What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2 Review

Try saying that title 5 times fast while playing this game and your brain will implode. The reason behind that? This game is difficult to master and in your quest of mastering this game, you will need full concentration. What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2 (I’ll refer to it as My Lord 2 from this point on) is the sequel to What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? That game was released previously on the PSN Store late last year under the title Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! but got a name change and re-release on April 22, 2010 as well as a price drop to $7.99.

The sequel plays much like the first but with a few new added features and extra goodies that I will go over later in the review. But enough with the introduction, lets go over those HOTs and NOTs of this interesting and colorful game.

HOT

Quirky Story
The story at a glance seems simple if you don’t look closely at it. Badman calls upon you, the God of Destruction, to once again help him raise his Badman Army to prevent the heroes from capturing him so that he can conquer the lands. But if you look closer into it, it’s not so much about preventing heroes from capturing him as it is creating a vast world of your own in each level. Every dungeon you create has its own unique story in itself. You may create an unbalanced ecosystem where predator’s thrive and prey are forced to evolve in one dungeon, then create something totally opposite the next time. Its also worth mentioning that the “your the bad guy take down the heroes” approach is a fun twist.

The story is also laced with humor and references to other games as well. It also takes advantage of the “anti-hero” vibe of the game and down talks them in their individual biographies in the Almanac. The Almanac contains a collection of information of all the creatures you create as well as the multiple heroes you encounter and face throughout the game. Each description is humorously written but also tells the story of the creature or hero you decide to read up on. It’s really interesting to see so much depth in a game that seems simple at a glance.

Colorful Graphics
The games graphics are very vibrant and eye catching. Not to mention the retro look which completely fits in with the RPG feel of things. The game uses a wide range of colors for heroes and creatures that help you tell them all apart. It’s not like the different creatures of one species are all the same color but have different names. You will be able to pick out an American Slimemoss’ orange color in a crowd of standard green ones. It’s good to see that the developers didn’t try to cut corners in the graphics department and actually worked to make their game aesthetically pleasing.

Dungeon Ecosystem is Vast
The whole create your own dungeon and creatures system seems confusing at first as well as a little shallow. But that’s only until you play your first level. Creating creatures starts with two simple types of blocks: the nutrient and mana blocks. Nutrient blocks release standard slimemoss while mana blocks release standard spirits. These two creatures travel in a straight horizontal and vertical path collecting and spreading nutrients and mana to other blocks. When the blocks change type you can break them for a new creature type. The blocks go up to a maximum of three levels that will determine the creature you receive.

The creation system is just the tip of the iceberg. There are other ways of obtaining creatures as well. These methods include evolution, mutation, and breeding. Evolution occurs in the game just like in real life. When a creature’s existence becomes threatened by either predators, lack of food, or change in habitat, it will evolve into something that can adapt to its surroundings. A creature will mutate when it consumes its own species or a species of a different type that has changed as well. Breeding occurs asexually in the game meaning that the creature needs no mate, but when it consumes enough nutrients or mana it will give birth to the same species or possibly an entirely new species altogether.

There are countless numbers of creatures that will adapt and change depending on how you get the ball rolling and manage your dungeon. If you overpopulate predators and the prey runs thin, it changes gameplay. That’s just one of the many ways you can choose to play. No one playthrough and creation will be that same as another due to the large random factor and the fact that these creatures take on a life of their own as soon as you set them loose. They will attack each other, consume each other, kill heroes, breed, mutate, and evolve throughout your entire play of the level.

There is also a mode where you can create a dungeon without having to worry about time restriction or failing the level because of Badman’s capture. If you select Badman’s Chamber, you can choose the creatures that come out of the blocks and create your own little ecosystem without any interruption. Its really entertaining to let your creativity flow and then watch your dungeon evolve and take on a life of its own. You can even throw heroes you’ve encountered into the dungeon for a little extra fun watching him scurry around like a rat in a maze trying to survive.

High Replay Value
As mentioned before, the random nature of the ecosystem makes for a high replay value. There are also 12 training missions to help you along your way, as well as a long list of challenges that are sure to test your creative skills. The Almanac provides for a good laugh when you unlock a new entry, and will make you want to discover as many creatures as possible to see their individual stories. The dungeon system alone is the strongest replay factor as well as the highly unpredictable nature of your creation.

Easy to Play, Hard to Master
As the title of this section states, this game is easy to pick up and play whether you have played the first one or not. The controls are easy to grasp, and the basics of the creature and dungeon ecosystem are not hard to follow or understand. But as for mastering them? Expect to put in quite a few hours of gameplay to learn strategy behind your digging. Memorizing the food chain, balancing your ecosystem, and knowing when and how to throw it into chaos when necessary are key to mastering this game. The slightest bit of unbalancing can leave your dungeon very underpowered and Badman open for capture. But once you get it down, it becomes a fluid and flawless system that will leave you conquering the strongest of opponents.

NOT

I can honestly tell you readers out there that I could not find one flaw in this game. Its highly addicting, offers amazing replay ability, and has one of the most interesting concepts in a game I have seen in years.

Verdict

This game is one of the best I have played yet on my PSP. It was extremely addicting, has an expansive and adapting ecosystem, and gives the player a vast amount of freedom to control the outcome and shift the balance of their dungeon in a heartbeat. If your looking for a game that has all of the features to provide you with more entertainment than pushing a hoop with a stick, then look no further. My Lord 2 is definitely a must have for anyone with a PSP.