“Freedom Planet 2” (FP2), the long-awaited sequel to 2014’s “Freedom Planet,” is finally making its way to consoles this April after being only on PC for over a year. However, the wait will be worth it for console players as the game has been polished and refined over that time. 

“Freedom Planet 2” is a fast-paced 2D platformer inspired by its brethren from the 90s. The game lets you control four different characters, each with unique skills and abilities. Lilac the Dragon, Carol the Wildcat, Milla the Hound and Neera the Frost Knight are the main playable characters. 

The story is about the world of Avalice, three years after the attack of Lord Brevon, which nearly wiped out the planet. Lord Brevron was stopped at the cost of the Avalice’s main energy source, the kingdom stone, which shattered into nothing but stars in the sky. Now a mysterious creature from a war long ago has been unleashed on the world once again and it’s up to Avalice’s returning heroines to stop new and old foes.

Right off the bat, the game leaves a lasting impression with its impressive storytelling and beautiful graphics. Most noticeable as well is the improvement in voice acting from the first game, where the voice acting was inconsistent at times, giving the game a confusing mix of serious and casual, more light-hearted tones. The sequel still has its comical moments but remains more consistent with a serious tone. All the voice actors did a phenomenal job, but most notably, Dawn M. Bennett as Lilac and Edwyn Tiong as the Magister stand out as being particularly excellent. 

Beyond the consistency of tone and improved voice acting, the gameplay also improved from the first game, with better controls and a new guarding system to help avoid enemy attacks. This makes players think more critically about how they approach levels and bosses as they run and jump through the world of Avalice. FP2 also features a quick and easy way to view the game’s controls via the bottom left of the screen during gameplay, which shows a small set of button prompts telling you all available moves currently. This adds to the game’s already great accessibility options. On top of this, FP2 features several difficulty modes and settings such as reduced continue costs that let you adjust the game’s challenge on a whim. The game also features a more dynamic camera system that zooms in and out depending on the needs of the players. The camera in the original “Freedom Planet” stayed at a more fixed angle, which sometimes made it difficult to see where players needed to go. 

The music is just as catchy as the original game, if not better. FP2 goes for a more jazz/energetic soundtrack overall whereas FP1 had a more natural yet chiptune-inspired soundtrack. Some highlights include “Dragon Valley,” “Airship Sigwada,” “Phoenix Highway” and “Vs. Robot B.” 

According to an interview with the CEO of Galaxytrail (the company behind FP2) by Sonic Fan Games HQ, the seven-year-long development cycle was a result of wanting to avoid the crunch that occurred near the end of FP1’s development. The article goes on to discuss how the characters of FP2 have changed and grown after the events of the first game as well as sharing advice for aspiring game developers.

The game also introduces several new gameplay features and mechanics that add to the already great experience. One instance that makes the gameplay much more fluid is that the meter for special abilities is only used during one move, whereas in FP1 it was used up by several moves. This makes the game much more fun, given that you can do moves like Lilac’s dragon cyclone (which is essentially an offensive double jump) much more frequently. 

Another big gameplay feature is the battlesphere, which allows players to fight in rematches against already defeated bosses and compete in other challenges to earn rewards once the sphere is unlocked in the story. This adds further replayability to the game along with the new ranking system for completing stages, where you are given a letter grade based on your performance. 

All in all, Freedom Planet 2 is a well-crafted game that improves upon nearly everything from its predecessor and is an easy recommendation for any video game fan.

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