I've played Spelunky 2 for a bit more than 4 hours since it released. So far I've gotten to 6-3. In one proper run I've managed to get to 5-something. I don't yet have enough playtime to review...
I've played Spelunky 2 for a bit more than 4 hours since it released. So far I've gotten to 6-3. In one proper run I've managed to get to 5-something.
I don't yet have enough playtime to review it. I've enjoyed it a lot so far. Couple of comments (I've tried HD, but went back to Classic):
Visuals: I think this is a strict negative. I don't appreciate how a number of traps blend into the background, and the background is honestly kind of distracting. Additionally, the sprites 'pause' like, when a mantrap stops moving it goes completely still.
Sound: I play with sound off - honestly no clue. I really liked Classic's limited soundtrack though. Apparently this is dynamically generated and more ambient.
Flow: This is interesting. Classic felt really good to me. You could practically jump on creatures from underneath them, which made comboing off of them really fun, a bit like N++. I think the interactions have progressively gotten blockier. As in, your momentum switches a lot, it's different. I'm fine with it.
Difficulty: I found this easier than HD personally, it mostly has to do with how similar the control schemes are. Most of the HD creatures were just different enough from Classic that I got a bit of whiplash when trying to play it. I tend to run through levels, which helps here. You can tell that 2 is trying to force you to go fast, given increased creature health. I will note that there are more make-a-mistake-and-you-die situations due to stunlock.
Level design: I dislike the lack of linear flow, but that's me.
Level generation: This is better and more advanced. There's a lot of room for clever use of enemies against each other, and the level design is tighter, which probably comes from having a more advanced system to reason about the existence of a path.
Enemies: Hit and miss for me. I want every enemy to be a potential tool. Mosquitoes are cool. Lizards less so - due to them barrelling toward you, there's very rarely any potential for taking out more enemies with their roll of death, unless there's a pit beneath you. I wish bats were easier to jump on. I currently still have to pause whenever I encounter one. Some of the later enemies are also very cool. This feels much more experimental than the previous Spelunkies.
Mounts: This is different. Mounts are OP. Ride on one, and it will take most damage that would have killed you.
Sidequests: ignored. Robbing shopkeepers is riskier now, though I find you don't have to worry about them at the end of the level, since their usually dead. I tried hired hands, and apart from yeeting, those mostly junk. I have yet to determine why quests are interesting or fun.
New materials: bones, lava, and more! Really nice I like reactive level design. The fluids are less relevant. Lava is sometimes fun to platform through when it drips, though blowing up the reservoirs to make this happen is almost always a negative. I see no real use case for water yet.
So far, I think 2 and Classic tie on the tightness of the game loop, but Classics is tighter thematically and mechanically.
Edit: Apparently there are (risky) uses for lizards... like I said, it will be a while before I have all my thoughts put together.
Edit Edit: You can take out shopkeepers with a turkey. Whipping gets you shot before the whip starts. pecking stuns him for a bit, giving you time to take everything and run.
I've played Spelunky 2 for a bit more than 4 hours since it released. So far I've gotten to 6-3. In one proper run I've managed to get to 5-something.
I don't yet have enough playtime to review it. I've enjoyed it a lot so far. Couple of comments (I've tried HD, but went back to Classic):
Visuals: I think this is a strict negative. I don't appreciate how a number of traps blend into the background, and the background is honestly kind of distracting. Additionally, the sprites 'pause' like, when a mantrap stops moving it goes completely still.
Sound: I play with sound off - honestly no clue. I really liked Classic's limited soundtrack though. Apparently this is dynamically generated and more ambient.
Flow: This is interesting. Classic felt really good to me. You could practically jump on creatures from underneath them, which made comboing off of them really fun, a bit like N++. I think the interactions have progressively gotten blockier. As in, your momentum switches a lot, it's different. I'm fine with it.
Difficulty: I found this easier than HD personally, it mostly has to do with how similar the control schemes are. Most of the HD creatures were just different enough from Classic that I got a bit of whiplash when trying to play it. I tend to run through levels, which helps here. You can tell that 2 is trying to force you to go fast, given increased creature health. I will note that there are more make-a-mistake-and-you-die situations due to stunlock.
Level design: I dislike the lack of linear flow, but that's me.
Level generation: This is better and more advanced. There's a lot of room for clever use of enemies against each other, and the level design is tighter, which probably comes from having a more advanced system to reason about the existence of a path.
Enemies: Hit and miss for me. I want every enemy to be a potential tool. Mosquitoes are cool. Lizards less so - due to them barrelling toward you, there's very rarely any potential for taking out more enemies with their roll of death, unless there's a pit beneath you. I wish bats were easier to jump on. I currently still have to pause whenever I encounter one. Some of the later enemies are also very cool. This feels much more experimental than the previous Spelunkies.
Mounts: This is different. Mounts are OP. Ride on one, and it will take most damage that would have killed you.
Sidequests: ignored. Robbing shopkeepers is riskier now, though I find you don't have to worry about them at the end of the level, since their usually dead. I tried hired hands, and apart from yeeting, those mostly junk. I have yet to determine why quests are interesting or fun.
New materials: bones, lava, and more! Really nice I like reactive level design. The fluids are less relevant. Lava is sometimes fun to platform through when it drips, though blowing up the reservoirs to make this happen is almost always a negative. I see no real use case for water yet.
So far, I think 2 and Classic tie on the tightness of the game loop, but Classics is tighter thematically and mechanically.
Edit: Apparently there are (risky) uses for lizards... like I said, it will be a while before I have all my thoughts put together.
Edit Edit: You can take out shopkeepers with a turkey. Whipping gets you shot before the whip starts. pecking stuns him for a bit, giving you time to take everything and run.