Spelunky 2

Spelunky 2 is a 2020 platform video game developed by Mossmouth and BlitWorks. It is the sequel to Spelunky (2008) and was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 in September 2020, with a Nintendo Switch release announced for mid-2021. The game received critical acclaim upon release.

Spelunky 2
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Mossmouth
Director(s)Derek Yu
Composer(s)Eirik Suhrke
Platform(s)
Release
  • PlayStation 4
  • September 15, 2020
  • Windows
  • September 29, 2020
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Mid-2021
Genre(s)Platform, roguelike
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Like its predecessor, Spelunky 2 is a 2D platform game. In the game, the player assumes control of Ana, the daughter of the explorer from the first game, who visits the moon in order to find her missing parents.[1] In the game, Ana must navigate deadly caves filled with hostile enemies and traps to collect treasures. When Ana dies, she will have to start from the beginning of the level and lose most of her items, and the level is rearranged through procedural generation to present new challenges and paths. Each stage also features several layers which can be explored by the player.[2] New areas, such as the lava-themed Volcana, are introduced. The game features a new liquid physics system, in which fluid will flow naturally throughout a level. In addition, the game introduces new monsters, traps, and ridable mounts.[3] The game also supports four-player online multiplayer, with the introduction of both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes.[4][5]

Development

Derek Yu, the creator of the first game, returned to develop the sequel. According to Yu, as he reflected on the development of the first game when he was writing a book about it for Boss Fight Books, he began to have more and more ideas for the sequel. He partnered with BlitWorks, the developer of the PlayStation ports of the first game, for the game's programming. Yu needed to outsource the game's development to BlitWorks because of the sequel's larger scope. Yu intentionally ensured that the game would not be radically different from the first Spelunky as he felt that sequels should be "extensions of the previous games", and that fans of the first game would feel like they are playing a "continuation". New features were added to the game, while the original gameplay loop was refined and remixed.[6] Yu strived to create a game world that feels like a "living, breathing place" in order to keep new players engaged. To achieve this, he added a lot of lore and backstory for the world and the characters. The story, which focuses on the themes of family and kinship, is mostly delivered through journal articles in the game's world and the Base Camp where Ana can interact with the characters she has encountered during her adventure.[7][8]

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the game at Paris Games Week in October 2017.[9] Initially set to be released in 2019, Yu announced that the game would be delayed to 2020 in August 2019 as development required more time.[10] The game was released for PlayStation 4 on September 15, 2020,[4] and for Windows on September 29, 2020.[11]

During the Indie World presentation in December 2020, the game is set to be release for the Nintendo Switch in mid-2021.[12]

Reception

The game received critical acclaim when it was released, according to review aggregator Metacritic, with an average score of 91.[13] Writing for The A.V. Club, William Hughes praised how the game embraced the success of the original game and seamlessly incorporated new features such as the turkey mounting system.[14] Chris Plante, in his review for Polygon, praised the game as an improvement on its predecessor and said "everything is just a little different, another stroke that proves perfection is imperfect". [15] Mitchell Saltzman of IGN called the game "a masterpiece that improves upon its predecessor in ways I never even would have imagined".[16]

It was nominated for Best Indie at The Game Awards 2020.[17]

References
  1. Saltzman, Mitchell (September 14, 2020). "Spelunky 2 review". IGN. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  2. Meija, Oozie (March 18, 2019). "Spelunky 2: Hands-on preview from GDC 2019". Shacknews. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  3. Wales, Matt (August 29, 2018). "Here's a first look at Spelunky 2's expanded subterranean gameplay". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  4. Van Allen, Eric (August 6, 2020). "Spelunky 2 Is Out in September With Online Multiplayer". USgamer. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  5. Minotti, Mike (August 6, 2020). "Spelunky 2 launches on September 15". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  6. "First Look: Spelunky 2 Gameplay, Mossmouth Interview". PlayStation Blog. August 28, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  7. Avard, Alex (September 12, 2020). "Spelunky 2 is so ambitious that even Derek Yu doesn't know what you'll find in its darkest depths". GamesRadar. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  8. Morten, Lauren (August 14, 2020). "Spelunky 2 aiming for PC release in October". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  9. Donlan, Christian (October 30, 2017). "Sony just announced Spelunky 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  10. Meija, Ozzie (August 14, 2019). "Spelunky 2 steps on a trap, delayed to 2020". Shacknews. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  11. Dayus, Oscar (September 4, 2020). "Spelunky 2's Steam release date has been revealed". PCGamesN. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  12. Ramée, Jordan (December 15, 2020). "Spelunky And Spelunky 2 Release On Switch Next Year". GameSpot. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  13. "Spelunky 2 for PC review". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  14. Hughes, William (September 18, 2020). "Spelunky 2 Has the Courage Not to Mess with Perfection". The A. V. Club. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  15. Plante, Chris. "Spelunky 2 review: perfection". Polygon (website). Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  16. Saltzman, Mitchell. "Spelunky 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  17. Tassi, Paul (December 11, 2020). "Here's The Game Awards 2020 Winners List With A Near-Total 'Last Of Us' Sweep". Forbes.
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