Okay metroidvania, just play the first one.
Pros:
+ Phenomenal pre-sequel to a phenomenal game that was well worth the wait. Very hard to say if this one's better or not, they're better than each other in different ways
+ Not as much catchy music, but the soundtrack is way bigger and the more ambient tracks are still really good
+ Art style is entirely different, having more bits which improves detail while maintaining the original's groovy retro feel (also makes animations with more frames look better since they have more pixels to work with)
+ Is more grounded but still somehow finds its way to make the lore even more complicatingly interesting and head-scratching (in a good way, for the most part!) TL;DR, it expands the original lore very well
+ Combat is focused much more on melee and lower-range attacks as opposed to the first game's projectiles, which increases difficulty while keeping it fair
+ Progression and level design is focused in a more balanced way. The first one had a lot of vertical hallways like original Metroid games, which this game practically eliminates by interconnecting different areas much more and revamping the fast travel system entirely
Cons:
- Very little traditional bosses (which is a real shame, since this game's combat system would really improve the spammy bosses from the original game. However, the bosses that are in the game are mostly really cool!)
- Once again, the final boss and ending is a bit anticlimactic, maybe even more so than the original. In general, the story feels a little bit less focused because it's started expanding Axiom Verge's world and timeline which results importance being put on specific characters.
- There are less of the inherent surprises from the original game, though maybe that's just because after playing the first one you're at least vaguely familiar with most concepts
- Feels maybe a bit drawn-out and the backtracking can sometimes feel a bit clunky due to a certain area introduced in this game, resulting in a game that isn't as enjoyable to speedrun as the first one
+ Phenomenal pre-sequel to a phenomenal game that was well worth the wait. Very hard to say if this one's better or not, they're better than each other in different ways
+ Not as much catchy music, but the soundtrack is way bigger and the more ambient tracks are still really good
+ Art style is entirely different, having more bits which improves detail while maintaining the original's groovy retro feel (also makes animations with more frames look better since they have more pixels to work with)
+ Is more grounded but still somehow finds its way to make the lore even more complicatingly interesting and head-scratching (in a good way, for the most part!) TL;DR, it expands the original lore very well
+ Combat is focused much more on melee and lower-range attacks as opposed to the first game's projectiles, which increases difficulty while keeping it fair
+ Progression and level design is focused in a more balanced way. The first one had a lot of vertical hallways like original Metroid games, which this game practically eliminates by interconnecting different areas much more and revamping the fast travel system entirely
Cons:
- Very little traditional bosses (which is a real shame, since this game's combat system would really improve the spammy bosses from the original game. However, the bosses that are in the game are mostly really cool!)
- Once again, the final boss and ending is a bit anticlimactic, maybe even more so than the original. In general, the story feels a little bit less focused because it's started expanding Axiom Verge's world and timeline which results importance being put on specific characters.
- There are less of the inherent surprises from the original game, though maybe that's just because after playing the first one you're at least vaguely familiar with most concepts
- Feels maybe a bit drawn-out and the backtracking can sometimes feel a bit clunky due to a certain area introduced in this game, resulting in a game that isn't as enjoyable to speedrun as the first one
some of the best pure exploration of any game i've played this year, and a really excellent and unique soundtrack. some of the lore is a bit too esoteric for me though, and the combat might as well not have been included in the game. recommended for fans of the MV niche, but maybe not for all gamers.
No me gusto, muy chuminga la pocha, el 1 esta muchisimo mejor y es tremendo juegazo.... pero este no me gusto
It was an okay time but a solid Metroidvania for what it is.
Everything felt quite incongruous. I’d explore only to find dead ends then just randomly find myself in a different biome that didn’t gel with anything around it. The portals that pixelate the games also feel completely pointless. Where the previous game pastiched to the point I didn’t really feel the need for it, Axiom Verge 2 spins it’s wheels trying to be something new yet old.
god damn it, dude. i'm a little upset. i think tom happ is an insanely talented developer - the art design, music, and pixel art is all top notch here, and are even bigger improvements over the original axiom verge (which is one of my favorite metroidvanias period). i was hyped for this game for months but it ended up staying on my backlog for two years since its so wildly different from AV - and not in a good way.
combat feels pretty terrible - or at the very least, a MASSIVE step down from AV. going from dozens of wacky weapons to really weak ones that incentivize hacking or just running past enemies means that all your interactions play out mostly the same way. this is made even worse with the breach/drone sections, where you don't have the option to hack so i ended up just damage boosting through as much as i could. also, there are only two required "bosses" that you can't even die to - the rest are just optional. i don't really get these choices, as i thought the boss design from AV was really damn good.
this might be a me thing, but constantly being thrown around the map with "go to x,y coordinates i'll mark it on your map" felt really terrible - especially when you had to bound back and forth between areas searching for the specific upgrade you needed to get there. of course, i wasn't expecting a linear experience at all, there were just a ton of points where i just felt completely lost.
