4/5 ★ – ElementaryGaming's review of Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - Phantasy Reverie Series.

Another great Klonoa game. The core gameplay of slower, methodical platforming remains unchanged, which is a good thing. The levels are certainly more cinematic and inventive this time around, with a huge variety of locales in each of the levels and constantly-shifting camera angles which give some very cool angles to each level, instead of sticking with a constant sidescrolling view. The themes of the levels often changing within the levels themselves, such as a haunted house/Halloween randomly appearing. The world map is also gorgeous and adds to the visual appeal of the entire experience. The soundtrack is just as excellent as the first. The numerous surfing levels also add a fun, fast change of pace. The story isn't nearly as memorable this time around, but it works for what it is. It's certainly more complex and features more cutscenes than the first, but the simplicity of the original story is superior. The nonlinear levels make a return, which thankfully comprise a small minority of the levels overall. The game just does not benefit from this kind of nonlinear design and it excels when its objectives and paths are straightforward. Something else that makes this sequel less great than the original is the reuse of level designs. Many levels from the first half are "revisited" in the second half, in a reworked and more challenging way. It's still engaging, as they aren't identical to the original versions of the levels, but they aren't entirely new and even start to feel like padding towards the end of the game. Another glaring low point is the overuse of a new yellow enemy which functions as a puzzle each time it appears. There's nothing wrong with puzzles in moderation, but as soon as this yellow puzzle enemy is introduced, the game overloads you with these puzzles for the rest of the game, often killing the otherwise great momentum. A "return to checkpoint" option also would have been helpful, so the player doesn't have to commit suicide if they miss a collectible during the surfing levels. This is a great sequel to a great first game. It doesn't reinvent itself, but it doesn't need to. It simply utilizes the stronger hardware of the PS2 visually, adds some extra layers of complexity to the gameplay, and offers a new experience that players of the first game will enjoy, even if it's not quite as good overall due to some reused levels and an inferior story.