Axiom Verge 2 Review (Hazuki-chan)
The first game was remarkable in a lot of ways, setting high expectations for this sequel; so, how did it go? "Badly", many will say. By this, I suspect they actually mean "differently", as though some kind of human being designed this game, and did so with the intention of creating more than just a glorified level pack for the previous instalment.
The map is supposedly more confusing now. I, upon playing, found it to be greatly improved. Instead of flat color, it now displays the actual features of the regions you've explored; if there was a big statue of a guy with the body of a lion, you'll be able to find it by looking. You also don't need to switch between regions before you can view them, they're all just one big, connected world. You can also place and remove map markers anywhere, not just at your current location... and as many as you like, not just two per area. How is this more confusing?
Well, alright, it's not exactly one big, connected world... there are two big connected worlds, and you do switch between them; the Overworld (more or less regular reality) and the Breach (where things get weird)!
Each has its own look, sound and feel: The Overworld being more somber, beautiful and relatively friendly to humanoid life, along with various hostiles... and the remnants of a culture resembling ancient Assyria or thereabouts, parallell development sort of thing. It's very sciencey and more importantly it has a cool, distinctive look, so why question it? Just let it wash over you.
By contrast, the Breach requires a drone to explore, looks and sounds a lot more oldschool - as well as more chaotic - and occasionally teases you with glimpses of the familiar from Axiom Verge 1. Hints, suggestions...
The game's lore is much the same. Perspectives, suspicions, beliefs. Very little is known to be factual. Which is kind of nice, really. People like Dark Souls because it doesn't just plainly state this and that; understanding what is going on is a much more active process of piecing things together from what you know and suspect.
The combat is different now. I personally enjoyed it, though... some of the pacing could use work. Certain weapons are granted rather late in the game, with the unfortunate consequence that you barely get to enjoy them. This is not ideal. Other weapons, however, are in for a good chunk of the respectable run time (especially if you go secret-hunting a lot), and some of them are quite fun to use. Melee attacks are your mainstay now; at a distance, you get a boomerangy thing which isn't great, but has its uses.
You get skill points you can use to upgrade various abilities, including health and the strength of melee or ranged attacks. There are a good number of skill point pickups strewn along your path - or hidden about it - and by the end, I felt more than powerful enough to deal with what dangers emerged. Translation: Game too easy? Rush through faster! Game too hard? Go find more power-ups. Or play however you like, but the wiggle room is there for enjoyment to occur.
Some of the platforming (especially to reach tricky secrets) can be very nintendo-y, but that's understandable, given the series' deep roots in that sphere of game design from the era when people were convinced that "the harder a game is to get through, the better value for money it is". Thankfully, Axiom Verge 2 has checkpoints instead of the traditional blatant progress robbery of the original NES era. Sometimes you get bumped back a ways from where you were, but you can eventually unlock fast travel to any revival site - you may want to save most of your backtracking for after you get that.
This game is not perfect, but I respect the changes made and the chances taken compared to the original. Whether you agree things improved, or feel they declined, or see it all as a "sidegrade" which is neither better nor worse, merely different - games will not get better if all the developers do, if all they are allowed to do, is copy-paste from the previous instalment(s).
This game has its own story to tell, its own journey and experience to savor. It is a work of art, lovingly rendered, and imperfect as all of ourselves. It is a challenge to overcome, and a set of riddles to make sense of. It is a pleasant pastime. It is many things.
In particular, it is a game I enjoyed and would recommend to platforming exploration fans and fans of the first game. If you go in expecting something different, you shouldn't suffer too much from the changes.