Thanks to Lightwood Games for the review code

Title: Epic Word Search Collection 2
System: 3DS (eShop)
Price: $7.99
Release date: 5/26/2016

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The main game/story

Even immediately after Midnight 2, sequels seem to want to give me trouble. Here we have the sequel to last year’s Epic Word Search Collection… With pretty much everything the exact same as in the original. What’s so hard about making these extra volumes DLC packs for the original games? Either way, if you liked the original game, you’ll like this one, and vice versa if you didn’t care for the original.

Graphics

The menus are just as basic as they were in the original collection, and that’s all that needs to be said. Nothing visually has been added or changed besides the different categories to choose from, which makes me even more baffled on why this isn’t just a simple DLC add-on for the original game.

Music and Sound

Everything I said in the review for the original applies here. Not a single change.

Gameplay

Granted, when it comes to Word Searches, you can’t really change much in terms of gameplay… You search for words to find in a huge grid, and go little by little to complete each and every one. Like before, there are five categories to tackle, each with their own themes, such as ones about wild animals and Shakespeare. You solve each and every one of them, and share them over streetpass, if you want. Though to be brutally honest, it’s incredibly unlikely that you’ll find anyone else to share data with. In almost the entire year I’ve owned the first Epic Word Search title, I’ve not gotten a single person for this title, even with my weekly visits to local gaming leagues and the National Streetpass Weekend. And if you happen to own both of these titles, having yet another precious streetpass data block taken up by this game is not worth it. (When again, it could very well have been a DLC add-on for the original title)

In terms of new additions to differentiate the sequel from the original game… (besides the new categories) You only get the option to change the axis while scrolling. While a very helpful addition, it still left me feeling disappointed at the lack of anything to make the sequel stand out.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Epic Word Search Collection 2 somehow overtook Midnight 2 as the worst sequel to a game that I’ve ever played, even in the same day that I wrote the review for that game. Filling out literally every single definition of the term “expansion pack”, there’s no excuse on why this is being sold as its own separate title instead of having it be a DLC update for the original title. With zero changes to the HUD, very minor changes in terms of gameplay, this is pretty much the original Epic Word Search Collection but with categories that are even less interesting than the original. If you liked the original and wanted more, well I suppose this would fit the bill, but to me its incredibly disappointing that it adds nothing interesting to at least give the game a unique feel, something that other sequels like Tappingo 2 and even the developer’s own Word Puzzles by Powgi did rather well. I give Epic Word Search Collection 2 a 5 out of 10, and I really can’t recommend this to anyone except those who mastered the original and want to see more. For those wanting to do word searches, just pick up the original title, as in my honest opinion that game has a better set of categories to choose from.