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After the two previous games I reviewed being nothing but story-based games (nothing wrong with that!) I really need variety in my life. In comes Crashlands 2 landing right in front of my door step like an alien with angel wings.

ABOUT CRASHLANDS 2
Crashlands 2, the sequel to Crashlands in case you can't tell by the number, is an improvement and continuation from the previous game by Butterscotch Shenanigans. Explore the large world (you can go anywhere you want), build, craft, and make plenty of friends on a planet full of quirky and strange aliens. Overwhelming Positive reviews on Steam, this game is arguably quickly becoming one of my favourites.


MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I did not play the first Crashlands, so I did not know what to expect at first. But the artstyle is immediately captivating. I love how expressive they let the characters be, as well as creating a "weird" atmosphere to hone down the fact that you are exploring a strange and wondrous planet.

I meet character after character, helping them along the way, and they help me in turn, creating a gameplay loop where kindness is met with more kindness.

!!!!Now, what do I think now that I have had some time to try out the game?

THE GAMEPLAY
Absolutely amazing gameplay loop! You explore, make things, die, go get them back, make friends, learn more things, build, grow, make more friends, die, explore! Everything feeds into everything else, and being the nice person that you CLEARLY are, come on, you help every … alien(?) you come across, which usually leads you further and further and explore more things!



I like how the world feels. It is vibrant and hostile, but a lot of the time it gets incredibly cozy. I like my friends. I hang out with them and they help me back, it is always a win-win.

The combat is surprisingly smooth, and you have a variety of things to mix and match to equip. There are also fun and strange items you can craft to aid your combat and exploration. Everything you find is weird or useful or both. Upgrades to your equipment are found by exploration, and better equipment leads to new areas to explore. I love looking for new creatures and materials, as their description is always fun to read.

Sometimes, however, you do not even need to fight. The great thing about this game is that everything interacts with each other. One thing kills another kills another, one thing explodes another eats another. There are occasions where I just AFK and collect the aftermath of the battlefield.

THE ARTSTYLE, SOUND DESIGN, MUSIC AND STORY :

All in the same part today, because they are joyfully intertwined with each other!

The color scheme used is extremely saturated, with lots of bold and bright colors, but the palette focuses a lot on colors that does not exist naturally on our own world. Plenty of magenta, cyans, purples and blues. I love how the character looks – a design that is instantly recognizable, and the animations are .. dare I say, LOUD. I enjoy how fun it looks to see my character moves and even how they dies is fun to look at.


Something I especially love is how the creatures and items my character picked up along the way has this sort of… whimsy is not the word, but the way the game does not take itself too seriously all the time in the design of the environment and creatures. It is extremely charming to find and obtain new items.

This world uses its lightsource masterfully to draw you in its different environments and bizarre atmosphere. I like it when the world is slightly dark, because that is when everything gives out a nice glowing hue.


This game has quite a bit of environment storytelling. I love how the world turns dull in places that has been destroyed — and suddenly. Lifeless. One of our friends is affected by that as well.
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The game has quite a bit of soft instrumentals mixed with plenty of synths, creating a gentle but unusual atmosphere as you collect and explore the world – most of the time it is inobstrusive as you casually walk across the massive plot of land. The sounds that catches your attention most is actually the various fauna and flora, as well as your footsteps as you traverse the planet.


There is plot, but… again. My apologies, I did not play the first game where there is.. probably a lot of information in their other games. All the characters have fun and strange names that you would not see in the English language, and I am not good with keeping track with every name. But the overall vibe of this game reminds me a lot of a Space Western – lots of ranches and farms, sparse colonies between an ever strange planet. And you are running around, doing errands and helping friends (I am pretty sure our main protagonist Flux has a few goals but I… totally forgot what they were). Do not skip the story and dialogue like I did in the first few minutes, though. The characters are eccentric, but charming, and all the dialogue has important information for your quest.



All I can say is that, highly recommend this game for those who like exploration and making friends! If you have played this game, please tell me your thoughts in the comments.