Spelunky 2 is a 2D platformer game developed by Mossmouth and BlitWorks. It is the sequel to Spelunky, one of the highest praised rougelikes of all-time. Spelunky 2 was released in 2020 for Playstation 4 and Windows. It was just released on the Nintendo Switch (the version we played for the purposes of this article).
In Spelunky 2 you take control of an adventurer who journeys deep into the underground caves of the Moon. Far beneath the surface the player will encounter a variety of traps, enemies and loot. The goal of the game is simple. Make it to the end without dying. When the player dies (which occurs a lot) they will start back at the first level of the game.
One of the staples of Spelunky 2 are the procedurally generated maps. When the player dies they will start back at ‘Level 1-1’. But the levels never feel the same. Every restart will bring new geometry stacked with different loot and enemy locations. Enemies and traps were carefully designed by the developers to work within the constraints of this random level design approach. Enemies might appear in tighter pathways or precarious spots on the next run. This forces the player to quickly understand the behavior of each enemy, and how to approach them effectively with the available weapons and items. The procedural maps, enemies and items work together seamlessly to provide a fun and challenging gameplay experience.
Spelunky 2, similar to Spelunky, is a hard game. You will die a lot. And often. This game is slightly reminiscent of the brutally difficult games of the NES/SNES era. But the difficulty in Spelunky 2 never feels cheap. Death is usually the result of a bad judgment call. Sometimes the player will get a level with some downright nasty enemy placement, but there is almost always an approach to progress. Through death the game teaches you how to play better using items and the core mechanics. Players must constantly reflect on what does and doesn’t work. And over time they will learn. Very few games with this level of difficulty get the balance right. Spelunky 2 absolutely nails it.
Each death in Spelunky 2 brings a new run. Each new run brings a new set of challenges. But it also brings a new opportunity to explore the game world. There are tons of things to do in the game. You can tame/ride animals, sacrifice animals for loot (crazy right?) and unlock playable characters. You will also find mini-levels tucked away in the main levels. Maybe speed runs are your thing. You can do that too. For such a seemingly simple objective-based game, Spelunky 2 offers a crazy amount of replay value. There is a ton to explore in this unique underground world.
Spelunky 2 builds upon the success of its predecessor. It has the same tight controls and core mechanics you have come to expect from the franchise. The procedurally generated maps and difficulty are there too. Replayability? Check. Spelunky 2 brings more to the table than ever before, but it doesn’t forget where it comes from. If you liked Spelunky, this game is a must.
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