For example, there are now physics for fluids, including water and lava, so if you place a sticky bomb in the correct spot next to a lava pit, you can start a deadly tidal wave - a lesson I learned the hard way when trying to get a gem. There are plenty of new features that drastically change how the game plays. It has basically all of the content of the original game in a remixed form, only with some new features. Spelunky 2 is meant to feel familiar, so don't expect any drastic changes to the formula. Hidden treasures and shopkeepers are plentiful, so you can gain goodies like a compass to find the exit or a shotgun and jetpack to blow past enemies.Ī lot of this probably sounds familiar, and that's because Spelunky 2 exists in the odd area between an expansion pack and a brand-new game. Every stage has an adorable animal that you can rescue for an extra hit point. Part of your goal is finding ways to mitigate the chance of failure.

Some deaths feel almost inevitable, but by and large, you'll feel like your failures are your own and not due to a game flaw. Then you start again and … well, it goes like that.Īs in the original game, if you die in Spelunky 2, it's almost certainly because you made a mistake by rushing too far ahead, taking a risk you shouldn't have, attacking an enemy you could have avoided, not looking where you were bombing, or accidentally getting lava on your own head. You start again, avoid the trap and the spider - only to accidentally awaken a ghost when you steal its treasure, and the ghost eats you. You get five steps in and get hit by a hidden arrow trap, which sends you flying into a spider that eats you. If you've never played Spelunky, you take the role of a spelunker who ventures into a randomly generated dungeon, armed only with a whip, some bombs and some rope. Given how insanely addictive the original title was, that's high praise indeed.

While it's going to take many, many, many hours of play to fully grasp everything, Spelunky 2 feels like an expanded and evolved version of the original game. Spelunky 2 is very much a game that abides by the rule of, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' It plays almost identically to the first game in every significant way, so if you've played the first game, you should have no issue hopping into the sequel. Now it's up to Ana (and an ever-growing collection of friends) to rescue them and discover the truth about the Olmec statue on the moon. The two heroes set out to learn the reason for this, only to end up missing. However, rumors abound that the giant stone Olmec had been discovered again, despite clearly dissolving into lava at the end of the first game. The protagonists of the first game have settled down, had a child named Ana, and are doing well. In theory, Spelunky 2 is a sequel to the original game. It's bigger, better, and breathes new life into the classic game. Even a fantastic game can wear thin on options after a decade, and that is where Spelunky 2 comes in. It's a simple game that is endlessly addictive and challenging. It was followed a few years later by an HD console version, and if you're like me, you've probably been playing Spelunky on and off ever since. Originally released in 2008, it quickly captured attention as one of the first 'big' indie titles. Spelunky is a long-lasting game that came close to perfection, so it didn't need much updating.

Spelunky 2 review