![]() Mastering Spelunky 2 is a little like penning the Great American Novel you might have the vocabulary, but that doesn't mean you can put the words together well. However, that doesn't mean you won't still die a lot. I often thought deeply about where to go, but that was the hardest part. But if you take the time to analyze the screen before choosing your next move, getting there is usually easy. Spelunky 2's ever-present sense of danger encourages you to make careful, calculated decisions. The game's many traps, unpredictable procedurally generated world, and punishing fall damage mean that the longer you spend airborne, the less likely you are to make it back to the ground in one piece. Your jump won't take you very high, and your puny whip necessitates getting close to enemies. It doesn't feel as buoyant as some of its genre contemporaries. But once you have the hang of things, Spelunky 2 offers near-perfect platforming. Some things take some getting used to, sure. The highest praise I can heap on Spelunky 2 is that, in a game where you need to land jumps on tiny spits of land, leap above spike pits, and skirt pools of lava, I never felt like my death was the game's fault. Developer Mossmouth has added some quality-of-life tweaks-you now run by default and need to hold a button to slow down, instead of the other way around-but mostly, the team didn't mess with a good thing. It's slightly crisper and clearer this time around, but it's a tribute to the timelessness of Spelunky's art style that Spelunky 2 isn't more of a noticeable step up. All of this is rendered in the same expressive cartoon style as its predecessor. After the first biome, you're presented with a choice-jungle or robot volcano?-and with either comes a whole host of new rules to learn. Each level-which, per Spelunky tradition, is remixed each time you play via procedural generation-houses new enemies and new environmental hazards to learn to navigate. ![]() There are robots that turn into bombs when you stomp a button on their heads mechanical ladybugs that spray fire from their outstretched wings relentless cavemen with boomerangs. And it's all set against a clay brown backdrop which suggests the interior of a surprisingly well-lit cavern.īut from there, the game quickly bushwacks its way into unfamiliar territory. And the creatures you encounter, like bats, snakes, and spiders, will be familiar, too. ![]() You have a whip, you have some bombs, and you have a rappelling rope you can toss into the ceiling to climb to otherwise inaccessible heights. As you head into the mines, Spelunky 2 resembles the opening level of the first game-at least at first. You've arrived on the moon in search of your parents, who have disappeared while exploring its very un-moon-like caverns. This time around, you are Ana, the daughter of the first game's cave-faring protagonist. That is, unless you spawn near a bat, which will swoop down at you-hope you're quick with your whip. You really shouldn't even move from your initial spawn point without pausing for a moment to pore over every treacherous inch of the screen. Some spiders hang from the cavern ceilings, hoping you pass by unaware. Some pottery hides snakes and tarantulas. Some vases summon a relentless ghost when smashed. Some tiles are booby-trapped to shoot arrows as you leap through their line of sight. As you learn (or relearn) how to survive, success requires a willingness to think three moves ahead. Like its acclaimed predecessor, Spelunky 2 is the rare platformer that demands to be played as much like a tactics game as it does like a Mario game. There are always risk-reward choices to make, and death is nearly instantaneous if you choose poorly. This is the mode that Spelunky 2 constantly operates in. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
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