Sonic’s influence on the gaming world has been well documented over the years, resulting in many attempts to recreate the 1991 classic’s momentum-focused gameplay. In 2014, developer GalaxyTrail released Freedom Planet, an excellent 2D platformer that managed to invoke a similar exhilarating feeling with its emphasis on speedy platforming challenges. With its sequel, Freedom Planet 2, the team has pulled it off yet again, this time with additional gameplay tweaks.
The game is set in Avalice, a continent split up into multiple kingdoms, such as Shang Tu, which is one of the first locations you will visit in your adventure. You can choose between multiple characters, each with their own unique gameplay style. Each character feels drastically different with their move sets. Sash Lilac, for instance, has a focus on speed, though she also has more significant methods to attack enemies compared to a certain hedgehog. The sequel also includes the ability to guard against enemies, and allows the use of equippable items to adjust your playstyle further.
Most of the adventure is spent exploring a plethora of stages, usually followed by a boss encounter to test your abilities. For the most part, stages are uniquely designed and interesting to traverse, though a lot of them face the expected issues of a game focused on speed — hard to detect obstacles. This further translates into the enemies, specifically their hitboxes, which are seemingly inconsistent. Unfortunately, this makes some levels particularly frustrating, as you’ll take damage seemingly out of nowhere.
The game also features an excellent soundtrack — most of the musical score is designed to complement the fast-paced nature of the stages — and typically fits the environmental design as well. Speaking of environmental design, the visuals are a massive improvement over the previous game, with extra layers of detail on both its characters and world.
Freedom Planet 2 is another excellent 2D platformer from developer GalaxyTrail. The adventure boasts some fantastic levels to explore, a wonderful soundtrack, and an assortment of playable characters with unique abilities. There are some issues with enemy hitboxes and some aspects of its level design, but Freedom Planet 2 is still an enjoyable experience nonetheless.
