Welcome to today’s review, where we delve into the realm of “game concepts I never thought would be marketable”. Our focus is on the newly released Necrosmith 2. This game has an intriguing concept where you gather up dead body parts to assemble an army of the dead in a bid to conquer the world.
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Story
In Necrosmith 2, you re-enter a mysterious world overrun by monsters. Having learnt your lessons from the first Necrosmith game, you journey back into this world with a vow of making no more mistakes. The storyline is subtly woven into the gameplay, primarily narrated through cut scenes and dialogues occurring between level attempts. The pixel art style world is distinct, featuring unique biomes and landscapes that create an otherworldly feel to the game. While the story doesn’t necessarily drive gameplay, its presence enhances this richly built world. Hence, for Story and World Building, Necrosmith 2 earns a rating of Juiced.
Gameplay
Necrosmith 2 gameplay offers a dark twist on traditional tower defense mechanics, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre. Players start with a tower and various body parts, constructing soldiers complete with a head, two arms, two legs, a torso, and a certain amount of mana. The game offers a variety of body parts, each with different stats and some with bonus skills. Gameplay operates on a day/night cycle, with enemies attacking during the day and resource collection occurring at night. In addition to body parts, players can gather other materials to upgrade their tower, as well as gold for purchasing upgrades and mana for animating soldiers. Soldiers have different control modes, including attack, defend the tower, and resource collection, allowing for a range of strategies. As players progress, they unlock the ability to build titans, powerful units requiring significant resources but crucial for defeating tougher enemies. The game aims to eliminate all enemies while keeping the player’s tower standing. Necrosmith 2’s mechanics are fun and addictive, with level-to-level upgrades adding replayability. Despite initial difficulty, the game becomes more enjoyable as players unlock upgrades and experiment with strategies. In summary, Necrosmith 2 is a well-executed game that earns a Fully Caffeinated rating for its gameplay.
performance
On the performance front, Necrosmith 2 runs smoothly, with no bugs or issues detected during gameplay. The controls are easy to pick up and the game is well-executed. Thus, for performance, Necrosmith 2 again gets a fully caffeinated rating.
Design
The design of Necrosmith 2 is just as impressive. Featuring edgy pixel art style graphics with a vibrant colour palette, the game creates a cool vibe that suits its theme. The quirky Necrosmith world is further amplified by the music and sound effects that confirm your impending loss. The design aesthetic sets a fun, yet dark and mysterious atmosphere. Hence, for design, Necrosmith 2 is rated as Fully Caffeinated.
Originality
When it comes to originality, Necrosmith 2 shines with its unique theme. The game mechanics and functionality may echo other games in the genre, but its unique theme changes the whole vibe. Despite not typically being a fan of tower defense games, I found Necrosmith 2 really fun and engaging. This game definitely stands out, earning another Fully Caffeinated rating for originality.
The Final Brew
In conclusion, Necrosmith 2 is a well-executed game that brings a refreshing spin to the tower defense genre. With a quirky soundtrack and design aesthetic, Necrosmith 2 is a fun and engaging game. Having ground the beans, weighed and pressed the grinds, and brewed this game down for a taste test, Necrosmith 2 gets the final rating of Fully Caffeinated.
Now available on Steam, Necrosmith 2 is a game worth exploring. For those who have had a chance to play any of the Necrosmith games, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Until next time, stay caffeinated.
