Freedom Planet 2 Review (Lennichu)
It is not often that I play a game to 100% completion, especially when that means perfecting it. Playing through it multiple times with every character, earning the best rank in every stage, beating every par time, grinding to complete collections, let alone in nearly one extensive sitting without breaking to play something else.
Freedom Planet 2 was one of those rare cases.
I came to it hot off the heels of the first after purchasing both on a sale with some steam cards I got for my birthday earlier this year, I knew nothing about it going in, but had previously played through the first several years ago on Wii U, proceeding to not touch it again due to what I will refer to as "Younger me skill issue." I got my ass beat, I'm not afraid to admit, but I managed to persevere to the end. Flash forward to this year, and I still had some struggles, but got through all the same. After enjoying the first, I was more than ready to hop into it's sequel, excited to see what it had in store.
That was back in September, and I now have almost 200 hours clocked into it, sitting pretty on a 100% save file as Lilac with all 63 achievements to my name, and yet still I don't quite feel like I'm through with it, I might very well return another time to take a swing at hard mode, just so I can play more of it, even with nothing else to accomplish, and everything done.
I speak with utmost sincerity when I say that Freedom Planet 2 is one of the crowning jewels of indie gaming: From it's stunning pixel art, to its fun characters, humorous yet compelling writing, wonderful voice-acting, high-octane action, and fantastic soundtrack, all wrapped up in a gripping narrative of war and deceit, with the very world itself once again on the line. This series truly has evolved beyond it's humble roots as a Sonic fangame and into something entirely it's own. The jump in quality between the original Freedom Planet (Still a good game in it's own right, mind you) and it's sequel is astronomical, and nothing short of magnificent.
If you enjoy tearing through gorgeous scenery at mach one as cute but tough monster girls, obliterating all that stands in your way for the good of the world while rocking out to a varied and always remarkable soundtrack that always fits the current mood, and you don't mind a bit of a darker tone in your stories, pick this game up as soon as you can. You'll be supporting an incredible team of developers and in return getting an outstanding example of what happens when a passion project comes to life, without any interference from pesky due-dates or corporate meddling, lord knows the people behind it deserve recognition.
I'll be eagerly awaiting the third entry from announcement to release, if it comes.