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Battleheart 2: 5 things we're looking forward to seeing

Two battle!

Battleheart 2: 5 things we're looking forward to seeing
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| Battleheart 2

The original Battleheart was one of the best mobile strategy games of 2011, putting developer Mika Mobile firmly on the map.

Recently, the developer has confirmed that it's returning to the series (after 2014's Battlefield Legacy) for Battleheart 2. It's early days for the project, and we're not expecting to hear anything substantial about it until well into 2017 at the very earliest.

But we know that it's coming. Also, developer Mika has generously revealed some of the ways it's planning to improve on the original.

Here are some of the things we're looking forward to seeing from Battleheart 2.

Return to party management

Battleheart Legacy was great, but it was really a spin-off rather than a pure sequel to the original Battleheart. As you can tell from the name, and as confirmed by Mika, Battleheart 2 is going to be "a true sequel to the original Battleheart".

"With this title we wanted to revisit the core experience of the original Battleheart, and polish it to a mirror sheen," explains Mika Mobile's Noah Bordner.

That means a return to the party management and heavy combat focus of the original, rather than the solo adventuring of Battleheart Legacy (pictured below).

New and improved 2D art style

One other thing Battleheart Legacy changed from the original game was the art style. Out went the expressive 2D sprite work, in came chunky 3D.

Battleheart 2 will herald the return of "crisp and appealing 2D graphics", according to Noah. That's not to say that it will look exactly like the first Battleheart, though.

It's been five years since the original, and the amount of power in your average smartphone has increased many times over in the intervening years. That's why the company is promising "a whole new level of 2D art and animation" with "a more 'painterly' look rather than the flat line-art we've been known for".

Check out an early screenshot:

Co-op multiplayer

Another feature we're really looking forward to is the introduction of co-op multiplayer. This makes a lot of sense given the party dynamic of the game, but it's still good to see Mika thinking about this stuff.

The game supports up to four players, with each player putting forward one or more member from their own party to embark on a mini-raid.

"Doing battle alongside a friend or two, where you divide up responsibilities and control different party members is already playable at this stage and very fun," says Noah.

Simultaneous Android and iOS release

Another refreshing element of Battleheart 2 is that Mika is aiming to bring the game to Android as well as iOS - and it wants to do so simultaneously.

It's a little disheartening that this isn't a standard approach adopted by mobile game developers this deep into 2016, but there you have it.

What's more, its seems Mika is doing more than paying lip service to this idea of a simultaneous launch. You know that multiplayer mode we mentioned above? Yeah, that's going to be cross-platform, so iOS gamers will be able to buddy up with their Android-owning friends.

Mika Mobile: bringing harmony to the tiresome iPhone vs Android debate.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.