it's a shame too, since outside of combat and shit the game's often MUCH better than AV in several aspects. just like the first game, traversal is awesome - zipping across the map in bug mode, going back and forth between the breach and the overworld, getting new upgrades like the breach attractor that makes shit even easier to navigate... not to mention that the story's not too bad either, even if it ends on a weird note (AV was the same way though so im not gonna fault it). plus i really like the aesthetic it went for - definitely sets it apart from most games i've played.
i ended up enjoying it, but not as much as i would have hoped. it's worth the money, just don't expect it to be a massive step up from AV.
combat feels pretty terrible - or at the very least, a MASSIVE step down from AV. going from dozens of wacky weapons to really weak ones that incentivize hacking or just running past enemies means that all your interactions play out mostly the same way. this is made even worse with the breach/drone sections, where you don't have the option to hack so i ended up just damage boosting through as much as i could. also, there are only two required "bosses" that you can't even die to - the rest are just optional. i don't really get these choices, as i thought the boss design from AV was really damn good.
this might be a me thing, but constantly being thrown around the map with "go to x,y coordinates i'll mark it on your map" felt really terrible - especially when you had to bound back and forth between areas searching for the specific upgrade you needed to get there. of course, i wasn't expecting a linear experience at all, there were just a ton of points where i just felt completely lost.
it's a shame too, since outside of combat and shit the game's often MUCH better than AV in several aspects. just like the first game, traversal is awesome - zipping across the map in bug mode, going back and forth between the breach and the overworld, getting new upgrades like the breach attractor that makes shit even easier to navigate... not to mention that the story's not too bad either, even if it ends on a weird note (AV was the same way though so im not gonna fault it). plus i really like the aesthetic it went for - definitely sets it apart from most games i've played.
i ended up enjoying it, but not as much as i would have hoped. it's worth the money, just don't expect it to be a massive step up from AV.
Não tem analise de nada, com 30 minutos a música e os efeitos sonoros do jogo me deixaram com dor de cabeça, tem que ser crime o som de jogo 16 bits.
I really love this game. It came out during one of the hardest moments in my life. It was my distraction. I dived into this game. I loved the first one so much. And I looked forward to it a lot. It released at the perfect tme for me. I will always look fondly on it for that reason. Just know while reading this review, I can't separate my bias for this game. It literally kept me sane during the worst month of my life. I am still going to try and criticize it though.
I want to first say, the whole point of this game was to take influence from the other inspiration of the MetroidVania genre. The Vania...aka Castlevania side. If you are expecting Metroid from this game, you are not getting it. Play the first game if that's what you want. This game was always advertised as more Castlevania melee combat than Metroid ranged combat. So all the reviews angry at that fact seem disingenuous by acting as if it was a betrayal or some kind of surprise. It was not. Kind of like when you read Amazon reviews and you see a one star because there was a problem with shipping but no problem with the product itself. The first game is a love letter to Metroid. This game is a love letter to Castlevania.
This is a prequel to the original game. You don't need to play the first game though to understand it. Story yet again has some twists and turns yet still takes a backseat to the world building and exploration. Yet again, has some great interactions and characters.
The world is yet again super vibrant. Really varied. Traversal is much better this time. The game has much less jank.
A few complaints, it takes a bit for the game to get going. A little slowing in letting you traverse the world. Keeps you in a box for a bit too long. The drone areas are not as fun as the main areas. They don't look as good and the 8-bit music isn't as good as their normal renditions.
Combat is more like Castlevania this time. Melee combat instead of ranged. This is what got me to try the Castlevania series. At time of writing I only have 2 more MetroidVania style Castlevanias left. That's how much this game influenced me. Yet again, once I found a weapon to my liking, I rarely changed.
As I said in the the Axiom Verge review. The music is amazing again. I know I said something about the 8-bit versions of the music being not as good. But even so, they are still soooooo good.
If you love MetroidVanias or Castlevania play this game. This game leans more on the Castlevania side of things. I feel like this game was kinda slept on. Please play it. I highly recommend it.
I want to first say, the whole point of this game was to take influence from the other inspiration of the MetroidVania genre. The Vania...aka Castlevania side. If you are expecting Metroid from this game, you are not getting it. Play the first game if that's what you want. This game was always advertised as more Castlevania melee combat than Metroid ranged combat. So all the reviews angry at that fact seem disingenuous by acting as if it was a betrayal or some kind of surprise. It was not. Kind of like when you read Amazon reviews and you see a one star because there was a problem with shipping but no problem with the product itself. The first game is a love letter to Metroid. This game is a love letter to Castlevania.
This is a prequel to the original game. You don't need to play the first game though to understand it. Story yet again has some twists and turns yet still takes a backseat to the world building and exploration. Yet again, has some great interactions and characters.
The world is yet again super vibrant. Really varied. Traversal is much better this time. The game has much less jank.
A few complaints, it takes a bit for the game to get going. A little slowing in letting you traverse the world. Keeps you in a box for a bit too long. The drone areas are not as fun as the main areas. They don't look as good and the 8-bit music isn't as good as their normal renditions.
