When the primary Freedom Planet launched almost a decade in the past, it was topic to the acquainted roadblocks of many 2D platformers because the introduction of 3D. That’s to not say it wasn’t pleasurable, however as a recreation that originated as a love letter to the Sonic the Hedgehog sequence, it had an uphill battle to match the respect its predecessors garnered over so a few years. The developer made the clever resolution to determine a brand new IP with the unique, and with Freedom Planet 2, the sequence has began to come back into its personal. Launched initially on PC again in 2022, the sequel now involves consoles, and with it comes a extra absolutely fleshed out expertise, stuffed to the brim with expansive, intertwining ranges and repeatedly enjoyable and assorted boss fights. The story, now starting to department from its Sonic-heavy affect, leaves a bit to be desired with its cartoony tackle surprisingly heavy subjects, however every part surrounding the story makes Freedom Planet 2 a wildly enjoyable journey from begin to end.
The story of Freedom Planet 2 continues the plot of the unique, choosing up a couple of years after Brevon was defeated and pushed out of the house planet of Avalice. When one other assault happens on Avalice, the 4 playable characters, led by returning key protagonists Sash Lilac and Carol Tea, are summoned to analyze the assaults. One factor results in one other, and out of the blue you’ll be confronted with the sudden return of water dragons and having to cease the potential use of a world-ending superweapon.
“The story, now starting to department from its Sonic-heavy affect, leaves a bit to be desired with its cartoony tackle surprisingly heavy subjects, however every part surrounding the story makes Freedom Planet 2 a wildly enjoyable journey from begin to end.”
The story itself is unremarkable. It’s informed primarily by the six totally different episodes, structured as two units of three episodes you’ll be able to play in any order, and the character of how the story is informed makes it extra in regards to the exploration of the world and characters than a very linear plot. A lot of the storytelling is finished by long-winded cutscenes involving the 4 important playable characters and the episode’s important villain, and whereas they’re meant to feed into the ultimate important villain, they really feel extra like one-off occasions that occur to happen within the meantime. With out wishing to spoil, if you do attain the finale, a lot of the story feels inevitable, prefer it may have been wrapped up earlier, however having seen the characters develop and work together all through the story does make for an pleasurable ultimate sequence and a satisfying ending.
Tonally, although, Freedom Planet 2 makes up for a lot of its narrative shortcomings resulting from its a lot cartoonier really feel and basic self-awareness. Characters typically quip nonchalantly about Avalice’s goings-on, whereas villains often take a extra Saturday morning cartoon perspective. It may be a jarring tonal shift when switching forwards and backwards between quippy dialogue and the destiny of the world, however together with the artwork color and style palette, the lighter tone matches the sequel properly.
The artwork type, too, is notably beautiful. The pixel artwork stays from the unique, however it’s taken a leap in selection and high quality. Characters are extra distinct and visually expressive, notably in cutscenes, whereas ranges are assorted each in setting and aesthetic. Degree designs can vary from intricate lava-filled caves to high-flying airships or distinctive villainous castles. Particularly between episodes, each stage feels distinct from the final, and I by no means stopped having fun with seeing the place the sport would take me subsequent. Inside these distinctive ranges, too, is an unlimited array of differentiated gameplay alternatives that construct on each other and preserve something from feeling stale. Certainly, the gameplay is the place Freedom Planet 2 shines the brightest, concocting an addictive mix of platforming, boss battles, and exploration that make it really feel contemporary round each nook.
To some extent, gameplay in Freedom Planet 2 appears like the primary recreation with a much bigger finances. A fourth playable character, Neera Li, has been launched alongside the unique three to sort out the 24 important ranges throughout 9 important episodes together with the intro and finale, in addition to a handful of hub areas the place you’ll be able to discuss to characters and buy collectibles, and every stage feels visually and mechanically distinct. At one level you could be combating in a colosseum-esque battle area, whereas within the subsequent you could be in a frozen, snowy graveyard or a lightning-heavy skyscraping tower. Most of the ranges contact on the style’s tropes of desert, grasslands, water, and snow, however even inside these ranges the sport nonetheless feels prefer it’s not recycling concepts or treading outdated floor.
“The artwork type is notably beautiful. The pixel artwork stays from the unique, however it’s taken a leap in selection and high quality.”
