➤ Teslagrad 2, the review of an electromagnetic puzzle platformer 🕹

The review of Teslagrad 2, a platform puzzle game set in a fascinating world that flows at high speed.

Rain Games' Teslagrad was the prototype of the perfect indie game: small, full of creativity and with quirky mechanics that offered an original point of view on platform games. To finish it, the player had to prove that they had great controller skills and intelligence to tackle the challenging puzzles that filled the game world.

Conceptually it was similar to Braid, although the game mechanics were completely different. Now, after about ten years, the official sequel has reached a market that has meanwhile completely changed its face. Can he break through? Find out in Teslagrade 2 Review.

Gameplay

Teslagrad 2, the review of an electromagnetic puzzle platformer — Some Teslagrad 2 steps are difficult

The vibrations felt when starting the game apparently seem the same as in the first chapter, but in reality, despite starting from similar assumptions, you soon discover that everything here is more accelerated and dynamic and that the platform has acquired greater importance than its predecessor. Teslagrad 2 is like a roller coaster, at least when it's running at its maximum. You spend your time running from one side of the map to the other, sliding at breakneck speed down circular ramps while avoiding chasms and obstacles. You transform into an electric shock to follow the cables that run from one part of the game world to another, creating unthinkable connections that ideally replace fast travel. You break floors, fall from infinite heights, float using the protagonist's Teslamancy and launch yourself through the water reaching previously unreachable places.

It would almost be tempting to use the word metroidvania, but doing so would be a mistake because most of the time it continues straight ahead, with the stages flowing fluidly in front of the player's eyes, asking them to only move forward and backward. in case you want to search for all the hidden collectibles (cards) or fall into some abyss. There are power-ups to collect to unlock new areas, which, however, can always be quickly accessed from the point you are at at the time of the update. Part of the center of the game It is always the resolution of the puzzles, as in the first chapter, but in our opinion simpler to allow the greater dynamism of the game to be expressed without castrations.

Teslagrad 2 is essentially a 2D puzzle platformer. tell the history of Lumina, a young Teslaman (members of the Tesla family or their students) who at the beginning of the game falls into Wyrmheim, a Nordic land full of decidedly hostile creatures, where an immense seemingly abandoned tower stands. The Teslamants are peaceful and completely unarmed, so Lumina was left helpless in the face of the brutal assault suffered by a group of Viking raiders, who fired a few well-placed cannon shots to shoot down her small plane. Now, however, she must find a way to survive and return home, while she discovers what is in her past and who is the mysterious guy who decided to help her.

A fascinating world

The initial impact of Teslagrad 2 is somewhat surprising. While it doesn't explain its systems, it reassures the player by giving them the space to understand the basic mechanics and how the first powers work. Instead of procrastinating too much with tutorials and explanations, it immediately throws the player into the action by creating introductory moments to new skills that are always contextual and never forced. Furthermore, it immediately manages to fascinate one graphics Like an illustrated book and its dynamics are as simple as they are attractive. As we have mentioned before, this is a physics-based puzzle game that is certainly not ashamed of being so. So here we are using Lumina's electromagnetic powers to attach ourselves to walls or to overcome insidiously placed electric shocks, the biggest difficulty being never understanding what to do (we only got stuck facing two puzzles throughout the game, including the ending) . how much to be able to do it, between very narrow passages, traps that must be overcome by coordinating all the available skills and enemies that are more insidious than tough.

In this sense, the first chapter certainly featured more complex puzzles, while here the pace of the action was favored more. Also, even in Teslagrad 2 you only get one kind of weapon at the end of the game, so the player has to think about how to deal with the few enemies scattered around the areas by using the other powers creatively, such as the three-phase electric skeletons or strange and voracious animals that you can only escape from and that also chase you across the platforms. From time to time you have to face gods. boss, also built basically as a puzzle, with boxes to throw, enemies to explode at the right time, slides to coordinate with enemy attacks, and floors to break. They are well-constructed confrontations, which are also among the most spectacular moments in the game.

The problems of Teslagrade 2

Unfortunately Teslagrad 2 has any problem which prevents you from achieving excellence. Meanwhile, the strange mapping of controls, which emerges especially in the final part. By the way, some actions share the same button and can cause confusion precisely when the gameplay expresses its maximum complexity. The second problem is all narrative, so to speak. As written above, the game world is very beautiful and there are some truly spectacular moments, particularly those of traveling on electrical wires. Unfortunately, most of the backstory of Lumina's story is told through collectibles, which are very well hidden. It's certainly an incentive not to go straight to the end and open up to exploration, but more could have been done to make the most important facts more present, thus increasing the player's involvement in a story that otherwise , ends up appearing too. cold.

Finally, it is also wise to mention the duration, which for some could represent a problem. To finish Teslagrad 2 (without collecting all the cards) it takes between three and five hours, although the challenge level is quite high and some passages are really difficult. Anyway, after watching the ending, the only incentive to return to the game is the cards or trying a speedrun. This didn't particularly bother us, as the writer tends to appreciate more compact games that don't require repeating the same loops endlessly just to lengthen the story, but it's clear that for some it could be a problem.

Conclusions

Tested version PC with Windows digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 19,50 € Holygamerz.com 8.0 Readers (5) 7.8 your vote

Teslagrad 2 is a successful game that if it had been a little more ambitious it would surely have stood out more. As it is, it turns out to be an excellent sequel, but it always seems like it's missing something to take flight, as if it's afraid to express its full potential. Definitely recommended, but could have aimed for higher heights.