![]() When I finally did open up the short cut – allowing me quick access to two new levels – I was elated. I couldn’t help but to keep coming back for more. Just be careful not to inadvertently damage the goods via an ill-placed bomb, as – and trust me on this – the shopkeeper will not be pleased.īy this time,I had become a glutton for punishment. Shops can be found mid-level, and offer an array of items for the player to spend their hard-earned treasure on. And they’re not just for riding either – I figured out, accidentally, that bombs turn turkeys into extra health. There are lots of animals in the game, which can be ridden once tamed. Slowly but surely though, I began to learn how to play Spelunky 2. What followed was a brief period of ‘gamer rage’ – I began to rush things, which of course only led to silly mistakes and more ridiculous deaths. This was to be short-lived, as I discovered I would need to repeat this feat several more times in order to unlock a permanent short cut for future runs. Then, when I finally completed the very first level for the very first time, a real sense of achievement followed. ![]() Then came denial: the game was beyond me. The level design is colourful, and the controls are as tight as they need to be in a game where precision is required to avoid certain death. First, there was the excitement of getting to grips with the newness of it – of learning the ropes.The presentation is immaculate. My experience with Spelunky 2 went something like this. Building on the gameplay and character of the original in the single player adventure mode, Spelunky 2 also brings along daily challenges, competitive multiplayer and co-op play. I wouldn’t change a thing – though some of my former turkey friends may have different feedback.The highly anticipated sequel to a beloved roguelike, Spelunky 2 delivers players to the moon in search of new treasures, traps and family friends. With its dastardly remixes of existing themes and a bunch of brilliant new additions, this will certainly replace Spelunky HD as the definitive cave-diving Derek Yu roguelike. But that spell hasn’t worn off after 10 years. Perhaps it’s a little safe in the way it goes about things, anxious not to lose that Spelunky magic by disrupting the familiar flow. It’s already replaced the original Spelunky in my mind’s eye. It’s also beautiful, so much more rich and vibrant than before. The bits that didn’t need fixing are left untouched. Exploring these possibilities is the new game. New gadgets! Sub-levels full of treasure and shortcuts! Liquids that flow properly if you create a hole in the ground beneath them! Every new thing is useful, perilous, versatile. Spelunky 2 has lots in common with its predecessor, but it’s elevated by loads of new stuff. Volcana introduces fiery friends to meet. It’s a harder game overall than Spelunky was, I’d say, perhaps to push players towards the new online co-op multiplayer, which is delightful and entropic. The older stuff is harder, densely packed with challenging arrangements of traps and enemies, while the new settings are gentler, albeit still thumpingly difficult. ![]() The choice is usually between remixed versions of old environments, and new locations. Spelunky 2 also lets you choose your path after a few levels. That trick helps me navigate Volcana, which in turn helps me reach later levels with more health, bombs and climbing ropes to spare. What was once a hazardous pitfall is now a solved problem. But I realised that if I cling to the edge of one platform, I can jump straight to the edge of the next one in an easily repeatable leap. They are tricky to jump between, especially when there are enemies nearby. Stand on them and they drop into the fire. In the fire-and-brimstone Volcana levels, you often encounter two stone platforms, hovering above a pool of lava. Sometimes the most precious discoveries are useful things you can fold into your runs. Judging by the empty pages left in my in-game journal, Spelunky 2 has plenty of these as well. ![]() Its best secrets are fortuitous or surprising interactions between enemies, traps, items and players: for instance, if you can ride the turkey, then why shouldn’t your enemies? The first Spelunky had oodles of secrets, such as entire sets of hidden levels that many players never saw. That’s not all you can do with the turkey, though, and the fowl’s versatility is a clue to Spelunky 2’s brilliance.
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