Freedom Planet 2 review

GalaxyTrail’s follow-up forms its own identity, offering just as must action as platforming.

Sonic Mania was one of the 34-year-old franchise’s best achievements, revisiting the gameplay and visuals of the original Genesis series. And while the 2017 title was well-received by both critics and fans, there was the subtle feeling that developer Christian Whitehead was holding back. Sure, sending the Blue Blur sprinting, springing, and spin-dashing nurtured a feeling of nostalgia. But innovations were understandably scarce – with Mania conforming to formula.

With Freedom Planet 2, Whitehead gets some much-needed independence. Working alongside returning director Sabrina DiDuro, the second entry takes a few indispensable liberties, helping the franchise forge its own identity. Although there are a few palpable missteps, largely Freedom Planet appears to be eclipsing its inspiration in everything but star power.

An Adorable Cast of Ani-Gals

Most notably, Freedom Planet builds on the supplementary movesets pioneered by characters like Miles Prower, Knuckles the Echidna and even the gun-wielding Shadow the Hedgehog. Starting a game allows players to select from three returning characters. Lilac is the team leader and a dragon-girl who can give her mane a Shantae-like whip. Carol is a jade-colored wildcat who likes to claw at enemies and can handle a motorcycle like a Kamen Rider. And then there’s Milla, a flying Basset Hound who carries a protective shield that also doubles as a firearm.

Neera, a mini boss from the previous game, joins Team Liliac for the follow-up. As a frost knight, she carries a cryo staff that’s useful as both a melee and projectile-based weapon. Regardless of who you select, you’ll have access to more offensive and defensive options than most platformers. As such, Freedom Planet 2 provides a welcome alternative to jumping on top of opponents as you adopt bullet-repelling defensive stances and pepper foes with a volley of projectiles.

Stages That Stretch On

The game’s extended movesets also allow for variability. While there are plenty of breakneck sections that will have your character looping and soaring through the air after hitting a booster, enemy density in other areas will require a slower, more cautious approach. Sure, Freedom Planet 2’s stages can stretch out for too long, with segments that sporadically feel copy-and-pasted. But the game’s levels do compel players to master the entire arsenal of abilities for their chosen character. The downside is that if you don’t jibe with a character’s skills, you’ll have to start a new game. Sadly, swapping playables isn’t an option, which can lead to a sense of regret a few hours into the game’s substantial campaign.

And while you probably won’t break a sweat getting past the primary part of most levels, character weaknesses grow more pronounced during the boss battles that conclude stages. Sure, these showdowns are visually impressive, with foes that fill the screen or can dispense legions of smaller impediments to deal with. But here, many of the mid-range projectiles and special attacks that pull from your energy supply feel ineffective against elevated enemies.

Developer GalaxyTrail likely knew the increase in difficulty during these sections could frustrate players. Mercifully, different kinds of assists allow you to optionally auto-guard or even prohibit knock backs. Should you falter in a stage, you can elect to go back to a checkpoint with completely restored health or continue where you left off with a partial refill. This should be a decision that more games offer.

An Emphasis of Exposition

Aesthetically, Freedom Planet 2’s flaunts rich character design, while the lush background art is brought to life through layers of parallax scrolling. Similarly, the game’s melodious soundtrack delivers a selection of cheerful ear-pleasers that supply a quick cadence for the action. Unfortunately, the game’s voice acting doesn’t measure up as well. Freedom Planet 2 offers more storyline than its peers, but the performances try too hard to be upbeat and end up feeling faintly artificial. Luckily, it’s more of a missed opportunity than a deal-breaker.

Beyond the 24-stage campaign, Freedom Planet 2 offers additional enjoyment in a new boss rush mode as well as a classic mode that allows you to replay stages once you’ve completed the game. Overall, you’ll find about 15-20 hours of action-driven enjoyment that’s worthy of the asking price.

Freedom Planet 2 was played on Switch with review code provided by the publisher.