Spelunky 2 Reviews

Spelunky 2 is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Essential
Sep 14, 2020

A legendary game gets a legendary sequel.

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10 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2020

Spelunky 2 is a masterpiece of procedurally generated platforming that stays true to the legendarily challenging original while also holding surprises around every corner.

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87 / 100
Sep 28, 2020

Spelunky 2 doesn't advance the original's formula, but there's more stuff to sink your teeth into.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
9 / 10
Sep 18, 2020

An excellent sequel to one of indie gaming's most enduring stars, that changes just enough to keep things interesting without losing the magic of the original.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2020

No matter how many times I yelled in frustration, I couldn't wait to jump right back into the ever-shifting caves

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Polygon
Top Critic
Unscored
Sep 14, 2020

This isn’t a sequel. It’s yet another chance to play Spelunky with fresh eyes; everything is just a little different, another stroke that proves perfection is imperfect. Even the best can get better.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 18, 2020

Spelunky 2 is a successful evolution of what made the original Spelunky work.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Sep 14, 2020

Spelunky 2 is an outstanding sequel. Derek Yu, BlitWorks, and the rest of the team behind it have assembled a game that adds to what made Spelunky great without trending toward bloat or changing too much of the essentials. In some minor ways, the level randomization and art style don't feel quite up-to-par, but the overall package is polished, compelling, and brimming with secrets. As ever, players will die over and over in pursuit of a successful run or even just an ounce of progress, which is the way it's meant to be. I'm excited to see what others uncover as they pick themselves up again and again to venture deeper into Spelunky 2's depths.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2020

Spelunky 2 is more Spelunky. It doesn't wildly reinvent the formula, and even brings back a lot of the same hazards and enemies that tormented you the first time around. But it innovates ever so slightly in so many ways to help give this sequel its own life. Either way, it sucked me back in.

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87 / 100
Sep 21, 2020

Quotation forthcoming.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10
Sep 14, 2020

Spelunky 2 is a treasure in every way, one you'll be glad you've discovered.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2020

Spelunky 2 is an absolute gem. A game that preserves all the virtues of the original title, and which adds small tweaks to create an even more rounded experience. We can rarely play games that are so complicated and, at the same time, so fair to the player (or not). The point is that you will always want one more game. And when you play it, you'll be a little bit better. Just a little. Too bad that sometimes it seems more like an expansion than a sequel.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Sep 19, 2020

Like last time, your craziest failures in Spelunky 2 play out like lessons. Unlike last time, the number of crisscrossing variables has skyrocketed, so there's a lot more to learn and, hence, a lot more fun to have while dying in the name of treasure-hunting success.

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9.2 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2020

A beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Spelunky 2 is all a sequel should be: polished, refined, bigger. A game of learning, a game of death, a game of emergent beautiful gameplay. Every second in this game is pure art: it will frustrate you, but in a positive way in which you will shout at the TV and then smile and retry. Just to die again, until you'll learn enough.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Sep 14, 2020

Spelunky 2 enhances and expands on what worked in the first game without "fixing" anything that wasn't broken. In that way it's the perfect sequel for fans who have been playing this game for over a decade. Newcomers might be scared away by the difficulty and seemingly impenetrable secrets, but the effort to get through this is well rewarded.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2020

Spelunky 2 improves upon the original in every conceivable way, and if you can tolerate the difficulty is an absolute must-play.

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Unscored
Sep 29, 2020

Spelunky 2 makes Spelunky new again: a fancier strap, more cogs, a cuckoo popping out from a hidden compartment on the hour. The correct time, as delightful as the first time I learned to tell it.

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75 / 100
Sep 14, 2020

While Spelunky 2 doesn't offer the refined mechanics and enemies of the original, it does add to the chaos and fun of multiplayer. While playing alone is mostly an exercise in frustrating, unfair deaths, with friends it's a barrel of laughs.

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Oct 14, 2020

As a result, Spelunky 2 isn't attempting to convert any who weren't fans of the first game. The game has a very specific approach and will not be for everyone, but those who adored the first game are guaranteed to feel the same about its sequel. At a time when gamers are less inclined to take risks with their purchases, Spelunky 2 offers the comfort of the familiar.

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Sep 14, 2020

Derek Yu's influential cave-delving game is updated for PS4 and PC and expands the magic – with turkeys

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