Axiom Verge 2

Axiom Verge 2 is a very different game from Axiom Verge 1. Most notably, Axiom Verge 2 heavily disincentivizes direct combat as a means of progression and as a fun reward in and of itself. Where Trace enjoyed blasting monsters to high hell with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons, Indra instead utilizes an eclectic toolkit giving her some pretty tight movement - [i]double entendre intended[/i] - and hacking abilities in order to evade enemies. Precisely so, the average enemy in Axiom Verge 2 is better evaded than engaged head-on. I feel like this is likely the biggest point of disconnect that other players have with this game as opposed to the first. If gibbing enemies to bits with badass guns was what made Axiom Verge 1 so compelling for you, you likely won’t have a very good time with Axiom Verge 2 and Indra’s far more grounded toolkit. That said, I still found Axiom Verge 2 to be a great game. As previously noted, the average enemy is better evaded than engaged head-on. This is clearly intentional not merely as a gameplay mechanic, but as a means of influencing how the player identifies with Indra and the world she inhabits. Indra isn’t meant to feel like a warrior, or at least I don’t feel like she’s meant to. Arguably she becomes one over the course of the game, but she’s otherwise just an ordinary woman looking for someone she lost. As such, those moments when she narrowly evades death by the skin of her teeth and the savvy of her cunning make it feel all the more real. There are still some metroidvania-esque weapons to find and Indra can become quite powerful by the end of her journey, but not before already having needed to flee from so many combat encounters that it feels a bit moot. Even once I was kitted up, I’d grown so accustom to evading enemies that I simply continued to do so as a matter of course. Axiom Verge 2 trades the wholly alien setting of Axiom Verge 1 for a far more grounded alt-history setting. The breaches – which are quite plentiful in Axiom Verge 2 – remain as alien as in the first, but the overworld setting feels rather familiar. The game even includes several human NPCs to chat with; as such, the environment of Axiom Verge 2 feels markedly less isolating and daunting than that of the first game’s setting. Concerning the story, I’d thought it might be a bit easier to understand than that of the first game given the far more grounded setting, but I thought wrong. The story of Indra and her journey is relatively straightforward; rather, it’s the lore of the world she finds herself in which remains beyond my understanding. There are plenty of journal entries/codices/history logs to find throughout the game which elaborate on little bits and pieces of the world’s lore and give some ideas as to how things went down, but not enough to paint a complete picture of it all. There’s still a lot that I don’t get about the Lamassu, Udug, and the other worlds at odds with each other. After meditating on it, I feel like this is likely intentional storytelling and Tom wanted to leave some things up in the air so as to compel the player’s intrigue in the world itself; as the hypothetical of what [i]could[/i] be may be more compelling than stating things outright. Either that or I’m too stupid to pick up what Tom’s putting down lol. I also encountered a few bugs in my playthrough. Most were minor enough that they don’t bare mention, but one was: occasionally when in the map menu the screen outside the map would glitch and rapidly oscillate between light and dark. I experienced this glitch multiple times over the course of multiple play sessions, although I couldn’t figure out what caused it. I personally didn’t mind it very much and felt like it was only mildly immersion-breaking, but this glitch may be a tangible concern for those with photosensitivity so I feel it’s worth mentioning. I feel like I could write a whole lot more about Axiom Verge 2 but I’m running out of steam at the moment, so I’ll sign off by saying that I overall found Axiom Verge 2 to be a game with gorgeous visuals, intriguing lore, a fantastic soundtrack, tight platforming, and sublime body horror. If you’re open to the idea of playing an atypical metroidvania which foregoes direct combat in favour of evading enemies via a combination of platforming + hacking tools, then I strongly recommend you give Axiom Verge 2 a shot.

If not for those last few items behind foreground walls, then this game would be a 10/10. I know I usually write something funny in my reviews but this game is just really cool. It is so unique within the genre of metroidvania, even having some immersive sim elements. I can't stress enough how excited I am for the next game.

Axiom Verge 2 is ultimately an uneven experience. The game truly shines in its satisfying Metroidvania-style world, which rewards exploration and discovery. Unfortunately, the story feels nonsensical at times and somewhat disconnected from the first game, making it difficult to stay invested. The audio design is also mixed. While the game leans into a retro-inspired sound, some effects can come across as unpleasant. That said, the soundtrack features several genuinely memorable tracks, particularly those in the Breach, the parallel dimension you explore with your drone. Despite its flaws, I still enjoyed the game overall, mainly for its exploration, and would recommend it to the fans of the Metroidvania genre.

Se você gostou do 1, pode comprar esse sem medo: é melhor, mais divertido e com a música menos pior.

A great metroidvania with excellent music, progression, weapons and atmosphere. The combat can get a bit repetitive, and is more melee-focused this time, which is very different from the first game. The exploration with the multi-world system is by far the best part of this game. My only real issue with the first game were the bosses, and they are, unfortunately, even worse in this game. They are not challenging, fun or creative, but that's not the focus of the game.

neat :)

Playing this right after finishing Axiom Verge 1. It is a very different style of game, not without its similarities. First game focuses more on combat while the sequel more on exploration. This game has its charm and well worth playing. Amazing music will keep you immersed in each part of the map.

很好玩和1代相比基本不是一个游戏了，隙界和现实世界的穿梭很有意思，两张地图是重合的，一些表面去不到的地方需要到里世界进去，上手后基本停不下来了！