GoNNER 2 checks all the right boxes for a worthy sequel. It keeps what made the first GoNNER great, whilst fixing most of the problems, andGoNNER 2 checks all the right boxes for a worthy sequel. It keeps what made the first GoNNER great, whilst fixing most of the problems, and adding in new weapons, heads, and mechanics. This is GoNNER at its fullest potential, and it’s a very fun time.
GoNNER 2’s story is as simple as the first game. Death’s lair has been overtaken by a mysterious presence, and its up to you to stop it. The art style retains its unique combination of stylish and minimalistic, creating a game that is almost dream-like in its presentation. The vast array of colors that go crazy if you score a high combo and a quirky soundtrack merge to form a presentation I’ve never seen in games. However, it’s this style that can occasionally make it difficult to see your character at times during the chaos, that’s thankfully been rare.
In GoNNER, you pick up a weapon, a head, which is your source of health, and a backpack, and set out to kill enemies, score combos, and beat bosses, all for the chase of that sweet high score. Ikk’s movement feels smoother than ever, thanks to the addition of a dash attack and the ability to aim in 360 degrees rather than stuck in one direction. Instead of getting abilities from your backpacks, you unlock temporary upgrades that enhance your abilities to make a run easier. These range from an extra jump, to faster movement speed and bigger bullets. These upgrades really help add variety to each run you play. GoNNER 2 is even more chaotic than the first in its combat, with greater enemy numbers to test your skills, making it more difficult this time around. However, you don’t have to tackle this challenge alone, as now you can lose your head with a friend in local co-op, which is a ton of fun, even though online multiplayer would’ve been great. However, the game still stands completely fine on its own.
Thankfully, your progress saves this time around whenever you unlock new gear, which is great, considering that equipment progression is somewhat tedious. In order to unlock weapons and heads, you must travel to a specific level in a specific world, find a hidden area behind some destructible blocks, and open a purple crate, hoping RNG gives you something good. This system is cool in concept, though dodgy in execution. Hopefully, this gets changed in a later patch, but luckily, at the time of writing, you only have to unlock this stuff once.
GoNNER 2 is an underrated, stylish, chaotic, and challenging platforming rogue-like that deserves more love than its getting. It’s challenging and fast nature may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like these sorts of games, then I urge you to at least try it.
Overall score: 8.5/10… Expand
