Overview – developed by One Hand Free Studios and published by Eastasiasoft, Waifu Discovered 2: Medieval Fantasy is the strip shooter sequel to Waifu Uncovered. Fight wave after wave of enemies to save cute girls from magic that will sap their youth, with lewd fanservice throughout. The console release of this title is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game available at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Waifu Discovered 2 that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Mature Content Warning: this title is intended for mature audiences, with sexual content, nudity and the use of suggestive language. If you are under the recommended age for this release or find any of the content featured within offensive, please proceed at your own discretion.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I have previously covered the first title in this series, Waifu Uncovered, which you can find (HERE), so please check it out if you haven’t already.
Story – an evil aging spell has infected the garments of 8 beautiful medieval maidens, cursing them to lose all of their youthful grace and vigor unless the clothing is destroyed. It has fallen upon the legendary Uma Ninja to protect them from this curse, being miniaturized to fight against hordes of diminutive demons. Rush into battles and eliminate these threats, protecting the maidens from evil.
Gameplay – Waifu Discovered 2 is a Single screen shooter with bullet hell mechanics, a level/upgrade system and a LOT of sexual fanservice that takes place over several rounds. There are three distinct gameplay modes that can be accessed in this release, with two of them being available from the start (both playable in co-op mode). The game modes that can be played are as follows;
- New Game Beginner – the easy option for players who want to just jump into the shooting, it is slightly easier with less enemies attacking and a more forgiving difficulty curve. Only seven of the maidens appear in this mode with the eighth one being unobtainable.
- New Game Arcade – the standard game mode that is tougher in terms of enemy power, variety and overall difficulty. This is most suitable for players who have played the game for a while, have experience with bullet hell shooters or just want to push themselves. All eight maidens appear in this mode, unlike the Beginner option.
- One Finger Mode – a special single player option that uses the touch screen to control the ship. This option is locked when starting out and can only be unlocked when certain conditions are met, with only two ships and all eight stages to play.
When starting the game for the first time, there is only one ship to select with more being unlocked later, along with special view modes that censor the girls in different ways. Before the player can progress they must select a maiden to save, with one option being significantly tougher than the other. Great care must be taken when deciding which character to select, as the left option is the easier, with the right being a tougher challenge.
The goal of the game is to eliminate enemies to collect gems that destroy the clothing of the target in the background, with each round ending in a boss fight. The progress for the round is shown by a meter at the top of the screen, made up of hearts that fill with each successful destruction. Not all enemies drop gems, as some of them will drop money that is used in the shop and on rare occasions, upgrades to strengthen the player.
The bosses that appear in each round are created for comedic effect, using jokes when they appear and puns as their names. This can be humorous when you encounter them, but the joke wears off quickly when they attack and lay waste to the player, destroying them in seconds. Each boss has its own unique gimmick which can make the battle very difficult, including cracking the screen to obscure their presence and filling the screen entirely with weapon fire.
Between rounds in each mode, the player can use the store to buy upgrades using money collected from defeating enemies and clearing stages. The upgrades that can be bought vary depending on the player level and the ship itself, adding a strategic element to the gameplay as players can decide whether to level up or buy power-ups. The upgrades include weapon power, ship speed, shields and drones that support the player in battle. The cost of power-ups increase with each purchase, so be cautions when spending coins.
There are no lives in this title, with players having a single health bar for the game. If the health bar is depleted by enemy fire the game will be over and players will be returned to the main menu. However, between phases of each round the player will regenerate some health, as well as health pick-ups that can be collected from enemies that are defeated. There is one way to continue after being defeated, as special revive coins can be collected which act as continues, but these are very expensive.
At the top of the screen during each round is a meter below the phase indicator, which will gradually deplete over time and only increase when a phase is cleared. The status of the meter may seem to be inconsequential, but it does affect the end result of each stage. The performance of the player during each round will affect the rewards earned, with some of the more lewd rewards being affected by how well the player does.
There is a leaderboard system in this game, where players can submit their score to compete with other players. This online element of this title is completely optional and the game asks if you want to enable this mode, with a prompt on screen when you start any of the game modes. There is also an option to enable online play on the main menu, but if the leaderboard system isn’t something that is of interest, the game will keep the highest score locally on the main menu.
The last thing to talk about is the local multiplayer. In the two player co-op mode, both players can select a ship and take on the enemy forces together. Money earned is given to the player that collects it, along with upgrades and health dropped by enemies, with the shop also having a menu for each character. If a player is defeated in battle then they will be unable to continue unless they are resurrected in the shop, so teamwork to survive is essential.
Now with the gameplay covered, I will be moving onto the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.
Controls – the main controls are extremely simple, using the left side of the controller for movement and two attack buttons, one for bullets and the other for bombs. These controls are nice and comfortable, working very well during single player with twin Joy-Cons, single Joy-Cons for two player and pro controllers in general. The touch controls that are used for the One Finger Mode work for the most part, but unfortunately they can be inconsistent so a stylus is preferable.
Difficulty – the difficulty curve for the game is balanced well in the Beginner mode, but is much tougher in the Arcade and Touch modes, with swarms of enemies and bosses that can easily overpower the player. This challenge can make the game frustrating since death can occur repeatedly, which is unfortunate since that can really kill the enjoyment. However, if you put the time and effort into practicing the different mechanics there is a chance to succeed.
Presentation – visually this game is an improvement over its predecessor, with improved artwork for the featured maidens and fantastic background work that can be appreciated in the gallery mode. The different censors that are present are an entertaining inclusion, with some of the obscuring items being tied to the theme of that character. The “uncensored” option that can be unlocked does cover the genitalia of the maidens, since full nudity is not allowed on the Switch.
The enemy designs mostly fit the fantasy theme also, with goblins, orcs and other creatures to fight. There is one element of the game in this department that is a minor flaw to the experience, which is occasional slowdown that can occur when there are many shots on screen. The sound is quite solid for this release, with an enjoyable soundtrack that is featured throughout. Some minor voice work is also included with different suggestive sounds and voice clips, but I don’t think it adds much to the game.
Final Thoughts – I enjoyed my time with Waifu Discovered 2 and feel it is a good improvement on its predecessor. The art is much more aesthetically pleasing, the bosses while tougher, had more challenge to them and the inclusion of a shop system really boosted the quality of gameplay. The slowdown and difficulty was frustrating at times, but for a budget indie title, it works well. I am happy to recommend this to fans of Waifu Uncovered, along with those who enjoy lewd games and bullet hell shooters.
In the end, I give Waifu Discovered 2: Medieval Fantasy a final score of 4/5. This is an improvement over its predecessor with better visuals, new gameplay mechanics and overall quality of life improvements. The game is still very hard, like all bullet hell style shooters but with practice and good strategy, victory (and nudity) is within reach. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo switch version (HERE)
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