Axiom Verge 2

All in all, though, these are relatively minor blemishes on an impressive, bold follow-up to an acclaimed modern classic. Whether you’ve been champing at the bit for a new take on Axiom Verge or if this is your first experience with a Metroidvania, Axiom Verge 2 is a dense, beautiful game that’s easier than ever to get into and shouldn’t be missed.

A sequel doubling down on its biggest strength: Exploration and forgetting its weaknesses, offering us a brilliant Metroidvania pushing the exploration at its best.

A bold and ambitious sequel set in a satisfying, densely connected world.

Maybe Axiom Verge 2 is not the sequel that fans of the first game expected. The metroidvania structure appears to be way more focused on exploration and puzzle solving: a different path for the series, but equally enjoyable once you get to understand it.

Axiom Verge 2 was more of what I wanted for the most part. Thomas Happ’s understanding of the metroidvania formula works very well throughout the game and it even changes up quite nicely from what the first game had for us. I enjoyed exploring and discovering new abilities, taking in the atmosphere of music and pixels, and platforming through varied pitfalls and foes. Combat feels half-baked and sometimes I really wish the game would have just told me what it wanted me to do next to move the story forward. The narrative going on is intriguing, but also a bit too technobabble at times. Even so, it’s a journey that pushes you into the unknown to overcome a vast tapestry of obstacles and enemies in stark isolation. For that, Axiom Verge 2 continues to nail down the Metroidvania-style in a solid and challenging way.

Axiom Verge 2 is exactly what a sequel should be in that it’s more of the same but different. Indra isn’t Trace so her skills and abilities don’t try to mirror his too closely, and the world she’s been dropped into frequently has wide open vistas in its background instead of more types of caverns. The level design is every bit as good if not better, featuring varied biomes that stand on their own but eventually all interconnect as new skills open up more passages. The switch back and forth between Indra and the drone provides a nice change of pace, with each earning different abilities that complement the other. And of course the soundtrack is fantastic, with its non-US-traditional instruments and vocalizing. If you loved the first Axiom Verge then odds are good the second one is everything you hoped for, and if you’ve never played the original then the standalone nature of the sequel means you don’t have to worry about having missed out. Either way, Axiom Verge 2 is an excellent Metroidvania, and a rare perfect example of a series that can balance quality and change to deliver something new.

Even when Axiom Verge 2 wasn’t hitting perfectly for me, it feels different and very much its own. Things start out slow, but give it a little time and Axiom Verge 2 really gets going, playing off expectations with clever alterations of the original game’s conventions. It’s dense as ever lore-wise, and it’s got some good music and worlds to move through. It’s a follow-up to Axiom Verge that doesn’t content itself with a simple recitation of the first game’s high points, and if what’s detailed above sounds like your jam, you’ll probably have a good time with it.

Even when Axiom Verge 2 left me frustrated, I never lost the sense of its intelligent design and mind-bending premise. With these first two games, Happ has laid the groundwork for a particularly weird and captivating fiction, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of its secrets. While I hope I don’t have to wait another six years to play Axiom Verge 3, I’m fascinated enough to have a controller at the ready for its inevitable return.

Cards on the table: Metroid is a series that I haven't had too close ties to for a long time. I am rather indifferent. That's why I didn't care about the open surroundings and the focus on hand-to-hand combat instead of firearms - but I understand if some fans of the predecessor would have wished for something else. On the other hand, I find it unhappy how lax and low-tension the fights are. For example, I raked the flying ox on the opposite side with an ice ax until it was dead. In such banal arguments, the joy of victory is limited. There are certainly people who have a better sense of direction than I do, because in some places I was quite at a loss as to where to go next. Here is my tip: If in doubt, go to the breach area. By the way, an all-round good innovation is the teleporting of memory points. That saves Indra a long walk or two.

Simple combat, forgettable boss fights, and a reticent narrative--not to mention an overly vague map--are the only dampeners on what is an impressive sequel, despite never quite feeling like one. The unsuspected changes and additions are bold and mostly pay off, with consistently engaging and rewarding exploration that's propelled forward by an ambitious central mechanic. Axiom Verge 2 is a game that constantly evolves and delights, but just lacks the same bite as some of its contemporaries.

Axiom Verge 2 is a dual-dimensional Metroidvania that’s engaging to explore despite its one-dimensional combat and underwhelming boss fights.

Axiom Verge 2 impresses with its level design. Its complex structure supported by two parallel worlds accessible at all times will offer a major challenge to aficionados of metroidvania. Too bad that gameplay inaccuracies spoil the party and cause frustrating situations. Without this, this second episode could easily have risen to the level of its predecessor.