Once More Into the Gravitational Breach

User Rating: 9 | Gravity Rush 2 PS4

Gravity Rush 2 begins as a masked figure in what appears to be a diving suit, enters a cage and is then lowered down into a gravitational anomaly below. Above, a large, floating airship communicates with the figure as it slowly descends. As the cage breaks through the anomaly, a whole other world is revealed. Miners move back and forth, working hard to get as much of the mysterious glowing pink orbs as they can haul. As you assume control of the figure and a mishap or two later, it is revealed that we've been in control of Kat, the young gravity shifter, the whole time and that's where the story kicks off.

If you've played Gravity Rush on the Vita or the remastered version on the PS4, many of the games elements will be familiar to you. The first few minutes of Gravity Rush 2 leave Kat stranded among a mining settlement without her trusty cat(and source of her power), Dusty. She's lost and is doing her best along with her friend Syd, to repay her debt to the mining settlement. However, it isn't long before Dusty's return and Kat is off doing her best to help the people in need.

For those who have played the first Gravity Rush on the Vita or it's PS4 Remaster will notice that much of the story seems to be forgotten in Gravity Rush 2. The first title left us wondering just who Kat was and what lead her to Hekseville in the first place and while it isn't immediately touched upon, those with patience will find their answers as Kat makes her way through three different episodes, with each taking place in a different location. Two of which are rather large hub worlds for Kat to play around in.

The gameplay in Gravity Rush 2 will feel very familiar(and maybe just as frustrating) to veteran players as Kat whips around the air kicking Nevi butt. While much hasn't changed, Kat does get some new skills to play with along with two new styles. These styles are known as the Lunar and Jupiter style, with Lunar making Kat lighter and Jupiter making her heavier. Both styles affect Kat's performance in battle and change the special effect of her throwing abilities. Where her Normal style throws objects at a piercing speed, Lunar will instead trap enemies in a vortex and Jupiter will hurl a large ball of debris at enemies and explode. You can also upgrade her abilities(just as you could in the last) with all those sparkly gems you collect to boost Kat's skill and lower her SP gauge consumption.

While it certainly isn't a difficult game, I occasionally found myself getting frustrated with the camera as it did it's best attempt to twist and turn and keep up with Kat. One mission in general had me seeing red as all of the tight spaces I had to maneuver through kept catching Kat and halting her momentum on things like small pipes and other things in the environment. I also found myself relying heavily on Kat's throwing ability. Paired with the Lunar style, it's easy to build up her SP gauge and hurl deadly benches at groups of enemies with those hard to reach weak points.

Outside of the combat, there's a plethora of things to do. Early on, Kat gets a camera from her buddy Syd and after a rather perverted quest for a lonely old man, she gets access to a scavenger hunt and more open up as you progress through the game as a well as various challenges that do the same. Players can also collect Dusty tokens, a social stat where the game's multiplayer is tied into. It will increase as players complete Treasure Hunts, rate other players pictures and submit their own pictures for others to see. Players can also challenge each other to beating their Challenge scores. If you're short on gems you can also go mining and take part in the gravitational phenomenon and take on tougher Nevi. There's also a massive list of side quests to do, some of which unlock things like new costumes and gestures for Kat. Having a save file on your PS4 from the Remastered edition will also unlock some bonus outfits as well.

While Gravity Rush 2 doesn't run at 1080p and 60 Frames like the Remastered edition does, that doesn't halt it from being a gorgeous looking game. Some boss battles play out beautifully as you dodge attacks and fend of massive Nevi and other threats. The first Gravity Rush felt like one big charming cartoon and that carried on over into the sequel. Environments are all well detailed and Gravity Rush 2's hub cities are filled with the hustle and bustle of people who make the world seem alive. Cutscenes still play out mostly as an interactive comic and the charming language spoken by the characters also remains intact.

Overall, Gravity Rush 2 is a good entry into the series. While if can be just as frustrating at some points but the soaring through the air is just as fun as the first time. There's plenty to do and plenty to collect in a large world to explore and if you're patient enough, all of your questions will be answered. If you were a fan of the first, then it's sequel will not fail you.