Axiom Verge 2 - Easy Allies Review

Axiom Verge 2 introduces a broad organic world that gives you freedom to chart your own course and incentive to make searching every bit of it feel worthwhile.

Written by Daniel Bloodworth
Video Edited by Don Casanova
Reviewed on Switch
Available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch

#EasyAllies #AxiomVerge2 #Review

[dropkickpikachu]

Really love this but yeah between the first game and this one, I am beginning to suspect Happ needs to turn up his studio monitors or something. The sounds are deafening and completely overpower the mix. I had to basically put sound effects at 1/2 volume and turn my TV way down to get this to match the audio of every other Switch game. Still: easy recommendations for Metroid fans. Wonderful stuff.

[cloudbloom]

One of my favorite things about the first game was the music it was awesome

[MrFacepunch]

Love a Bloodworth review! Always a treat.

[omensoffate]

Considering his personal life issues. Happ is an awesome designer when it comes to this genre. Bravo

[Ayoul]

From the video, it seems like the background often blends with the foreground especially during the waterfall area and there's a couple points in the video where it seems like the player wasn't sure if something was interactable or not. Is that ever an issue in practice or just coincidentally happens a few times in this edit?

Oh, I was waiting for this one. Great job Blood.

[HueyTheDoctor]

This is like the perfect example of what a review should be. Great stuff. And what an awesome game too.

[Jousoful]

Lol, that little pause at the "Jones Station" sign at 1:59 must be intentional

[IonSquared]

Great review for a great game. I would give it the same score. It's not quite the masterpiece the original was, but it's neat that Happ tried something new and it's filled with great ideas. Some of the upgrades you get towards the end are brilliant in recontextualizing the way you think about navigating between the Breach and the Overworld.

Oh, I'll also add a quick note: I too found the sound effects grating, but fortunately, you can lower them independently of the music. :) Feels like that should be mentioned. I had to turn them way low because the charging sound effect is so awful. Hope that gets patched so I can turn them up just a tiny bit...but not much, because the music is too damn good.

[EverettNewell]

I love this game. I loved the first one, and this is everything I could have hope it would be. I know it's different and maybe a little less of a sugar high compared to the first one... but this is more, different and truly inspired.

[Not_Likely_]

I’ve only gotten an hour or two in on this game but I’m loving it! Thanks for the review Blood!

[MrFinsch]

Great review! I was looking forward to that game.

[okoyehenry]

I've been playing it and having a blast thus far

[Pewpewpew]

I’ve had the first one for years and haven’t touched it…. Need to do that now. This looks good.

[CompleteProducer]

I respect Thomas’ decision to make something fresh, but in this case I would have been incredibly happy with more of the same. Since Axiom Verge came out 6 years ago, and it wasn’t a terribly long game that left me craving more, I wish 2 would have followed more in the footsteps of the first. I just can’t seem to get into 2. And this is coming from someone who is a massive fan of exploration

[ZappBranniglenn]

Oh yeah, first order of business when booting up the game should be to turn down those sound effects in the options.

I'm still making my way through the game. In fact I've only been playing it for a day, but was surprised to see my playtime was nearly six hours. I had been spending the last few of those exploring the map with some very useful movement and QOL related abilities, hoping that I would stumble on the way forward. I looked it up and it turns out I missed the way forward because I didn't use a particular new ability right in the room where I got it. Which I think is understandable since that ability's purpose isn't meant for interacting with things in the immediate vicinity, but to travel to a totally different part of the map.

[joaogrrr]

This feels like the original and the original feels like the sequel. It's a regression in every sense of the word.

[BlondeMcGuinn]

I honestly believe this game would’ve been better received if it didn’t have Axiom Verge in the title.

[alexander_mcgrem]

Wow is there really no volume slider for the sfx?

[rulewtf]

I prefer Metroidvanias with guns, disappointed this game went with melee focused gameplay. Axiom Verge 1 was the closest thing to Metroid games, that replicated what made Metroid so great. Plus a soundtrack that was catchy both in & outside the game. Prefer the art style from 1 as well. I'm sure this game is great on its own merits. It had big shoes to fill, after the success of the first game. Still plan to play this one though, as a fan of the genre.