It was an interesting tale. Though I agree that it seemed about escape and realization. I personally found the storytelling to question if the fights were real at all. The story starts as Sylvia telling a story to the "stranger"/Travis and ends with Travis still listening. There you are assuming a break in the tale occurred for Travis assassin matches where in fact that's unlikely. It doesn't make sense to find her, leave then find her again. She is also telling the tale of the snow and match when Travis is going to see her at the beginning? nah it was one visit and one tale. Though you could consider that the entire story took place after. Though it doesn't make sense she went back the place while running a successful Competition Organization. It's more likely that's it's all fiction.
Much like the first one the entire Assassin matches could have been elements of fiction or dreams. Little Jeane could have imagined the entire NMH1 while gazing at the picture of two people trying to kill each other wondering how these people could have gotten there. Yes that means that little Jeane imagined killed.
My personal take in simple form was that in NMH1. Travis slowly fell into the Garden of Madness. Of the killing, the joy of killing the expression of pure vengeance the release of his pain boiled up. NMH2 took a turn. Yes he is more cocky, but I found Travis to be becoming more sane. Killing itself became meaningless and it was the bonds that really mattered in life. People weren't empty husks to kill they were the experiences that they would provide when you interact with them. People were of value. That's what NMH2 seemed to focus on.
Squilliam: On Vgcharts its a commonly accepted practice to twist the bounds of plausibility in order to support your argument or agenda so I think its pretty cool that this gives me the precedent to say whatever I damn well please.
