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.