Combat is more like Castlevania this time. Melee combat instead of ranged. This is what got me to try the Castlevania series. At time of writing I only have 2 more MetroidVania style Castlevanias left. That's how much this game influenced me. Yet again, once I found a weapon to my liking, I rarely changed.
As I said in the the Axiom Verge review. The music is amazing again. I know I said something about the 8-bit versions of the music being not as good. But even so, they are still soooooo good.
If you love MetroidVanias or Castlevania play this game. This game leans more on the Castlevania side of things. I feel like this game was kinda slept on. Please play it. I highly recommend it.
All sequels are tasked with walking a thin line between novelty and nostalgia. Axiom Verge 2 balances this perfectly. Every new mechanic and new bit of lore feels like it's building on something familiar from Axiom Verge but twisting it in a new way. It's hard to not think about all the connections hinted at but never confirmed. To embrace a much brighter world than what we saw in the first game, despite it suffering from similar issues. All the characters feel new, but also feel like they're from the same world Trace was from. Those chilling moments when elements of the first game's soundtrack spill into this one's. The vibes were all just...so right for me.
I understand it's going into a different direction, but i liked the first one too much to really care about this one. The stealth and hacking was kinda cool, but i'd rather have crazy weapons and reality bending upgrades
Honestly a bit disappointed, most departures this game took from the first ended up backfiring in my opinion
Very well done game, built wonderfully on its predecessor. Intriguing story that really leaves lots up to player interpretation and a phenomenal score that is both very catchy and beautifully atmospheric.
Gran metroidvania que, como su predecesor, está fuertamente inspirado en los Metroid clásicos. Quizá no llega al nivel de la primera parte, pero desde luego se queda muy cerca. Si te gustó el primero y/o la saga Metroid, este juego es un must play.
Its not better then the original but its fun and cool I enjoyed exploring
I feel like it's a definite step down from the first game in terms of combat, but the exploration is actually pretty fun despite the world being more linear.
The music and visuals are just as good if not better than the first game but it's just let down a little by the super easy boss fights and lack of ranged weapons. I had no idea what was going on in terms of the narrative though because I played half of this game at the start of January and half in the last few days.
The music and visuals are just as good if not better than the first game but it's just let down a little by the super easy boss fights and lack of ranged weapons. I had no idea what was going on in terms of the narrative though because I played half of this game at the start of January and half in the last few days.
Средняя метроха. По сравнению с первой частью пропала атмосфера, теперь гуляем по дженерик лесам и немного шумерских руин. Боевка стала более ориентирована на ближний бой. Механики не все удачные.
Lets change your cool alien gun for a pickaxe and a boomerang, neither of them doing any real damage. I bet combat will be much fun this way and will encourage exploration!
Took out a lot of what I enjoyed about the first game and made it into a generic metroidvania. Not bad just disappointing.
I loved the first game. It had a really unique atmosphere which made me believe I was in an alien environment. This one is different, but unfortunately in a bad way. Music, enemies etc. are not what I hoped to be. So I couldn't finish it even though I wanted to.
I liked this game. The story was interesting and the visuals were incredible. However, there were some things I wished were used better. There aren't really boss fights, which were some of my favorite things about the first game. Then, some of the puzzles are just ridiculous in how they are done.
Honestly really disappointing considering how interesting the 1st was
I think people give this game too much grief for changing up the formula that the original laid out. They took a risk by deviating slightly from the rigid metroidvania genre the original was known for, and while it doesn't always pay off, I have to commend them for trying something different. Especially when they could have very easily just made that first game again, slap a new coat of paint on it, then call it a day.
The same as the first one: it got me hooked then totally lost me. The path forward is too cryptic and the backtracking is not fun.
Tried playing this for an hour or so before quickly realizing it wasn't going to be for me. I wasn't hooked by the story or gameplay, and there are several other Metroidvanias in my backlog waiting for me.
soy yo la tia que canta
The combat in this game felt a bit weird with the weapons you had at your disposal compared to the first game, but some of the abilities you get later on made the exploration enjoyable enough to not really care.
taking deus ex machina a little too literally
It's fine but each step of the journey being guided by an indicator of where to go and any obstacle only being minutes from being cleared makes the progress a lot less rewarding than I'd like.
Feels good to play and has a nice soundtrack at least! Sound design overall is quite good but the whole is brought down by incessant beeping at low HP.
It's fine but each step of the journey being guided by an indicator of where to go and any obstacle only being minutes from being cleared makes the progress a lot less rewarding than I'd like.
Feels good to play and has a nice soundtrack at least! Sound design overall is quite good but the whole is brought down by incessant beeping at low HP.
ok gidio ama eh
Moins réceptif à l'univers que pour le 1, il reste cependant un excellent metroidvania. Toujours aussi agréable de découvrir tous les secrets de la map, on regrettera juste l'absence de "vrais" boss dans cet opus.