A bigger River City to brawl through
River City Girls 2 is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up with RPG elements, set in a colorful, comic-book-styled city. An old foe returns for revenge, and Misako, Kyoko, Kunio, and Riki hit the streets alongside newcomers Marian and Provie. The city is larger than the first game, with new locations, multiple routes, secret areas, and a day-night cycle. Gameplay is nonlinear, so you pick where to go next rather than following a fixed path. Along the way you level up to earn new moves, buy items and accessories in more than 40 shops, and smash objects scattered around the environment.
Fighting and growing your crew
Combat goes beyond basic punches and kicks. You get guard-crush attacks to break through blocking enemies, lift-off combos that launch foes into the air, and elemental status effects that add extra layers to each encounter. Each of the six playable characters has a distinct fighting style and an upgradable move set, so your character choice shapes how a run feels. Defeated foes and hired heavies can be recruited to fight alongside you, and you can have two recruits at once. The streets are also full of NPCs to talk to, interact with, or punch, including surprise cameos.
Playing together
You can play solo or team up with a friend, either locally or online. The game supports Online Co-op and Remote Play Together, so friends on Discord can join in whether they are on the same couch or across the internet. With six characters to pick from, each person can choose a fighter that suits their style and combine move sets for different team compositions.
Before you start
The game features an anime intro, comic book cutscenes, and voiceovers in both English and Japanese, with a soundtrack by Megan McDuffee, who also composed the first game's music. Controller support is listed among the Steam features, so a pad is the natural way to play. Expect a nonlinear structure: you are free to explore and revisit areas rather than being pushed along a straight line, which means some time spent backtracking and shopping between fights.