Reviews:
-
Pretty well hitting a running start continuing from the innovation of the original, Teslagrad 2 is a solid follow-up but can be finicky
I would imagine that conceiving a sequel to a bit of an indie darling has got to be a challenge, but given the pretty unique magnetized puzzle-solving mechanics of the original it makes sense to push further down that path. Thankfully this time around little time is wasted before giving you a little power to work with, and then you’re off to the races, shifting between simply surviving and perhaps seeking out a little trouble by exploring areas you may not yet be equipped for. Though the common thread of magnetic attraction and repulsion is shared with the original game it’s great to see that their implementation and the puzzles that go with them are typically different. There are also some new types of threats you’ll need to contend with, some of which even present risk-reward opportunities for people trying to grab every secret the game has to offer. My one concern is that with the move to different sorts of challenges, not everything feels completely approachable. Spots where you’ll need to turn your magnetism off and on, jump, and dash can really get your fingers in knots and it doesn’t always feel intuitive what direction you should be pressing while this happens as you could be upside down or facing the opposite direction of where you’re going to start. Situations where you need to make long jumps can also be frustrating as the trick to being successful doesn’t seem entirely intuitive and even once you pull it off it can be hard to replicate success. Underwater sections can also have unintended challenges as visibility and understanding what’s going on can sometimes suffer. All that said, if you’re willing to dig in and work through these concerns it’s still a well-made experience, just a bit more unintentionally challenging than the original.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.3]