Teslagrad 2 Review
Summary: Teslagrad 2 is a shockingly beautiful sequel with solid mechanics and some excellent boss battles.
4
Thunderstruck
Rain Games’ physics-based Metroidvania Teslagrad 2 is a beautiful game, with solid platforming and some brilliant environmental storytelling that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Players take control of Lumina, the daughter of the protagonist of the first game, who is trying to return home after her airship is shot down by Sky Vikings. After plummeting to earth Lumia’s adventure begins through a captivating and distinctly Norse land.
Making her way through a series of dangerous caverns. Lumia is stalked by strange creatures that twist and creep in the shadows until they are finally ready to strike. After a clever boss fight against the leader of these subterranean horrors, Lumia makes her way to the surface and encounters a mysterious hooded figure who aids her in her quest and shows her the way forward, but who are they? And more importantly; can they be trusted?
Teslagrad 2 does a wonderful job of conveying its twisting narrative through gameplay and the environment. As you explore this strange and crumbling kingdom, the mystery that surrounds the Sky Viking invasion and the fate of its citizens is revealed in each new area you visit, newsreel you watch, and painting on the wall.
However, by far the star of the show here is the Teslagrad 2’s marvellous physics-based, puzzle platforming and the suite of powers Lumia accrues during her quest. Each new area has a new upgrade to find or fight for, while new ideas and systems are layered in. At the heart of the game though is a suite of electricity-based powers like an electromagnetic field that sees you stick to red surfaces and be repelled, sometimes forcefully from blue surfaces. Lumia also has the ability to turn into a jolt of electricity allowing her to pass through grates, extend her jump, pass through wires and zip through water like an electric Echo the Dolphin. It’s all put to great use as each new area presents you with new, and steadily more complex challenges while driving the story forward.
Though the moment-to-moment platforming is tons of fun (especially once you’ve unlocked the electric boots) and very slickly constructed for the best part. The same can’t be said of all of the boss battles. Though they are all beautifully designed, they are not all created equal; for every exciting fight against a giant serpent or angry Viking warlord, there are fights that feel like you got through by luck more than judgment. This is worsened in a couple of instances where the bosses use mobs of Draugrs to run interference. These things are a pain in the arse to kill by themselves; add a boss into the mix and it’s a recipe for some cheap deaths and frustration.
You don’t mind quite so much though, because of how beautifully rendered and animated every last inch of the game is. Every foe has a sense of life and energy (even the dead ones)l and the bosses are a real highlight in this regard. From giant serpents that fill the screen to undead stags reanimated by a strange electrical generator. Each is wonderfully realised. While each battle is punctuated with a suitably epic soundtrack that takes clear inspiration from traditional Scandinavian folk with a slightly Slavic twist. In short, it’s superb.
Though Teslagrad 2 can be raced through in a few hours, there are plenty of hidden challenges and little asides for those that want to collect the 81 cards littered throughout its intriguing world, which also greatly extends the runtime.
Final Thoughts?
Overall, Teslagrad 2 is a fun and engaging and succinct platformer, with superb presentation, and great environmental narrative design. If you’re in the market for a varied and engaging puzzle platformer I would recommend giving Teslagrad 2 a spin.
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