The degrees themselves are exceptional, too. Many of the 24 ranges are wildly open-ended and often a lot greater than they first seem. Once you attain the second half of the sport, these ranges can typically take upwards of 15-to-20 minutes to finish, spanning a number of phases and gameplay mechanics. It’s nonetheless a 2D platformer at coronary heart, so the last word aim is mostly to get to the far proper finish of the map, however these ranges discover a solution to make going from left to proper fascinating and rewarding. Many of the gameplay stays the identical from the primary recreation, although a brand new guard mechanic makes it a bit simpler to keep away from harm, however traversal is actually the star of the present, with every character having a singular manner of attending to the subsequent vacation spot rapidly. It’s straightforward to get misplaced in ranges, as their sheer measurement could make it tough to inform how far you’ve gotten or the place you’re imagined to go subsequent, however someway I all the time naturally discovered my solution to the subsequent checkpoint, no matter if it was a easy run to the appropriate or a twisting and turning path by puzzles and enemies.
The way in which you traverse and work together with every stage can change, too, typically in fascinating methods. One standout, the Globe Opera, is a musical sequence whose stage strikes in tandem with the superb music. On this stage, and some others, fixed motion is vital, and it’ll at factors successfully take management of your character to ship them by a sequence of pipes and jumps consistent with the music. When you find yourself in management, too, you’ll be able to select to interact with the impressively assorted slate of ordinary enemies, every of which has a singular transfer set tailor-made to the stage. It undoubtedly feels at factors like you’ll be able to simply pace your manner by the extent, ignoring enemies and pushing to the top, particularly since there aren’t any main upgrades that make you stronger or unlock new strikes, however I discovered it pleasurable to play each methods throughout a number of totally different ranges.
Nearly each stage ends with a boss as properly, and these are among the particular person highlights of Freedom Planet 2’s fight. Boss designs take the numerous enemy design to the subsequent stage, and no two bosses really feel or battle the identical. Generally you’ll be tasked with avoiding sideswiping harm in opposition to huge villains, whereas others shall be a one-on-one battle in opposition to different story-based enemies. Not each boss is a traditional battle to the loss of life, both, as a couple of bosses keep away from the standard fight completely. One standout is a race by a stage in opposition to a key villain, whereas one other has you piloting an enormous mech in opposition to a beforehand untouchable boss. Some bosses can pose a jarring issue spike, and I used to be aware of utilizing among the game-altering accessibility objects that assist you to in battle, however I used to be all the time trying ahead to the subsequent boss battle and the way the sport was going to seek out new methods to vary up the gameplay.
One disappointment about Freedom Planet 2 is its continued lack of ability to change between playable characters inside the story. You select one of many 4 characters to play as for the Journey Mode, which can’t be modified. I selected to play as Lilac for the primary marketing campaign, and whereas every of the 4 playable characters seem persistently all through the story, together with showing in battle at sure factors, you’ll be able to by no means change between them till finishing the sport. It’s unlucky as a result of the play types of every character are distinctive and would offer a breath of contemporary air between totally different ranges throughout the 20-or-so hours it took me to beat the sport, and the story itself doesn’t change a lot relying on which character you select. Whereas I discovered Milla the Explorer to finally be my favourite of the 4, I’d have cherished to have a possibility to play as every of them outdoors of the endgame Traditional Mode or beginning a brand new marketing campaign.
“Many of the 24 ranges are wildly open-ended and often a lot greater than they first seem. Once you attain the second half of the sport, these ranges can typically take upwards of 15-to-20 minutes to finish, spanning a number of phases and gameplay mechanics.”
Regardless of originating as a Sonic clone, the Freedom Planet sequence has made exceptional strides with its second entry. Because it makes its solution to console, the sequel has expanded upon just about each facet of the primary recreation to nice success. The degrees really feel bigger and extra visually and mechanically distinct, making each step ahead a shocking addition to an already-packed expertise, and the bosses on the finish of every stage are highlights that present a troublesome problem and power you to grasp the fight and traversal mechanics of every character. The story is extra of an avenue to discover these fantastic characters by a delightfully cartoony tone, and whereas it isn’t as emotionally resonant because it wish to be, the gameplay it results in greater than makes up for it. Freedom Planet 2 nonetheless hovers within the shadow of its predecessors, however it’s properly on its solution to making the sequence one of many premier 2D platformers in current reminiscence.
This recreation was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
