Developed by Critical Games, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is an RPG that packs a lot of potential and nostalgia in one package. It was originally released on PC back in January 2023 however now the developers have teamed up with Ratalaika Games to port the game to consoles as well. With the console version now available, a new segment of players can experience this beautiful NES-era-inspired RPG with a modern twist. This is our review of 8-Bit Adventures 2 on the PS4 in which we explore a gorgeous, pixelated world and defeat super cool bosses.
Story-wise, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is a direct sequel to the first game in the franchise, 8-Bit Adventures: The Forgotten Journey and you will often hear the characters discuss the events from the first game. While we never played the first game, the developers themselves mention that if someone has not played the first game, they can still directly jump into the second game and not miss on too many key points in terms of story and the game world. The game’s main character is Charlie, a young boy who grew up on the streets alongside a group of ragtag fellows who not only mentored him but also provided a safe space to live. His crew included a group of three people who are loosely based around three popular classes that literally every RPG comes with including a huntress, a swordsman, and a mage.
When the game begins, you are allowed to rename your three companions. Apart from these three, the rest of the characters including Charlie remain pretty much the same when it comes to name and other small customizations the game offers. The starting area serves as a tutorial area, and it gradually introduces you to various in-game mechanics. The story picks up at a pace with progression as well and by the time you have encountered your first boss, you are in a confident position in the game where you know everything about combat, exploration, and a little bit of what is happening around you. The more you play the story, the more invested you become thanks to twists and turns happening at key locations.
Unlike the early RPGs, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is not a very hard game and if you are familiar with turn-based RPGs and how they work, you will have a great time with the game. The game does not offer any option to change the difficulty, but we found it to be fairly balanced. The game gives a decent amount of items to you and if you are playing it properly, like exploring each location properly, fighting enemies with a good mix of attacks and abilities, and using items at the right time, you have no problem with progression. We like the fact that the enemies are placed at decent intervals and the game just does not throw enemy fight after enemy fight in your face, but it gives you time to explore the locations, find hidden chests and items, and level up properly.
It also offers a generous saving system which greatly benefits the gameplay and allows you to take risks without worrying about losing all of the progress. Apart from the ability to manually save the game at any location, the game also has a unique save reminder mechanic. Before every boss fight, you can interact with a save marker that reminds you to save your game and also offers a few tips and tricks about the upcoming boss fight. This is a very useful feature because there is no other way to determine the ‘correct’ way of progression in the game and these locations serve as a checkpoint before an event or boss fight which usually completes that particular area and takes you to another location thus giving you a hint to explore the remaining area and then return here to proceed in the game.
Similar to most JRPGs, 8-Bit Adventures 2 features a party system for its characters, and at one time, you can have three characters in your party. When the game begins, you only have one character but with progression, you finally end up having seven unique characters in your party. You can swap them with each other at any time even during combat, so it is a flexible party system and does not lock you at any time with a specific character unless required by the main story. Each character has unique abilities and skills that bring a different talent to your arsenal, and you will need to use them actively in different scenarios to progress in the game. Some excel at damage-dealing while some are healers, and some are stealers so you will need to mix and match characters during tough boss fights to clear them. Each character also comes with a unique ability which comes in handy in different scenarios so swapping them around is always beneficial.
Coming to 8-Bit Adventures 2’s gameplay, it is a combination of two elements: turn-based combat and exploration. While you are not fighting the enemies, you will spend your time exploring different areas for loot and chests. The game gives you the freedom to explore a location at your own pace without any timer or other limitations. You cannot leave and progress to other areas unless you have completed your objectives in the current location so you can safely explore without the worry of missing anything important. You can complete some side quests as well, but they are at your discretion. During exploration, you may stumble upon chests containing valuable loot and sometimes you will end up fighting a powerful enemy which you may have missed if you stuck to the main road.
The second element of gameplay is combat, and it is one of the most satisfying mechanics of 8-Bit Adventures 2. Combat is fought in turns with a turn sequence appearing on the right side of the screen. Depending on your current moves, you may alter this sequence. For example, if you render an enemy stunned, they will lose their upcoming move because they will be stunned. Similarly, sometimes an item used also grants you an additional move. During a move, you can perform a single task ranging from attacking, using an ability, item or gaining a defense stance for an incoming powerful attack. After that, the next one in the sequence gets a move and when you defeat all enemies or you are defeated, the combat scenario is complete.
While some enemies in the game are tough and some are weak, you do come with a secret weapon that can alter the fate of any battle. Every time you take damage, a meter at the bottom of the screen known as the Omega Bar fills up. Once it fills up completely, you can perform an Omega Attack which is unique for every character. It is the most powerful attack in your inventory, and it can alter the battle in your favor even if you are on the brink of defeat. If you find yourself in hot water, you can use items to refill your health and AP/MP, and some characters can do it as well. Combat appears simple but it has depth, and it is enjoyable as you play around with different things to overcome the oppression.
Apart from items like health potions and elixirs, you will also find armor and weapons for each of your characters., Equipping these items will make your character stronger and resistant to certain types of attacks. Apart from finding them in random chests and boss fights, you can also visit different merchants around the world to purchase new armor pieces and weapons. You can also find and equip different Augmentations for various boosts and buffs. These items can be switched on the go as well. There is no crafting or alchemy in the game so your best bet of finding armor and weapons is chests or vendors in different areas.
One of our favorite elements of 8-Bit Adventures 2 is its level design and pixelated visuals. Not only does it remind us of the golden era of RPGs with pixelated graphics and simple aesthetics but the level design, the enemy design and the small details in animations are just amazing. Right from the very first level when we are in a desert and our cape is blowing in the wind, you start to enjoy these little details. This continues as you progress in the game and every level in the game is just beautiful to look at. It is because of this, the exploration does not feel like a chore, but you actually enjoy looking here and there, checking out little details, and enjoying the highly detailed world of 8-Bit Adventures 2. Some of the cutscenes are semi-animated and they look cool too especially the animation before you unleash a powerful Omega Burst.
This brilliance extends to the enemy design of the game as well. The enemies are diverse, and every area brings unique enemies for you to fight. You will come across a wide range of enemies ranging from demons to exploding fireballs to tanks and even huge grizzly bears. Depending on the area, you will find unique enemies that are both challenging and fun to fight. The boss battles are epic, and their design is pretty cool as well. Some of the locations are designed according to the enemies and boss fights. For example, in one of the areas, we came across a large purple lion, and its arena was filled with bones everywhere. Another boss battle took place in the ocean with a huge serpent-like enemy and it was during a huge thunderstorm.
8-Bit Adventures 2 is a big surprise for us because we were not expecting it to be this good. It kept us engaged throughout our playthrough and now we are contemplating trying out its first game in the franchise as well. It is one of those games that you jump into with normal expectations, and it massively exceeds them. It is not the type of game that you just rush through but rather a slow RPG that gives you plenty of moments to take your time with it, enjoy the little details, and occasionally crush some enemies who come your way.
Final Verdict:
Every little detail in 8-Bit Adventures 2 combines to deliver a nostalgic yet modern RPG experience. Its RPG mechanics are modern yet classic, which are easy to understand, and the combat has enough depth to keep you immersed in the game. The story pulls you into the world and it is also one of the reasons why you keep coming back to it and completing it. For around 40-45 hours, 8-Bit Adventures 2 can easily keep you occupied with its beautiful, pixelated visuals, a solid soundtrack, and excellent combat. If you love playing RPGs from the early 90s when visuals were pixelated and gameplay mechanics were deep, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is a great game for you to jump into because it will keep you busy for hours to come with its expansive world and a cool airship to travel around.
Final Score: 9.0/10
