Platforms: PlayStation 4 (reviewed) and Microsoft Windows
Eight years ago I reviewed a little indie game called Spelunky. At the time I enjoyed it and gave it a five star review, but little did I know in the years following, it would become one of my favorite games ever made. Needless to say, I’m coming into this Spelunky 2 review with a lot of expectations and unavoidable biases, so just keep that in mind as you read through this.
In a time when Rogue inspired games (a game that features procedurally generated levels and permanent death, among other things) are all the rage, a number of them have chosen to go with the “rogue-lite” approach. This means there are systems in place that allow you to carry some bit of progress throughout the game when you die, usually cutting down on the challenge immensely. Spelunky 2, like its predecessor, is much more a Roguelike in its approach as every time you begin the game your character will start from level one, be at the same power level, and when they die, all progress made in that particular run is lost. Where Spelunky 2 greatly differentiates from a traditional Roguelike is in its gameplay. It is not a turn-based dungeon crawler or an RPG. Instead, it basically boils down to a simple platformer. While it may be simple in concept, looks can be deceiving.
When you start a run in Spelunky 2 you’ll be equipped with a whip, four bombs, four ropes, and four hearts that represent your life. Your goal is to make it through a number of procedurally generated floors until you reach the end. As you make your way through each floor you’ll encounter a number of enemies and traps, each more devious and deadly than the last. Each of these deal varying amounts of damage and in some cases can instantly kill you. There are also items that you can either find or buy that will help you delve deeper and these range from more bombs and ropes to weapons and gear. Outside of skill, these items will be the biggest factor in determining how successful each run will be, so there’s a bit of luck at play here. There are a ton of items available and enemies to encounter and discovering them all for yourself is part of the fun of a Spelunky game.
One of the biggest differences returning players will notice is Spelunky 2’s new art style. This new look helps introduce a variety of new enemies, traps, characters, and more while also giving new life to returning ones. Where I found this new style truly shined was in the variety of unique biomes the game has to offer. Each of these biomes is beautifully and masterfully created, with their own aesthetic, enemies, music, and secrets. It’s also worth noting that while it is probably a secondary aspect for most players (myself included), this time around there is also a deeper story and tons of lore to find if you’re willing to look for it. Spelunky 2 is the kind of game that is hard to discuss too in-depth because discovery is a big part of its appeal, so just know that the enemies are deadly, the environments are beautiful, and the story is worth unraveling.
From a gameplay perspective, the core platforming mechanics are just as tight and responsive as the first game and make the actual level traversing a joy. It’s kind of an amazing feat that Spelunky 2 feels so familiar in gameplay to the original that veterans will feel right at home, but is also different enough that even seasoned pros will likely struggle in the beginning trying to figure out new optimal strategies.
Where I feel like Spelunky 2 starts to miss the mark is in just how cluttered the levels feel when compared to the first game. There seem to be far more traps and enemies sprinkled around just for the sake of them being there, creating a more artificial sense of difficulty. The first game is known for its brutal difficulty and the sequel appears to have ramped that up quite a bit. This alone isn’t a problem, but the way it’s accomplished feels cheap. The spamming of threats, tougher new enemy types, and the addition of things like being able to be poisoned and cursed make Spelunky 2 feel like it’s walking the line of being unfair at times.
I also ran into way more situations where bombs, ropes, or special equipment was needed to get safely through areas. The first game did a good job making sure those situations didn’t happen frequently as long as you explored carefully, but in Spelunky 2 many times they feel unavoidable. It just feels like levels aren’t given enough room to breathe as compared to the original Spelunky and overall felt like a step back in level design.
I also felt a similar cluttered feeling when it came to the secrets of Spelunky 2. The first game had its fair share of secrets, but they all felt organic. Whereas this time around, it feels like a lot of them made their way into the game just because people were expecting new ones. This isn’t inherently bad and is sure to be a controversial opinion as that sense of discovering new things (and there are tons to discover) is pretty much what Spelunky is about. What I’ve seen so far just comes off as a bit overwhelming and somewhat forced. I will say that it does give you more options as to how you’ll tackle each run, but sometimes, if I can be cliché here, less is more.
Spelunky 2 also offers a few other options outside of the main adventure mode. You’ll be able to do daily challenge runs, seeded runs, as well as cooperative and versus multiplayer. The daily challenge works just as it did in the first game, as you’ll get one shot at collecting as much money as possible in a predetermined seed in hopes of making your mark on the leaderboard. As far as the seeded runs and multiplayer goes, I wasn’t able to test those for this review.
I’m continuing to have a lot of fun with Spelunky 2 and it’s without question a great game and a solid follow up to Spelunky, but it doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by its predecessor. Stunning art and tight, responsive platforming are slightly held back by some questionable level design and an overall feeling of bloat. If you’ve played the first game, jumping into Spelunky 2 is a no brainer, but if you’re new to the series, I’d still recommend Spelunky over this sequel.
