Spelunky 2 Reviews
Spelunky 2 is a divisive game. A masterpiece for those who swear by the reward at the end of their suffering, it will be painful and boring for those who want a fulfilling and contemporary experience. Even more difficult than the first game, it is undoubtedly frustrating because of its lack of pedagogy and progressiveness. Even for a game that wants to be difficult, the shock will be rough from the begining.
Review in French | Read full review
Spelunky 2 is the definition of an addictive game with its high degree of difficulty, charming world, and sense of randomness. However, addictive doesn't necessarily mean fun and unfortunately, I stopped enjoying it after a few hours even though I kept playing anyway.
If you liked Spelunky, welcome to Spelunky 2: “Spelunking With Friends”. The game feels the same, plays the same, and is basically the same. Save for a handful of quality of life changes that, for the avid Spelunky fan, may be great, especially if you’re interested in tackling these dungeons with friends.
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.
Simplicity and challenges are key components of the game, and they're executed almost perfectly here in an accessible and skillful way. Spelunky 2 certainly won't be for everyone, but for those who stick with it to see what it has to offer, the payoff is worth the investment.
Maybe Spelunky 2 is not setting the highest bar ever, but it's still a challenging, variative and jolly roguelike ride.
Review in Russian | Read full review
If you loved the original, you're going to love Spelunky 2, and find it equal to its predecessor in all ways except one- where the original was a trail blazer, the new game seems content to, much like it asks of its players, simply plumb into familiar depths.
Ultimately, Spelunky 2 is a game for platforming fanatics. It reminded me of my time with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which was another frustrating, but fine-tuned game that I kept playing almost to spite the game. It’s a game that can feel stagnant, random, and insurmountable, only to break once you sink your teeth into it and find a real opening. Those moments are truly cathartic, and there is always more to do and see. You’ll die a lot, but if you keep climbing up from Spelunky 2’s depths of despair, you’ll be platforming forever.
Spelunky 2 remains staunchly committed to its immaculate core design.
Spelunky 2 rests on the laurels of its predecessor, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It still retains all of the gameplay mechanics and level design that made the original such a satisfying experience. But as a sequel, Spelunky 2 feels a little too scared to expand its horizons. For a game that's all about taking risks, Spelunky 2 is surprisingly risk-averse.
Spelunky 2 is likely to delight those who revere its predecessor. As for newcomers, a whole new world of curiosity, frustration, rage quitting, perseverance and reward awaits. This is a game that may be a challenge to get into for some, but sooner rather than later determination to succeed will likely evolve into devotion. This will be a game that will always encourage players to come back for more.
Spelunky 2 betters its predecessor in just about every area. Push through its tough outer shell and you'll discover a fantastic platformer well worth your time. More stuffed with secrets than ever and fleshing out the formula with all kinds of new additions, this is a rich and addictive roguelike with so much to unearth.
Derek Yu's influential cave-delving game is updated for PS4 and PC and expands the magic – with turkeys
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.
Spelunky 2 is a successful evolution of what made the original Spelunky work.
While Spelunky 2 is not quite the landmark the original game was, it carries with it the same spirit of exploration and challenge. Part of me wishes it was maybe a little more lenient, especially in the first area, but that's also not necessarily what Spelunky is all about. This is an immaculately designed game dripping with secrets and traps. It might not be for the faint of heart, but at least now with the glory of online co-op, the faint of heart can be dragged kicking and screaming to the City of Gold.
Quotation forthcoming.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Spelunky 2 doesn't advance the original's formula, but there's more stuff to sink your teeth into.
It’s always a bit tricky to release both an original game and its sequel at the same time, but in the case of Spelunky 2 and its OG brutally-tough roguelike predecessor it works out reasonably well and either (or, even better, both) are worthy of a shot if you’re down for a challenge...
Harder & bigger
Review in Spanish | Read full review