Rain 2: The Super Mario 64 of roguelikes review

Impossible to talk about rain danger 2 without thinking first rain danger.

Few operations have successfully amplified the strengths of their predecessors, and in the case of game developer Hopoo, a few studios have grasped deeply what made their previous work so great. rain danger 2 He is loud, smart and super amazing sequel. It’s also exciting and wonderful – not only because it improves on what came before, but because it reworks a formula that was already great in the beginning.

rain danger It was released in 2013, at the beginning of a file Renaissance roguelike It would lead to the spread of this type that is prevalent everywhere today. Besides games like Isaac’s binding and the original rogue legacyAnd the rain dangerThe core episode focused on repeating procedurally generated levels, while players can unlock permanent items and characters for future runs. But unlike their contemporaries—most of whom were more concerned with the accumulation of skills and strength—Hopoo games seemed fascinated by accumulation. wisdom.

rain dangerThe signature mechanic is, after all, in the name itself. In this side-scrolling action platformer, you make your way through 2D levels in search of the teleporter that will take you to the next area. catch? You need to defeat a boss before the teleporter can work. The second catch? The difficulty increases gradually throughout the race. Survive in every area as you like, scouring every platform and corner for weapons and upgrades, knowing every second brings you closer to the next level of enemies, with bigger health bars and more varied attacks.

rain danger 2 It begs the same question as its predecessor: Are you really ready for the next date? You are surely?

Because yes, you found a shoulder-mounted mortar, and yes, this bear’s damage resistance will keep a few more bullets in place. But in the meantime, giant flaming golems are beginning to multiply, and those floating jellyfish are in much better health than they were before they spent 25 seconds getting to the box on that cliff. If you’ve ever played a sport or a musical instrument, you’re probably familiar with the Hopoo-based paradigm: you might be playing a sport, but so does everyone else. And getting better means gaining the wisdom to know if you are fully prepared.

with rain danger 2Hobo literally shifted perspective. It is no longer a 2D side-scrolling game, but a third-person shooter set in 3D arenas. It was released early in 2019, before its full version released in August 2020. I’ve been playing it sporadically ever since, playing it every time Hopoo adds a new character or biome. I always walked away fascinated, if not completely hooked, by everything I saw.

But recently, with the Survivors of the Void update, I’ve been really stepping in. Maybe it’s because I spent the temporary period stressing myself out a lot Spelunky 2 And the Rogue Legacy 2 Games that have perfected the art of 2D action platformers – but suddenly, rain danger 2Add z-axis has been clicked. I was amazed three years ago, but now I am fascinated by the way it simultaneously gives me more control, while also giving me So More to worry about. What’s more, I play enough to unlock more characters and marvel at how Hopoo adapts their skills to work in a more open space. The Loader is a unique delight – Grapple’s grip allows me to soar through the air, marveling at the verticality and depth that Hopoo pulled out of the first game’s formula, before punching Magma Worm in her stupid face.

Photo: Hopoo Games/Gearbox Publishing via Polygon

commit myself rain danger 2 Reminds me, of all things, of those early days with my family’s new Nintendo 64, when the simple shift in perspective was everything. I didn’t look at the link through an invisible ceiling anymore – I was actually entering the wooden entrance to the Deku Tree and feeling the high floor above me. I wasn’t just jumping out of a lava-filled chasm at Bowser Castle – I was aiming for a platform and lost only on the leftbefore I sing my ass and get back on the air with a chance to dictate where I land. clearlyMy childish mind told me, There are whole universes that we still have to explore.

I realize I lit my hair here. but like ocarina of time And the Super Mario 64 long before that, rain danger 2 Show me how simple and elegant it is possible to blow up a simple and elegant idea to make something more elegant. Mario’s first outing on the Nintendo 64, in particular, was proof that we don’t really know what’s going to happen next, and that the simple act of jumping could take on a whole new meaning, if only designers could tilt their heads to see it from a different angle.

she has rain danger 2 He had a huge impact like Mario 64? of course not. Its scope is decidedly narrow and its ambitions are confined to a small world focused on frenetic combat in a straightforward endless loop. but did rain danger 2 Reworking a game I still consider close to perfect? definitely. Should Hopoo make a file rain danger 3I’m hard pressed to imagine what it would look like – my imagination is swimming in the idea of ​​universes that the studio hasn’t shown me yet.