2002
    10
    From what i've seen it looks really good, but it's not out over in the uk yet! 8o(
  11. tomflanders
    May 22, 2020
    6
    Game is really cool, kind of unrealistic special moves like meteor showers, but very enjoyable for TK fans
  12. Heiner-Schwalbe
    Apr 30, 2023
    10
    Das ist das beste Spiel der Reihe. gameplay, Story sind wunderbar. Leider ein bisschen zu kurz aber sonst gut
  13. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 16, 2023
    9
    Improves on the first game in every way, although things like magic can seem a little over-the-top initially.
  14. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    One of my favorite games of the console, it took me what it seemed months to beat it, but it was probably a couple of weeks. I discovered my love for military strategy thanks to this game. What can I say, i love everything about it.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best PS2 Game of 2001
52
#52 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001
55
#55 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    60
    Inconsistent voice acting and poor plot development. [Dec 2001, p.168]
  2. TotalGames.net
    84
    Unlike the original Kessen, KII is far more accessible and the fantasy element gives the whole show a far more epic feel in the style of TV’s Mahabarat (okay, it’s a Hindu show, but you get the idea).
  3. Hot Games
    70
    If DW3 was the video game equivalent of "Braveheart," then Kessen II is Kuroswawa's "Ran" -- just a little more meat in your dish.
    Read full review
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