Axiom Verge 2

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 is a daring sequel that shares very few similarities with its predecessor, but it's held back by one-dimensional combat.

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

But Axiom Verge 2 doesn't let you forget that there's more to Metroid than backtracking. One of the most enduring things about that series is how isolating it can feel. And that's where Axiom Verge 2 finds its most powerful moments. After acquiring the aforementioned drone, I learned there's a second world I can explore called the Breach. It's uninhabitable by humans, but my little robot friend had no issue exploring it. At one point, though, I got stuck in the Breach, cut off from most of my bodily upgrades and vulnerable as a result.

Clever level design and consummate world-building are great fun, even if the pacing and exploration sometimes lead to frustration

It saves its best tricks until last, but Axiom Verge 2 is another enthralling Metroidvania from solo dev Thomas Happ, and its clever dimension puzzles are a retro-infused feast for the senses.

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.

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.

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.