Tsukiakari 2: Nightmares is a survival horror video game developed by Aozora and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Wii U game system as the sequel to Tsukiakari.
Plot[]
A year after Maya Kusaka left Tsukijima and headed back to Tokyo, she had started to be able to see ghosts clearly during the full moon and had constant nightmares about the serial killer, Tadayoshi. To try and stop these nightmares, Maya had decided go back to the Island of the Moon, Tsukijima, and once again investigate the Tsukijima hauntings. After finding nothing left of the evil hauntings in Tsukijima, Maya went back to Tokyo again and continued to have her nightmares, and not soon after, Maya had began to see illusions of Tadayoshi in full moon nights. To one again try to stop these nightmares, Maya's friend Rena Katagiri had taken her to a hotspring but got themselves lost on the way and stopped at an old castle similar to the one in Tsukijima but more modern. As Maya and Rena got closer to the castle, they were trapped and Rena had dissapeared the same way she did in Tsukijima. Now Maya must investigate the castle to find Rena, but this time, with no one to assist her.
Gameplay[]
The game once again revolves around the female protagonist, Maya Kusaka, progressing through 13 chapters. The gameplay is very similar to the first Tsukiakari game, using the same controls and ways of attacking enemies. The character's strength is displayed in a life bar located in the lower left corner of the screen, and the game will end if the character's strength is drained completely. However, the character can find healing items throughout the progress of the game at different locations, which restore their strength to a certain extent. In the castle, Maya can use a flashlight or lantern to aid in her exploration, but once there is no light, spirits become more visible and cannot be defeated until a light source is found. Maya can exit in and out of the castle as long as she has the key to the exit, she is also allowed to free roam anywhere in the castle and forest and allowed to talk to any friendly spirits she comes across. Unlike the first Tsukiakari, there is only one building that can be explored.
The only weapons that Maya can use are flashlights, lanterns, her camera, and exorcism talismans. Unlike the first Tsukiakari, the talismans must be made by finding pieces of paper in the vehicle or castle and cannot be bought. There are two flashlights that Maya can use, but if one runs out of energy, batteries can be found inside the vehicle and very rarely inside the castle, this also goes with the camera. In some cases, Maya's cellphone can be used as a light, but it will dim after 30 seconds and will turn off automatically after two minutes has gone by and also cannot eliminate nor stun spirits and can only be recharged in the vehicle. Lanterns can be commonly found inside the castle but cannot eliminate spirits and can only be lit if Maya uses a lighter. The lighter Maya carries could also be used as a light and will last a long time, but once the lighter cannot be lit anymore, it cannot be refilled. The exorcism talismans can be made at anytime as long as Maya carries paper and a pen in her bag.
The clothes of Maya can be changed as long as she is by the vehicle; changing the clothes will not effect the gameplay in any way but will change how Maya looks in the game. More clothes can be unlocked by opening closed wardrobes. Clothes of female protagonists of other Aozora games could also be unlocked by opening locked wardrobes hidden deep inside the castle.
Like the first Tsukiakari, save points can be found anywhere a glowing butterfly is, but the game can also now be saved in the vehicle.
Once again, there are three possible endings to the game, a good ending, a bad ending, and the true ending.
Spirits[]
- Onryō - Ghosts bonded by revenge, these are the most fearful spirits and cannot be stunned by light.
- Hitodama - Souls in the form of a small fireball, these spirits can be both hostile and friendly and can be found in just about anywhere in the game at night. The hostile hitodama are colored red and the friendly ones are green, making them easier to notice.
- Zashiki-warashi - Ghosts of children, these spirits are not hostile but they can damage Maya if she doesn't be careful around them.
- Tsukumogami - Items possessed by spirits, these spirits are usually hostile and can be located in almost any room in the castle. They cannot be stunned by light.
- Karasu - Hostile crows with glowing eyes that will attack Maya if they see her. They can only be found in the garden of the castle.
- Kabe-kage - Long ghostly arms that come out from walls. They can be eliminated with a camera flash.
- Kōmori - Hostile bats with glowing eyes that will attack Maya if they hear her. They can only be found in the upper levels of the castle.
- Kitsune - Foxes that can help Maya when she is looking for the next objective.
- Tadayoshi - The illusion of a ghost that Maya exorcised. He will appear at certain times and lead Maya to spots that will help in progressing the story.