A game six years in the making,Axiom Verge 2by indie developer Thomas Happ Games LLC has taken the Metroidvania gameplay from the first game and expanded upon the mysterious metaphysicalsteampunkwork, taking what the first game offered and refining it to a new level. In the first game, weapons and abilities were thrown at the player one after the other, and it could become overwhelming or hard to determine which path one was meant to take. InAxiom Verge 2, the developer instead offers a more curated experience.
Indra, the protagonist, can be outfitted in many different ways according to how the player would like to navigate their way through the storyline and the sprawling world. Players will need to build their protagonist carefully if they want to find all theApocalypse Flasks,which are scattered throughout the world and are required to unlock and upgrade her assets. Indra has access to four specificskill trees, each correlating to a different aspect of her character. It is essential to unlock and upgrade their skills as the game progresses. However, what skills should the player focus on first and foremost to make Indra strong and bring her back from the verge of dying?
4Combat
Unlike the first game,Axiom Verge 2has a different learning curve when it comes to engaging in combat. This skill tree has four main aspects:
Where players were used to having a load out filled with guns and other long-range weapons,the arsenal is centered around moreclose-quarters fightingthan on the latter, except for the boomerang. However, there is a far greateremphasis placed on stealththroughout the game, as not all enemies are worth fighting.
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Smaller foes do not drop anything useful, and melee combat should only be reserved for the bosses who can award the player with skill points.It’s worth putting a few points into combat;however, this should be the last thing a player does, as there are more important and useful skills on offer.
3Physiology
Physiology or the skills related to Indra’s physical form are very useful and can help to make a heartier character who can venture more easily throughout theMetroidvania-like world. In this skill tree there are two main aspects:
Both of these skills are incredibly helpful, and players can invest skill points at their own leisure into each one according to how they prefer to play.
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Nanite Cloud Speedis a very useful mechanic to upgrade if a player wants to fully explore the map. However, it can easily drain Indra’s energy resources (a blue bar located below Indra’s health), so it becomes more useful at higher speeds as the drain on resources is far less. Players may find that this form does leech on their resources at first though, when energy is also used for other important items throughout the game (looking at you, Gud An-Na).
2Drone
Once a player traverses to a certain point within the game they will meet an arm (Axiom Verge 2’s special beings that grant Indra abilities). This arm is named Damu, and he’s a young boy who gives Indra adrone, ahelpful robotic companionto use while she is exploring. The drone can be very useful and has a skill tree all to itself that includes:
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With combat being primarily melee, it can be difficult to take down enemies who have access to long-range attacks in their arsenals. The drone is a well-rounded strategy to take on such enemies and defeat them all together, or to allow players to close the distance with Indra, so she can finish them off.
1Infection
Infection is the name given to hacking inAxiom Verge 2.Hacking is a vital abilityin Indra’s repertoire and one of the crucial ways she can interact with the world. It shares the same energy resource as the Gud An-Na and the Nanite Cloud Speed, so players have to be mindful of using it. However, it can be very powerful and incredibly useful. The infection skill tree includes:
The infection works in an interesting way. There is a field that surrounds Indra, and within that field, she can use the nano to hack enemies, turning them into allies or making them generally complacent. The skills within this tree augment that field, making it larger, faster to apply, and stronger against different types of enemies.Note that the infection does not work against all foes; however, a significant number can be affected.
Apart from infecting other creatures, players will want to use infection to access closed-off areas. It is vital to have a high level of infection to get past some of the stronger gates within the game to complete the map and find hidden items or secrets on particular levels.
Axiom Verge 2is out now on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Linux.
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