Monument Valley 2 Review (fancychipss)
Monument Valley was a mobile game so ambitious, one could argue it holds its own against the titans of the puzzle genre. Can Monument Valley II say the same? Ehhhhhhh.....?
Let's get the positives out of the way. MV2's art style is phenomenal. It takes a more uplifting tone than the original, so it's not like it's a straight improvement, more like a side-grade and arguably subtle upgrade. Chapter VII was a personal favorite of mine, and really encapsulated the minimalist, hyper contrasted visuals compared to MV1's more somber artstyle. The music is tolerable, like the first game. I'd never listen to the soundtrack on my own time, but I didn't mute the game either. It's appropriate and atmospheric. The story is a little more nonsensical but there was more of an effort to display deeper meanings, which was nice to gnaw my teeth on.
Now, why does Monument Valley II not hold its own like Monument Valley does? It's... not the greatest puzzle game. Sure, if you got a lobotomy in the last 6 months it might melt your brain (more than a lobotomy does), but Monument Valley was good because it was simple, then it would throw a curve ball at you. Going from one game to the other, Monument Valley II throws a curve ball immediately, then forgets about it half-way through the game. The puzzles would be great... if they were followed through on. Monument Valley has never been a hard puzzler (with the exception of maybe Nocturne, which had me scratching my head for a while), but it at least made you think. Monument Valley II has a habit of introducing new ideas, then moving on. It even does this with its main gimmick (controlling two characters at once). Notice how I barely talked about how it changed the dynamic? Because it doesn't, and they split the two characters half way into the game, making the rest of it basically a solo trip. Even Forgotten Forest, the DLC that, like Ida's Dream, was supposed to be the level that utilizes the established mechanics in a unique way... you just play as Ro's Daughter. Ro doesn't show up once. And unlike Monument Valley, there is no Forgotten Shores equivalent to put you to the test.
Overall why do I still give this game a thumbs up? It's still a solid 7.5/10. It's on sale for under $3 USD right now, and that's a good price for what you get. And it's still Monument Valley at its core. It's still cool as hell. My time wasn't wasted, and I easily 100%ed it. Not a classic like the original, but I'd recommend it still.