A sequel to a game that was inevitably difficult to follow, Teslagrad 2 is crafted with the utmost care, attention, and knowledge of what made its predecessor so special.
From the beginning, it’s clear that the charm of its predecessor has been preserved. The art and animation are great. The setting draws from historic Europe, with key identifiers that place you in the Nordic-inspired countryside, without explicit reference to a particular event or era. This allows designers to get creative and embellish settings with fantastical creatures and villains that have loose ties to history and folklore.
Teslagrad 2 begins with an animation of a steampunk airship crash-landing on a beach. The protagonist, Lumina, scrambles up and joins the race to her safety as missiles are fired from her enemy ships in pursuit of her. The controls are intuitive and can be learned quickly with essentially no instruction, even if you’re new to the series.
Ride through the fjords and you’ll quickly find the accessories you need to take advantage of Teslagrad’s signature electromagnetic physics. Glowing plants and rocks are scattered throughout the map, and you can either cling to them or throw yourself without using these skills.
Then you’ll also learn how to propel yourself through the water so you can leap over waterfalls. Still later you find an electromagnetic ax that you can throw and summon. This can serve not only as a weapon, but also as a means of breaking through obstacles. These additional powers build on the electromagnetic abilities established in the prequel in a natural way. Not only do they provide a logical progression, they also fit very well into new settings.
Once you’ve safely arrived at the village, a mysterious benefactor will protect you from enemies and grant you access to the towers on either side of the settlement. You can tackle the towers in any order you like. The first few levels of either are easy enough to challenge without the benefit of the other.
Already the game is bigger than its predecessor and noticeably non-linear. Exploring will reveal the story that Teslagrad 2 contains and where Lumina will be incorporated into it. Important details are sprinkled throughout the game’s backgrounds. In the Halls of the Tower, there are portraits, murals and statues that give clues about Lumina’s family, her relationship with her village, the air pirates who have followed her here, and the mysterious figures who have been waiting for her. , movies and photographs are on display.
You can also collect while scrolling. This acts as a motivation to keep trying to kill two birds with one stone. There are a total of 81 to be found (which instantly suggests a more complex map containing more hidden secrets than his 36 volumes in the prequel). If you manage to find them all before reaching the final boss, you’ll unlock his second boss fight, which is more challenging and truly proves your prowess.
The world of Teslagrad 2 has both natural and man-made phenomena, and you can explore both magnificent caves with lakes and waterfalls and huge castles with incredible architecture. In the background, misty mountains and fantastical castles loom over your adventure.
A key point is a launcher that can fire a rope at the center of the map, at a village, or at an airship floating above it. These allow you to rappel back to the central point, making it easier to navigate the map after unlocking new spaces.
Free to explore at your own pace, Teslagrad 2 can be a very short game depending on how you play it. On the first lap, I reached the last boss without realizing it was the last boss. I left sections completely unexplored and even missed minor bosses entirely. And the bonus that I would get if I defeated that boss.
However, if you take your time and do it thoroughly, you can get a lot out of this game. Exploring and revisiting the labyrinths with the new powers you develop along your journey is a lot of fun, and there are plenty of secrets to uncover if you’re careful. Building on already interesting mechanics, Teslagrad 2 is built for a beautiful new setting that is undeniably rewarding and looks gorgeous.
