River City Girls 2is more of the same which is not a bad thing. The first game was released in 2019 and was a revitalization of the brand that began on the NES. The originalRiver City Ransomwas a big innovator in the brawler landscape.
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It took place in an open-world city, which was small, but still a big deal at the time. Players could beat up villains, get money, and then spend that hard-earned cash to level up.River City Girlshad the same idea but it was tweaked to make it more modern and RPG-like. Let’s go through some of the changes made inRiver City Girls 2and how one can make the most of the beginning hours.
8A Secret Difficulty
There are three set difficulty levels in the game including Normal, Tough, and Nightmare. Normal is technically the easiest setting but it’s still going to be challenging if players go at it alone. The game does become easier after doing some level grinding, which will be further discussed later.
Also, if players are inept at brawlers but want to checkRiver City Girls 2out, adding one or three friendsfor couch co-opmakes the game much easier. Another player can join online for a two-player mode as well.
In death, players will get one of two choices for continuing. They can restart where they left off but lose money in the process or they can go back to a hideout. Going back to a hideout, which will unlock past Kyoko’s house as the game progresses, will not dock players any experience or materials.
The only thing they lose is their place on the map which can be frustrating. It’s not as bad as losing progress like money though which is a big way for how players can level up. No one wants to lose progress be itin a brawler, RPG, roguelike, or so on.
6How Saving Works
The game doesn’t do a good job of explaining how saving works. There is an autosave function and that’s about it. The only time players will see a manual save button of any sort is at a hideout. In the phone settings “Save and Quit” will present itself as an option.
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The game saves progress going from screen to screenas players brawlit out with baddies, but it doesn’t save the place players are at. They will always go back to the last hideout they checked in at once they reload. This is a good thing to be aware of before quitting a play session.
5Characters And Leveling Up
Players can choose between four characters at the start, but unlock two more choices as the game progresses. Whoever players choose, they can swap for another back at a hideout. It’s good that these other characters level up with the main hero, but at a third of the progression.
For example, if Kyoko is at level twelve, the rest of the characters should be at level three. It’s not as ideal as having characters level up the same, but it’sbetter than some RPGswherein background characters don’t level up at all unless they are played.
4Money And Items
Beating up bad guys and gaining experience points is one way to level up a character. There are other ways to boost a character’s potential though. Food items and other consumables will grant that character an increase in their stats the first time they ingest it.
For example, Potato Snaps will recover health by 25% and also increase attack power by one. After that, it will only heal for that amount without bonuses. The big tip here is to always take food on the go instead of consuming it in the store. Also, buy at least one of every consumable item and stock up before a big boss battle.
3Exploring The Map
The map inRiver City Girls 2is close to the original but a bit bigger. A lot of it will be locked until players finish the mall quest, ending in a boss fight with Ken. After that, the map opens up more. When possible, try to head away from exclamation points which are indicators for quests.
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Explore as much as possible is the overall tip even if things look like dead ends. One never knows when they might finda random NPCthat will give players a quick quest for an awesome experience boost.
2Battle Tips
Whenever players knock an opponent down, they should get in there and stomp away like they’re playingThe Callisto Protocol. Doing as much damage as fast as possible is the overall battle strategy forRiver City Girls 2.
Also, if a weapon is lying around like a bench or a bat, always beeline toward them. Again, things can be hard for solo players even on Normal without any multiplayer help. Before heading to the mall, it’s suggested to grind around Kyoko’s house until players get to at least level five.
1Use Headphones
This game has a pumping soundtrack, like the original, thanks to the composer Megan McDuffee. Wearing headphones is recommended just to get into the groove more, but using them can also have some strategic advantages in battle.
For example, enemies will make a distinct sound when they die. It takes a few extra seconds for their body to start flashing which is another indication that they died. Knowing when a character dies allows players to switch focus to another enemy without having to worry about that last one getting back up again. It’s a simple tipfor a brawler, but it could save some HP.
River City Girls 2was released on July 25, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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