It didn’t take too long after getting stuck into Freedom Planet 2 for a pang of familiarity to wash over me. No, it’s not because this is a sequel (as I never played the first one), but instead it reminded me very much of a certain platformer that took the world by storm in the early ’90s.
The original began life as a love letter to Sonic The Hedgehog and even in Freedom Planet 2, that inspiration is clear to see. It’s a fast paced platformer that demands razor sharp reactions, but that is only part of what makes up this adventure. But before we delve into that, let’s recap the setup here.
Three years have passed since the events of the first game, where our heroes defeated the evil Lord Brevon. As a result a precious article known as the Kingdom Stone was shattered, and this caused Merga (a ticked off Water Dragon) to awaken. She is out for revenge for historical atrocities carried out in the throes of war. The land of Avalice has a dark and complicated past it seems.
Freedom Planet 2 boasts a sizeable cast, who are all voice acted. Honestly it’s a little cheesy, and at times I lost track of what on earth was going on. However, there’s a light hearted, humorous vibe throughout and it all feels like a Saturday morning children’s cartoon. Personally, I just focused my attention on the platforming.
As I say, it’s all very Sonic The Hedgehog as you zip from left to right, often hitting breakneck speed. However, as with the adventures of the blue blur, the path forward is far from linear and there are all sorts of goodies hidden throughout. The environments are reminiscent too, not necessarily because of their style but more how they are structured. Springs, grinding rails, loop-de-loops and moving platforms all have an air of the familiar and fans of retro platformers (like myself) will immediately know how to tackle them.
At this point I should say that you can choose to play as one of four characters in Freedom Planet 2, and each has their own unique versions of common move sets. I opted to mostly play as Carol (a cat of course) who is classed as a brawler. Her slash attack and ranged jump disc are simple enough but do the job, even if things are a tad button bashy. Her guard ability is crucial however, as it offers a brief moment of invulnerability from the frankly infinite amount of hazards that will be heading your way.
Every single stage ends with a boss battle, and they vary wildly in terms of execution. Some are straightforward dodge and attack affairs, whilst others throw the kitchen sink at you. Towards the end of the campaign I was definitely suffering from a little boss battle fatigue, and it felt as if they had grown increasingly repetitive.
What differs here is that Freedom Planet 2 is more than just a string of back-to-back stages. You move around a world map during the adventure, often arriving at a hub area before moving on to the next stage. Each is filled with NPCs that more often than not, just have a little wisdom or some opinions to share. It’s here that most of the in-game cutscenes will kick in too.
However, the more interesting residents have an assortment of items for sale. You can build load outs before tackling each stage, consisting of items and potions. These will offer buffs such as stronger shields, increased health, more powerful attacks and much more. You can even choose to up the challenge with certain items which will do things such as turn item boxes into bombs or start you off with significantly decreased health.
There are also collectables to find in each stage, such as time capsules and vinyls. These music tracks can also be purchased and listened to in various hub areas if you’re digging the music.
In terms of visuals, you’d be forgiven for thinking Freedom Planet 2 had indeed been released in the mid ’90s. That style of inflated, pixelated environments and enemies that fill your screen with chaos fit the genre perfectly. The punchy soundtrack is a decent listen, and cements this vibe.
There’s a good six to eight hours of gameplay in a single playthrough of Freedom Planet 2, which then is multiplied if you wish to tackle it again with different characters. There is also a more slimmed down mode (which you unlock when you complete the game for the first time) that omits the story and cutscenes in between stages. A widely requested “Boss Rush” mode has also been added (and there are a lot of those) along with a variation of challenges to tackle at the infamous Battlesphere.Â
Given the fact that there are 24 stages, as much as I enjoyed Freedom Planet 2 I had very little appetite to immediately go back and play it through again, nevermind take on the bosses. As platformers go it’s a meaty adventure, but given that and despite all the extra modes which come with it, £20.99 still feels quite steep. It truly depends on how much you enjoy this type of game.
Freedom Planet 2 evokes so much of what makes a great platformer, but feels a little bloated in parts. Still, that doesn’t stop it being a thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride which is sure to delight fans of the genre.Â
