YO-KAI WATCH 2: Psychic Specters (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Taking cues from entries in the Pokémon franchise such as Emerald and Platinum, Psychic Specters is essentially the "third version" of YO-KAI WATCH 2 as a whole - that is to say, a game that retains the core essence of its predecessors, while adding a host of new content to entice repeat buyers. The plot, structure, and central gameplay here are nigh-on identical to Fleshy Souls and Bony Spirits, with the only real difference being the extra content tacked onto the side.

Therein lies Psychic Specters' biggest problem - it simply isn't fresh enough. Where Pokémon Emerald and Platinum completely refreshed their original products, adding in new plot points and areas, as well as fixing numerous faults with their sister games, Psychic Specters is almost completely unchanged, even down to the UI. This means that previously reported problems, such as the frustratingly plodding pace of its early plot, and its insistence on retreading old areas and storylines, haven't been fixed, and so the main game experience is just as flawed.

As for the new content itself, it's hit and miss. There are a handful of new side-quests, which although entertaining - the ones about the butler-cum-sidekick YO-KAI Whisper's ancestry are a particular highlight - are also fairly short, and don't particularly enrich the storyline on the whole. There's also a new battle mode in the form of a selection of trains filled with specific categories of powerful YO-KAI, but this again only serves to demonstrate how weak the game's battle system is - just like its prequel, it's entirely automatic and the lack of notable player input makes it a complete bore.

In order to entice Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls players back into Springdale, there's also the option to transfer save data from those two games directly into Psychic Specters - made a lot easier by the fact that the main game plot is essentially the same across all three entries, so those who haven't quite finished the original two can jump straight into the expanded version. It's certainly convenient, but it also raises the question of just how worthwhile Psychic Specters is as a fully priced retail release, when its handful of actually new content can be accessed from the outset and used up in just a few hours.

There's also the issue of the version exclusive YO-KAI: originally, some could only be found in Bony Spir-its while others were locked to Fleshy Souls; Psychic Specters further exacerbates the problem by making it impossible to get certain YO-KAI from these two releases, such as the creatures exclusive to the downloadable versions of each game; for those without a friend with a copy of the games, trading for these exclusive YO-KAI is also out of the question, with no Pokémon-style Global Trade Station to speak of.

To soften the blow, there are a host of new obtainable YO-KAI, including the story-relevant "Wicked" tribe; however, despite being satisfyingly powerful to use, the vast majority are based on existing YO-KAI - a trend that already pervades the expansive YO-KAI Medallium - making them slightly disappointing to actually obtain.

However, for all the negativity, one thing that still emanates from YO-KAI WATCH 2 at every turn is its charm, and that's definitely still present in Psychic Specters. Its plot may be a little bit thin, but it's also genuinely entertaining and wonderfully translated, despite its unmistakably Japanese origins. Newcomers who aren't familiar with this cast of characters will find themselves at home with them almost instantly thanks to a great script, and if there's one thing that this entry's lack of innovation is good for, it's that it makes this the best jumping-on point for those unfamiliar with the franchise on the whole - there's definitely the most content here out of all of the games, and the stiffness of the first game is less apparent.

On the whole, it's difficult to know whether to recommend YO-KAI WATCH 2 - faithful YO-KAI fans are likely to find themselves more than a little disappointed at the lack of substantial new content here that really justifies the asking price, while casual newcomers may not be all that interested in the more hardcore-orientated bonus content that this newer, more expensive release has in store.