Review | Axiom Verge - Happ's Harzard

I’ve often wondered about what makes a good sequel. Should a sequel be more of what preceded it, but with small improvements? Is it better to go in a completely different and unexpected direction? Do something fresh to keep people surprised? There’s no correct answer to this question; everybody has preferences for what they want out of a sequel, and those preferences can change depending on the property. Oftentimes, what we think we want out of a follow-up and what would actually please us the most are two very different things. Going into Axiom Verge 2, I thought I wanted more of the first game. I loved Axiom Verge, and was ready for more of the same, but was met with a game that challenged me and forced me to confront the way I think about sequels.

From the very start, Axiom Verge 2 makes it clear that it is not a simple retreading of the 2015 indie classic. Everything, from the environment to the protagonist, all the way to the colour palette of the game is the opposite of the first Axiom Verge. Instead of taking place in claustrophobic corridors, Axiom Verge 2’s world is more open. Instead of a white man, the player character is a woman with dark skin. Instead of the aesthetic being the nightmare child of H.R. Giger and MS-DOS, the sequel takes a more naturalistic approach to its environmental design. Possibly the biggest departure in Axiom Verge 2 is the combat. Where the first game was all about using and upgrading a gun, the sequel mostly focuses on melee combat. Exploration is prioritised, and the player is almost discouraged from engaging enemies.

If science-fiction media has taught me anything it is that arriving at an abandoned Artic base where scientist used to reside only ever ends well…

All of this came as a shock to me, as I expected more of the same. At first, I struggled with Axiom Verge 2. I was not having a good time. I was dying a lot, I didn’t feel like I was making any meaningful progress, and I could not for the life of me get used to the new melee combat. I put the game down for a day or two, dismayed that I was not enjoying it. In thinking about why I wasn’t enjoying it, I realized that I was fighting against the game itself. Stubbornly, I was trying to brute force my way through Axiom Verge 2 my way instead of engaging with the game on its own terms.

Hey, little turret buddy! Could you do me a favour and just look at that wall for like however long it would take a grown woman to sneak up on you?

When I came back to the game a few days later, instead of trying to force my way through combat, I took a more careful, almost stealthy approach. I started running past more enemies than I killed. I began meeting the game halfway instead of trying to bend it to my will. I began having fun with it.

What helped me start liking the game is that it’s technically a very sound game. Every aspect of it is just very well-made. The environments are beautiful, and the way that they unfolded as I explored them felt natural but surprising. Upgrades - such as the ability to grab ledges, and a small remote-controlled drone - come at a decent pace, ensuring I always had a new toy to play with. What's more, every time one of the upgrades was introduced it felt like it changed how I played the game and how I viewed the world.

Axiom Verge 2: Into The Breach… Wait, no. That would just be confusing.

Speaking of the drone, much like in the first Axiom Verge, the player is given a drone that they can take control of in order to reach places they couldn’t normally. However, the drone takes on an added importance in the sequel. Using the drone, the player can enter “The Breach”, a parallel world that only the drone can enter. I have seen The Breach compared to the Dark World from A Link to the Past, but the only similarity it has with the Dark World is that it is an alternate reality for the player to explore, as the Breach’s topography is very different from the overworld’s. It’s also more aesthetically similar to 8-bit games of old, and more corridor-focused than the overworld. This pairing not only gives some interesting variety to the places the player explores but makes the other world feel older and desolate. 

Save [YOURSELF].
Quit [OR SUFFER].

I won’t say much about the story of Axiom Verge 2, as there are some interesting twists that also greatly affect the gameplay (my favourite kind of twists). I will say, however, that most of the story can be ignored if the player just wants to fill in a satisfying Metroidvania map, as it only interrupts your exploration for major cutscenes. However, I found the story interesting, and the supplementary materials in the game only helped my enjoyment. 

The music, much like the first game, is very good as well. Whereas the score in the first game was dark and moody, the soundtrack in Axiom Verge 2 is brighter and more upbeat, matching the lighter and more open environments that the player explores. It continues to use some of the weird synth voices that were present in the first game’s soundtrack, while also incorporating real vocals from Mayssa Karaa. 

I have no idea what you are. But whatever you are I know for a fact I am going to kill you.

I played Axiom Verge 2 on the Switch, and it ran well with few issues. I did have some framerate slowdowns during a fight against a larger boss creature, but those only happened in that one fight. Other than that, the game ran fine.

While my time with Axiom Verge 2 started off rough, I only think back on the game with fondness. When I approached the game on its own terms rather than trying to force my own expectations on it, Axiom Verge 2 became a surprising delight. Seeing number in the title, Axiom Verge 2, set me up to expect more of the first game; however, not even Tom Happ, the developer, thinks of the game as a sequel, having described it as a sort of companion piece to the first game, one that can be played before or after it. I think if I had had this context going into the game, I would’ve enjoyed it more from the start. But once I got my expectations in check, I found a game that is beautiful, fun to explore, and that I can absolutely recommend.