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August 26, 2009 - Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 was released early this year to critical disdain and it's pretty clear that Part 2 was already far into production by the time we got our first taste of this boring episodic brawler. This second part once more puts you in the shoes of Nite Owl and Rorschach and the gameplay is near identical. If you found the first part to be a drag, don't expect this one to suddenly light a fire under the seat of your pants.
Note: Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 was already released as part of a compilation disc earlier this year and no improvements have been made to this version. As such, parts of that review which describe the gameplay and story have been repurposed here.
Part 2 follows a storyline that is drastically seedier than the first episode. For this outing, Rorschach and Nite Owl find themselves fighting through strip clubs and whore houses against enemies that fit their surroundings. Gimps, dominatrixes, and seedy clientele are your foes along with general street thugs. Rorschach, with his uncompromising attitude, can beat these baddies to death using various weapons, dirty tactics and his oft-executed rage mode. Nite Owl, being the kinder soul that he is, uses electric armor and love taps to polish off anybody in his way. Each character has a small set of combos, performed by timing the presses of the X and Y Buttons. Add in the B Button to throw smaller foes, some seriously bloody finishing moves, and the occasional counterattack or block and you've got your move set.
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This second episode suffers from the exact same faults as the first. The fight continues across three more chapters as the duo hunt down the Twilight Lady. Every battle feels exactly the same as the one prior. The enemies never change behaviors and only a handful of enemy character models exist. The only things that exist to break up the monotony of fighting the same fight over and over and over are a few levers to pull and doors to squeeze through. The game can be played co-operatively, but only locally on a split screen.
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Beat the game and you'll unlock the option to fight Rorschach against Nite Owl. It isn't very thrilling.
The comic-inspired cutscenes look great.
Part 2 feels less fully fleshed out than its predecessor. With only three chapters, there are less of the excellent cutscenes that use the graphic novel's art style as inspiration and more repetition of environments. There's also less actual plot development. The whole episode is just one extended run through a decrepit red-light district filled with excessive innuendo. The atmosphere fits the world of the Watchmen, but most everything else feels forced.
Though this game is sold as the second part in an episodic game, there is a complete and total disconnect from Part 1. Rather than continuing the story laid out in the first one and pushing forward the conspiracy, this game simply starts from scratch as if that episode never happened. The only thing that ties these two episodes together is that you continue playing as Nite Owl or Rorschach and the gameplay is still just as boring and repetitive.
What Watchmen: The End is Nigh has going for it is still the visuals and sound. This looks great for a downloadable game. There isn't a whole lot of variety here and the scenery, enemies, and sound bites do grow just as stale as the repetitive gameplay by the end, but this is one of the most technically impressive games up for download.
Closing Comments
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 isn't as exciting as the first episode, and that one wasn't exactly a smash hit to begin with. The story feels less fleshed out and the combat is as uninspired as ever. If you enjoyed endlessly and mindlessly beating up the same small handful of foes in the first episode, there's more waiting for you here. Might I suggest getting a hobby instead?
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