An improvement on the original in every way possible. The game oozes polish, love and care all the way through. Gameplay has gone through a number of improvements to suit the chaos and give the characters more options - better defining itself as a mixture between high speed platforming and breakneck combat. Boss battles are as exciting as ever, and the levels are tons of fun to go through, with many unique gimmicks and pathways. Even the story mode, despite actually being longer than in the first game, is far better paced and is better at respecting the player's patience, on top of just generally having better written dialogue and dynamics. The one area lacking in polish is the voicework - not the voice actors themselves, which are fantastic across the board - but the audio editing and mixing still sounds a little like everyone's using different mics, and speaking at different volumes. Minor, but noticeable nonetheless.

This time around in the art department, Tyson Tan lends his distinctive art style and designwork to Freedom Planet's cast and world, and there's never been a better fit- it's clear they want to use his work to help define the visual identity of the series. This general design style combined with excellent spritework and beautiful environments has definitely given the series the firm, appealing look it deserves. Overall, Freedom Planet 2 just reeks of "we figured it out" energy across the board- this is a good thing. The first game felt 80% there - but this game feels like it has properly realized how to establish its identity as something truly unique and remarkable in its own right. Everything feels more purposeful, planned, and adds up to one of the most fulfilling gaming experiences I've played in a minute.

TL;DR - Sonic + Mega Man Zero for people who wear thigh highs and it fucking kicks.