Game Impressions (Axiom Verge 2)

Axiom Verge 2 on NS. 100%.

Not like the first part. Apparently, the author (this is a game of one person) wanted to create something radically different from the original, which he ran into. Axiom Verge has only common features - classic metroidvania, multi-world setting and 16-bit graphics. The plot just takes place in the same universe as the first part, 70 years later, but the story itself is just a left spin-off about the problems of some seedy little world and a lost daughter. The atmosphere of a strange dark place, creepy giant bosses and driving music is not in sight. But there are intricate labyrinths where in order to get an object you need to cross a quarter of the map. Even with full pumping, it is difficult and inconvenient to search for items, in no small part due to the mechanics of the drone and the second world - Breach. The drone enters the portals and examines the second map overlaid on the first. The drone can leave Breach at any time, but Indra cannot enter. It just creates more confusion and wastes time. I don’t know how it was possible to break the gameplay copying the best NES titles, but the author did it. Enemies are shooting, you are not. Either you are pumped and you don't care about the damage, or you run and hope you don't die before you go to the next screen, that's all. In general, the game is neatly sewn, but there is nothing catchy about it.
It's a shame that it happened. The first part in 2015 was the iconic 2D metroidvania of our time. The second part does not hold out well in any way.

It's funny, while playing Axiom Verge 2 I realized another problem with these 2D indies of the 80s. In the 80s, no one boasted about the graphics "look at what backdrops, look at what 2D art, look at the pixels, we were able to convey that the character has multi-colored hair, glasses and multi-colored eyes." It was not styling, just working with what is. Because of this, the games of that time often look ugly, but original (in Dragon Quest IV, I remember thinking "Oh, this is like the balcony of the tower where we went"). Graphic creators didn't think in one direction.
Spoiler