Reaching the height of indie stardom when it debuted back in 2008, Spelunky has since become something of a heralded cult classic, with fans frequently praising the game’s procedurally generated dungeons and risk vs reward gameplay. The game pulled in a 87 on Metacritic from 54 critics back on release, with many still acknowledging it as one of the greatest indie games ever conceived.
Unfortunately, it took many years for a sequel to materialize, with the studio behind the title, Mossmouth, wanting to take its time to ensure the followup was bigger, bolder, and more expansive than before. 12 years later and Spelunky 2 is finally here, bringing the dungeon crawling roguelike to modern hardware with new features, maps, and more. Naturally, huge fans of the franchise are incredibly excited, and with the game finally dropping on PS4 tomorrow, they’re ready to see if it can live up to the legacy of its predecessor.
Of course, while these Spelunky veterans are sure to jump into this sequel straight away, new players are likely wondering whether Spelunky 2 is worth a day one purchase. Luckily, a number of gaming’s biggest publications have sought to answer that exact question, with critics releasing their reviews for the upcoming release today. So, with that in mind, what are the critics saying about Spelunky 2? Is the game worthy of the upstanding reputation of its 2008 prequel?
IGN (Mitchell Saltzman)
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of a sequel to Spelunky, given how high of a pedestal I keep the original game on – how do you improve upon a game like that? But Mossmouth took its time and managed to deliver a masterpiece that improves upon its predecessor in ways I never even would have imagined. Spelunky 2 takes everything that made the original great and expands upon each of those individual aspects without ever over complicating the elegant, retro simplicity of its 2D platforming. It doesn’t do much to win over people who already weren’t fans of the original’s unforgiving difficulty, but as someone who is more than 200 runs in and feels like he’s only scratched the surface, Spelunky 2 is a game that I see myself playing for a long, long time.”
Score: 10 / 10
Game Informer (Brian Shea)
“Spelunky 2 is as addictive an experience as I’ve played this year. Two-minute-long runs stack to turn into consecutive hours of gameplay, and “just one more try” easily turns into an afternoon of exploring, dying, and trying again. Spelunky 2 is at once captivating, stressful, and exciting, and even now, I can’t wait to once again test my mettle within the cave’s ever-shifting walls.”
Score: 9 / 10
US Gamer (Matthew Olson)
“Spelunky 2 is an outstanding sequel. Derek Yu, BlitWorks, and the rest of the team behind it have assembled a game that adds to what made Spelunky great without trending toward bloat or changing too much of the essentials. In some minor ways, the level randomization and art style don’t feel quite up-to-par, but the overall package is polished, compelling, and brimming with secrets. As ever, players will die over and over in pursuit of a successful run or even just an ounce of progress, which is the way it’s meant to be. I’m excited to see what others uncover as they pick themselves up again and again to venture deeper into Spelunky 2’s depths.”
Score: 4.5 / 5
Shack News (Ozzie Mejia)
“But as a solo experience, Spelunky 2 was fun and frustrating, both in a good way. It never felt boring. I constantly felt the need to keep trying. And if I died, it felt like I was being encouraged to examine where I went wrong and do better. And even after I eventually conquer the full Adventure, the Daily Challenges will keep the fun going for a long time to come. Spelunky 2 is a treasure in every way, one you’ll be glad you’ve discovered.”
Score: 9 / 10
The Guardian (Tom Bramwell)
“Perhaps it’s a little safe in the way it goes about things, anxious not to lose that Spelunky magic by disrupting the familiar flow. But that spell hasn’t worn off after 10 years. With its dastardly remixes of existing themes and a bunch of brilliant new additions, this will certainly replace Spelunky HD as the definitive cave-diving Derek Yu roguelike. I wouldn’t change a thing – though some of my former turkey friends may have different feedback.”
Score: 4 / 5
Destructoid (Chris Carter)
“Spelunky 2 is more Spelunky. It doesn’t wildly reinvent the formula, and even brings back a lot of the same hazards and enemies that tormented you the first time around. But it innovates ever so slightly in so many ways to help give this sequel its own life. Either way, it sucked me back in.”
Score: 8 / 10
Polygon (Chris Plante)
“You know when you finish a movie or book or game you love, and you wish you could experience it again for the first time? That’s what it has felt like to play Spelunky 2. I get to play my favorite game for the first time all over again. This isn’t a sequel. It’s yet another chance to play Spelunky with fresh eyes; everything is just a little different, another stroke that proves perfection is imperfect. Even the best can get better.”
Score: N/A
Eurogamer (Christian Donlan)
“Deep breath. Thinking about 1-1 in the original Spelunky makes me feel very lucky to be encountering the sequel right now, at the start of it all. The first Spelunky is a game of secrets, which means that for the last decade it’s been a game without secrets – everything about this world is known and categorised. But a sequel? It’s lovely to stand on the windy precipice again, knowing, even after 20 hours, 30 hours, that you cannot yet know even a third of the things that await. It’s the difference between bingeing a Netflix series and the exquisite, intoxicating agony of waiting a week for the next episode on BBC 2. Intoxicating agony? That sounds like Spelunky. What an astonishing mechanism this is.”
Score: N/A
Overall, it seems as though Spelunky 2 might not reinvent the wheel, but its definitely another fun entry in the franchise that offers the same addictive, procedurally generated dungeon crawling and 2D platforming. When Spelunky first released, many were enamored with its gameplay, style, and challenging mechanics. It seems Spelunky 2 is a little less surprising but still just as fun, offering the same mix of unparalleled adventure, risk vs reward difficulty, and solid humor.
As it stands, the game is currently pulling in an incredible 91 on Metacritic, although, very few reviews are currently available. Over the next few days, that number is sure to grow, with more players chiming in on the long-awaited sequel. Those who want to get the game on PlayStation 4 can look forward to its debut tomorrow, however, PC players will have to wait a tiny bit longer, with the sequel coming on September 29.
Spelunky 2 releases September 14 on PS4, and September 29 on Steam.
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