Chroisen 2

Hey! What is this. Well, you would ask about the latest KRPG Chroisen 2 sequel to last game... HaHa!

If you've ever played a Korean RPG, and particularly the first Chroisen game, that opening sentence may well be familiar to you, in style if not content.

If you haven't, well, let it be a warning to you. Because Chroisen 2 includes all the usual foibles of the genre.

That includes poorly translated, clunky, occasionally nonsensical dialogue - and plenty of it. It also includes a painfully generic plot about an amnesiac hero and a suggestively clad heroine.

Then there's the initially satisfying but pretty soon painfully repetitive combat system that combines Zelda-style real-time button mashing with JRPG-style hit points and character progression.

The formula hasn't evolved much from the first time you booted up the first Zenonia game on your iPhone 3G.

Of course, fans of this kind of thing will be in their element. But that's simply no reason to skirt over Chroisen 2's - and the wider sub-genre's - obvious shortcomings.

This is a generic fantasy world filled with thin fetch-quests and grind-heavy arena challenges. Even weak field enemies can take an exhausting amount of time to wade through.

Then there are the game's poor virtual controls. I can't believe no-one has come up with a better, touchscreen-focused control method for this kind of game yet. It's a mess of multiple virtual buttons that remain fiddly even on iPad.

As for the virtual joypad... well, it's often a lottery as to which direction your generic hero will take when you press it.

I've been harsh about Chroisen 2, but I should note that there is fun to be had here - even for someone who has very little affection left for this peculiarly dated sub-genre.

There's a tactile pleasure to wading into a fight against a whole gang of enemies, then turning around to knock their flanking buddies back before returning to press the attack home on your original foes. It's all quite Errol Flynn.

And there's still something empowering about taking on a sprawling list of side-quests in a relatively open fantasy world. Sure, all those tasks are the same, but still.

All of which goes back to that intro. Did that stilted opening line evoke a warm, knowing smile in you? Congratulations. You're evidently a dedicated KRPG fan, and you'll love Chroisen 2.

For the rest of you - you confused, uncomprehending majority - I'd suggest moving along and trying something less stubbornly stuck in a rut.