Axiom Verge 2

« Axiom Verge 2 is amazing. Many have tried to make games that can work as light entertainment and heavy, honest stories about their own lives at the same time. Few have succeeded as well as this one. [Issue #55 – October 2021, p. 19] »

« Axiom Verge is a remarkably tough act to follow, but Thomas Happ has done it again in producing a pitch perfect, excellently paced Metroidvania adventure. Axiom Verge 2 perfectly balances familiar elements that made the original great and trying out new ideas that give the sequel its own identity, and while lovers of the first game may take some time to adjust, everything comes together and makes for a potent experience that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. The mysterious atmosphere, thrilling pace, and fantastic world design all come together to make for a worthy follow up that stands well on its own. Do yourself a favor and pick up Axiom Verge 2 as soon as you can, this is a game that’s absolutely worth your time. »

« Axiom Verge 2 is a fantastic evolution of Axiom Verge 1—it feels like a different game, but with enough gameplay and story connections to remain familiar. My issues with the protagonist and wayfinding pale in comparison to the addictive exploration and beautiful vistas that Axiom Verge 2 revels in, and I can’t wait to speculate wildly about the storyline. »

« Axiom Verge 2 is a must-have for fans of the first, and worth checking out for anyone who enjoys the genre. It expands on many of the winning ideas of its predecessor, offers more accessibility and quality of life improvements, and isn’t afraid to try new things. The vast, explorable world and elaborate sci-fi plot provide plenty of depth, while numerous new features and game design choices cater to the speedrunning experience. Lackluster combat and boss battles keep it from totally surpassing its predecessor, but it’s a fantastic entry in the series and the genre as a whole. »

« A triumphant answer to the question of what Axiom Verge is outside of its influences, and a clinic in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in nonlinear platformers. And though the pacing is less dynamic than the first game, the meditative vibe that it encourages makes it stand out. »

« It's not the same in a large variety of ways, but it doesn't have to be. Axiom Verge 2 manages to cement itself as both a worthy sequel and a standalone title, embodying the love of the metroidvania genre almost without rival. Those keen on a more open, explorative design will find substantial worth here, though the story and combat may not entirely satisfy. While the appreciation I have for the original game still has me favor it ever-so-slightly, applause should be designated to the solo developer that managed to make two splendid experiences that complement each other as much as differentiate. »

« It may not push its combat as hard as the original, but Axiom Verge 2 isn’t afraid of letting you forge your own path. Power-ups are spread out in a way that prevents them from simply feeling like keys needed to unlock the next area, and there are lots of extra goodies and fun secrets along the way. Axiom Verge 2 has a way of getting into your system and enticing you to uncover absolutely every last inch of its world. »

« Axiom Verge 2 delivers a sequel that successfully diverges from the original, and the genre in general, in several ways, giving us a confident look at other directions for Metroidvania games to evolve in. »

« Such a great Metroidvania in it's own way. Sure compared to the first Axiom Verge, which I also enjoy, it is less challenging and the artstyle is not as unique as in the first entry. However the main focus of this game is clearly the exploration. Except the final boss, every boss in the game is optional, but it is still rewarding to defeat them, because you can gain apocalypse flasks, which you need to upgrade your abilities. The leveldesign offers visual variety and a lot of possibilities to navigate through the world map. So exploring the world and searching for new upgrades and text log, where the lore of these world is written, never gets bored or tedious. It was a fun and enjoyable experience from beginning to end. The creator accomplishes, that feeling, that this world as a lot of secrets to offer, especially storywise, if you only dig deep enough. Some flaws however, are lowering the experince a bit. The grappling hook is very clunky to use and it feels worse than in the first Axiom Verge and even there it was immature. The bossfights are easy and getting repetitive very quickly. This is'nt that bad, because they are optional, but it would fit the experience of exploring better, if the bosses itself where more unique. All in all it was a very fun experience and I will definetly replay the game someday. The main reason is, that it has so much to offer on storyside and the gameplay loop by exploring the world is very fun. »

« While the first game is a bit better than this one, it still has some really cool things going on for it. The world seems a lot more open and there are some really neat mechanics and abilities you get that make it more fun to play the further you progress. »

« It's a weaker game than the original, but let's hope they make the 3rd one better. »

« A good metroidvania and a good game. I particularly found very creative the way the gameplay forces you to use the two maps together. It only disappoints when you start comparing it to its predecessor, particularly on the boss fights that I enjoyed more on the old game. And the fact that the new game adds an upgrade system makes it worse: Near the end I had some upgrade points that I was saving to decide on what to use after being defeated the first time by the final boss, but I defeated him in the first attempt. History is great, very creative indeed, although I wished more to see the continuation of the history of the first game protagonist. Maybe if this was the first game and the older one the sequel it would be better, but there is no time machine available to fix that. »

« Loved it. The world design is brilliant and the interplay between the main world and the breach is a real mindbleep. There's lots of fun in the end game trying to figure out how you can get to different places in these two worlds. And the aesthetics are great. There's things going on in the background of this game that I guarantee you haven't seen before. It's excellent. Give it a try. »

« Just finished playing this game, was a big fan of the first and this one doesn´t dissapoints, although inferior in some aspects such as action and overall easier. On the positive side the music again kick ass, and visually is beautiful, specially in the breach area were the game boasts some psychedelic visuals and the music is great electrosynth, the level design is as good or maybe better than the first one, and the story is still engaging and out of the ordinary. Simple, liked the first one? GET THIS, like metroidvanias? GET THIS. »

« "Despite my gripes, Axiom Verge 2 is not a bad game, but rather a disappointingly mediocre one. It starts out well, with the great visuals and epic soundtrack, but as you progress things start to fall apart. From tepid combat, to dull NPCs and enemies, to a sometimes confusing map, the game starts to frustrate in different ways. The beautiful aesthetics of the world and the nifty drone help save the game from mediocrity, but the game could (and should) have been better. You won’t have a bad time playing the game, but there are far better Metroidvanias on the console you could be playing instead." ****/2021/08/18/axiom-verge-2/ »

« Pros: First, the music (though many of the songs sound similar and use the same instruments and vocals) was polished and punchy. Far better than the game itself. Second, the pixel art would have been pretty decent in any other game. Third, the game has welcome accessibility options. Cons: The first Axiom Verge is exceptional. I loved every minute of it, and that's why I can't believe the same developer made this game. I won't repeat what others have said about the weapons, combat, bosses, upgrades, rewards, map, objectives, atmosphere, pacing, length, story, ending, and TYPOS. The game feels untested and unfinished in every way, as if Happ hung up a "Just Go With It" banner during development. The takeaway is this: if you loved it in Axiom Verge, expect it to disappoint you in Axiom Verge 2. Like many others, this was an instant purchase for me after the experience I had playing its predecessor. I still recommend the first game to friends, but I warn them not to make the same mistake I did. I wish I had my money and my time back. »