Spelunky 2
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Spelunky returns in this greatly-expanded sequel to the original roguelike platformer!
Meet the next generation of explorers as they find themselves on the Moon, searching for treasure and missing family. Spelunky 2 builds upon the unique, randomized challenges that made the original a classic, offering a huge adventure designed to satisfy players old and new.
Explore the game alone, play locally with up to four players, or, for the first time, join up with friends online to unravel its mysteries together (or battle it out in competitive Arena modes).
A Bigger and More Dynamic World, with So Much to See and Do
Spelunky 2's world is even denser than the one in the original game, offering many more areas, characters, traps, and items, as well as new ways to interact with them (and for them to interact with each other).
The world has expanded in other ways, too, with branching paths and multi-layered levels adding a third dimension to the classic 2d platforming.
Animals can also be tamed and ridden. And dynamic liquid physics create new challenges and make the world feel extra reactive and alive.
Game Discussion
Steam User 58
Yes. Out of all the Dark Souls games, this one is, by far, the hardest
Steam User 48
You will rage and then play again in 30 minutes.
Steam User 44
You have to let go of the idea of "winning" and just enjoy the moment- this game has humbled my desire to always 'win'
Steam User 31
I've drafted so many extremely long reviews of this game, but I think I'm gonna stick to the main points:
You have to be prepared to "fail." A LOT. And by "fail" I mean die and start all over with naught but a little more knowledge than you had before. Fortunately, thanks to the artstyle and physics-based interactions, deaths tend to be really funny, as long as you haven't died that way a hundred times already. But that, too, could make the 101st funny in its own right. If you can handle that, this game is for you.
The overarching gameplay loop revolves around exploring, dying, and learning. Every enemy and trap has very specific, predictable behavior, like how far away an arrow trap detects you, how quickly a lion trap activates its spears, or how a horned lizard behaves at 1 HP versus above 1 HP. As you play, you start to build up an understanding of how to approach every hazard both individually and in combination with each other. It's really satisfying to see yourself improve, and that's much of what I enjoy about the game. There's almost always more to learn.
Just one single run involves a whole lot of choices: "Should I face this enemy to reach that crate?" "Should I use a resource here?" "Which world would fit my run better?" "What do I spend my money on?" "Could I get away with robbery?" The combination of risk assessment and equipment-gathering is something really fantastic, and it keeps bringing me back and saying "one more run." One arguable flaw here is that you are basically forced to interact with most hazards if you want to learn from them, which is kind of the antithesis of the game's "take your time! be careful!" mentality, but thanks to the beauty that is unlockable shortcuts, you can practice with minimal consequences all you want. (Except if you want to go to the Temple. Or to any secret areas. For that you need mods.)
Exploration as a whole is also pretty fun, especially figuring out how all the secret paths work. There's some major ones that lead to different areas and endings, but there's also some NPC "sidequests" as well. I can't comment on what it's like to discover all the secrets yourself because I followed the community early on and they figured out so much of it so quickly, but I imagine it's pretty rewarding. It's certainly rewarding to actually get to those secret areas.
Two difficulty nitpicks here. For a beginner, the first world (the game's structured Mario Bros.-style) takes a LONG time to get a handle on. The game has a high skill floor I guess. Most people start to feel the Dwelling doldrums eventually, even in its current, toned-down state (compared to v1.0). On the opposite end, there's an endgame area related to a 100% optional secret ending that I (with 950 hours of experience (often distracted by podcasts in the background)) have never finished once. I still try, but it's just unreasonably unforgiving. (Derek Yu wasn't sure anyone would be able to beat it iirc. They have, though. Damageless. That ain't me though.) It also breaks the roguelike's promise of a short run you don't need a save & quit button for, which kinda sucks. But because it's totally optional, recognized as unbalanced, and very unlikely for the average player to even attempt, I've consciously kept it from skewing this review.
Aesthetically the game is really clean. Some will prefer Spelunky HD's artstyle, and most prefer its catchy gamey music to 2's dynamic and fitting background music, but I think 2's works very well. The visuals are very clear, aside from the odd red structure in Tide Pool that you forget is actually a physical barrier and not in the background. The sound design is fantastic too; if something weird happens offscreen, you can make a guess as to what it was based on the sound. I'm not sure I'd call the art "pretty" most times -- it's pleasing, but it seems to be more functional than aesthetic. But you can decide that based on the promo images and video.
I haven't played co-op at length, but I have had more fun watching experienced players play with inexperienced ones in Spelunky and Spelunky 2 than I have had fun watching just about any other gaming content. It helps a ton if you're familiar with your co-op partner(s) and if you can talk in person or on a call, but online co-op can also be fun, though it mostly consists of highly experienced players and/or sabotaging trolls. Not much you can do about that.
There...I mean, there is a PvP Arena mode, but while it can be fun and chaotic, it's mostly a gimmick. You might very well enjoy it though.
Last comment: mods. Modding is very easy and convenient with modlunky2, and there's lots of stuff done and in progress. There's Overlunky for practicing stuff, Fingerspit's remix mod for a huge rearrangement of the game's features, Jawnlunky (my personal favorite) for room variety and other minor tweaks, multiple kaizo maps, mods adding new items or abilities, in-progress metroidvania and "99" (a la Tetris 99) mods, and plenty of aesthetic retextures. These are the reason I'm still playing after all this time, to be honest, and why I highly recommend the PC version.
God. I said it wasn't going to be long. I told myself it wouldn't be long. This is what Spelunky 2 does to you, folks. You think you're gonna be there for 20 minutes and you look at the time and it's 3 hours later. (Buy it. It's good.)
Steam User 43
Step 1: Get the Udjat Eye
Step 2: Free Van Horsing
Step 3: Find the volcano drill and don't get killed by lava during the drop
Step 4: Defeat Vlad
Step 5: Finish Moon Challenge and get the bow
Step 6: Get to Olmec's Lair
Step 7: Realize you don't have bombs to give the bow to the Waddler
Step 8: Sit in silence and stare at your screen as Olmec crushes your skull
Step 9: Repeat
Steam User 37
when you successfully dodge the dart trap only to have the arrow bounce off the wall and then hit you on the way down, knocking you into a kali alter, then proceeding to sacrifice yourself on accident, only to reset run to break a pot point blank and get poisoned by a scorpion, that's when you've truly played Spelunky 2
Steam User 33
I thew I rock at a bat but it missed ant hit the shop keeper he then shot me 13 times.