Wall World 2 Review

The repetitive nature of a pure grind fest is enough to put many people off. However, I’m not one of those people. I like the sense of slow achievement and the occasionally mindless approach. Thankfully, this is exactly what you get in Wall World 2. If you loved the original, you’ll appreciate the familiar mechanics. Yet, the developer has changed things slightly as they have incorporated a stronger story and a sense of community.

This mining roguelike was developed and published by Alawar. It is a single-player affair where vertical climbing, robots, monsters, and hunting for resources become the norm. Moreover, it has a rhythmic gameplay loop of explore, dig, panic, defend, extract, upgrade, and repeat. Although this shouldn’t be successful, it was enough to keep me playing for hours.

Wall World 2 tells a community-based story.

The original game was loved because of its sense of exploration and joy of gathering resources. However, it was seriously lacking in the story department. This has been improved in the sequel. Wall World 2 has you focusing your efforts on a mysterious “Hole”. This gap in the wall reveals the origins of the world and what lies beyond its cruel outer layer.

On top of this layer of secrecy is a city hub. Sphere City is a neon-infused futuristic world that is filled with a transient population. This hardy group needs your help, and you need them. Their missions open new areas and with them the ability to gather new resources. The valuable commodities can improve your chances of survival even though failure is all but assured.

Upgrading.

The basic loop of climbing the vertical wall, entering a mine, and gathering key items hasn’t changed. However, the ability to fight monsters inside and outside the mine, anomalies, multiple biomes, and huge procedurally generated mines mix things up nicely.

As you explore each different area, you’ll find new weapons and skills to help you. Your robospider can be improved with temporary weapons or skills to help thwart the alien swarms. Alternatively, your exosuit can be bolstered with better mining capabilities, increased agility, better health, and so forth.

However, it is the permanent upgrades that improve your chances further. Finding rare resources and gathering as much cash as possible gives you the strongest chances of survival. This is where the main element of grind comes to the fore. Wall World 2 demands that you revisit missions repeatedly. This was a little tedious, but I enjoyed the minor differences that the procedurally generated gameplay created.

Wall World 2 is a dreamy, pixelated experience.

I’m a huge fan of pixelated games and Wall World 2 didn’t let me down. The vibrant colours, interesting backdrops, and different biomes make this a visual treat. Additionally, the smooth animation, easy-to-follow action, and refined enemies are pleasant to look at. This is complemented by a high-energy soundscape. The audio profile isn’t OTT or memorable, but it works well. The combination of music and sci-fi sound effects creates a sense of power and impending doom.

The controls are easy to understand. The basic control layout and exceptional UI are supported by a simple tutorial. Consequently, if you haven’t played the original, you needn’t worry as Wall World 2 can be mastered in no time at all. I invested around 20 hours to see this through to its conclusion. However, I didn’t unlock every achievement. If that is your thing, you’ll need to spend around 35 hours of grinding to complete this title.

Wall World 2 is familiar, but fresh.

Many of the core mechanics will feel familiar. The action goes deeper, and the inclusion of a stronger story made me smile. Yet, you cannot ignore the sense of grind, and the missions may make Wall World purists angry. I liked how this evolved, and I enjoyed the guidance and slow progress. Accordingly, I recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox Store!