An unmissable rhythm-based RPG with the wackiness dialed as much as 11.
The unique Everhood, launched in 2021, was some of the unforgettable titles of that yr, primarily for its excellent soundtrack, distinctive gameplay, and bountiful surprises. Undoubtedly, any follow-up to it will have gigantic footwear to fill, and by some means Everhood 2 not solely matches its predecessor; it exceeds it in each manner. An Undertale-like journey with musical fight that by no means misses a beat, Everhood 2 enters must-play territory a number of hours in, and it solely will get higher from there.
The opening presents a sequence of quiz questions meant to form your expertise with the sport, and it’s not the primary time that Everhood 2 will try to talk on to the participant. In some ways, the satire shines via and also you’re as more likely to end up laughing on the recreation’s slapstick humor as you’re the name backs to video video games and platforms of the previous. You play as a nondescript human whose soul colour is linked to the aforementioned quiz, and when you’re sometimes joined by random occasion members, it’s virtually all the time you towards the world. Making an attempt to explain the world by which you end up can be a tall process, however anybody who’s performed the primary recreation or remembers Earthbound’s Moonside may have a good suggestion of what to anticipate. The hub areas of Everhood 2 and the steering of a purple raven make the general journey a bit smoother this time round.
A easy however main change to the fight is what pushes the unique’s superior battles into the realm of perfection. Positioned on the backside of 5 columns, your character needed to evade completely different motes and beams of sunshine so as to survive till the top of the tune, or ultimately mirror a few of these within the route of your foe; in Everhood 2, nonetheless, you get to battle again from the very starting, and it’s enjoyable as all heck. By absorbing teams of the identical coloured lights, you’ll be able to launch a projectile again at your foe, with a extra {powerful} strike the extra lights you soak up. Every battle includes continuously having to resolve between whittling down their life meter with a cascade of smaller assaults or risking all of it on a mega absorption combo to deal an enormous quantity of harm. No written clarification can absolutely seize the satisfaction of touchdown a charged blast after pulling in 30 lights in a row, or the frustration of lacking a bounce or dodge that might protect such a combo. In enjoying Everhood 2 for evaluate, I’m unsure what was greater: the 1000’s of factors of harm I rained on my opponents, or the variety of swear phrases shouted out within the course of.
Everhood 2 leans far more closely into its RPG trappings, with a devoted expertise meter, treasure chests stuffed with EXP that can assist you degree up, and energy gems to accumulate as a way to strengthen your weapons. The higher you might be on the fight, the much less time you may have to spend exploring completely or grinding for degree ups, however in reaching what I imagine to be the sport’s full or true ending, I by no means discovered myself having to grind. There are additionally 4 problem ranges to select from to tailor the sport additional to particular person preferences.
The ridiculous, zany solid are one other unforgettable component of Everhood 2, starting from Carl Jung and Rasputin to a large watermelon, a horde of tomatoes, or an omnipotent dragon. Acquainted faces and locations from the unique Everhood additionally make an look, making a compelling continuity between the 2 video games. Puzzles that will appear complicated at first are sometimes easier than they seem and usually performed for laughs, and their inclusion provides a nice selection to the largely linear areas that you simply discover. A few of the environments embrace a Misplaced Woods-inspired forest, the within of a online game system, a vegetable kingdom, and plenty of others, and at no level did I really feel like I needed my time with Everhood 2 to finish. The quantity of leisure to be derived from its charming areas and charming battles is nigh countless.
The extra I really feel that phrases lack the ability to clarify the enjoyment of a recreation, the nearer that recreation is likely to be to utter greatness. There are stones left unturned on the planet of Everhood 2 that I go to sleep enthusiastic about, just like the random codes and keys for use in a mysterious lodge elevator that may take me to encounters unknown, or a colosseum the place you’ll be able to replay any battle from the sport to attain a better harm whole and put your title on the net leaderboard. In later segments of the story, you even get to play as a few of your pals in a tower defense-style mini-game. I’d be doing a disservice by sharing something additional concerning the unimaginable moments round each flip; in a phrase, they’re magnificent.
Everhood 2 upgrades each component of the primary recreation and even streamlines the expertise to create a extra effectively crafted, charming, and pulse-pounding journey. The enjoyment of the battle system is underscored by its simplicity and the best way every encounter feels contemporary, with the main boss fights crafting some really legendary moments. There’s a little bit of repetition constructed into seeing each single factor underneath the hood, however repetition is not any actual subject when it’s so darn groovy. Whereas I could have utterly forgotten that this sequel was introduced in 2023, I’ll make no such mistake if developer International Gnomes deigns to go for a three-peat. It’s undoubtedly an exquisite day on this neighborhood.
