Gonner2

Genre: Action-Platformer / 2-Stick Shooter / Roguelike

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

GoNNER2 is an Action-Platformer with 2-Stick Shooter and Roguelike elements released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2020. As with the first game, It has you playing as an odd creature named Ikk who can put on different heads to gain different abilities, and who travels between levels by getting eaten by a giant worm and then pooped out the other side because sure, why not.

Once again, the presentation here is very strange, and once again almost nothing is explained. You’re expected to either get on board, or not. The levels are constructed with 2D visuals that look almost like a black light painting, with the levels themselves constructing themselves as you go through them. This is backed by a relaxed synthesized soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere of the game, giving it a surreal, otherworldly feel.

This time around, there are a few additional features that improve on the experience of the first game. The main one here is the addition of 2-Stick Shooter mechanics that give players much more freedom to blast away at enemies. This time, the game is still punishingly difficult, but it feels like you’ve been given more agency to fight off enemies than in the first game. The other big addition here is multiplayer co-op, which also potentially cuts down the difficulty some by letting two players cover each others’ backs.

However, in the end my complaints about this game are much the same as the first game – its odd presentation and punishing difficulty make it very niche, and its refusal to explain any of what’s going on to the player makes it even harder to get into (though at least this time you’re told the names of pickups you get).

I guess this is just a series that doesn’t speak to me. At the very least, I can say that Gonner2 is a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, with 2-Stick aiming and multiplayer support being a significant addition. But in the end, the core experience is still the super-niche combination of high difficulty, odd presentation, and frustratingly opaque world and mechanics that I didn’t care for in the first game. I don’t doubt that someone out there will love this game, but that someone isn’t me.

tl;dr – GoNNER2 is an Action-Platformer with 2-Stick Shooter and Roguelike elements that, like the first game, is very odd, and has no intention of explaining any of what the heck is going on. This is certainly an improvement, with both the 2-Stick Shooter mechanics and multiplayer being significant additions. But in the end, this game still suffers from the same issues as its predecessor – this is a very niche game that’s just not welcoming to new players.

Grade: C+

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