An unmissable rhythm-based RPG with the wackiness dialed up to 11.
The original Everhood, released in 2021, was one of the most unforgettable titles of that year, primarily for its outstanding soundtrack, unique gameplay, and bountiful surprises. Without a doubt, any follow-up to it would have gigantic shoes to fill, and somehow Everhood 2 not only matches its predecessor; it exceeds it in every way. An Undertale-like adventure with musical combat that never misses a beat, Everhood 2 enters must-play territory a few hours in, and it only gets better from there.
The opening presents a series of quiz questions meant to shape your experience with the game, and it’s not the first time that Everhood 2 will attempt to speak directly to the player. In many ways, the satire shines through and you’re as likely to find yourself laughing at the game’s slapstick humor as you are the call backs to video games and platforms of the past. You play as a nondescript human whose soul color is connected to the aforementioned quiz, and while you’re occasionally joined by random party members, it’s almost always you against the world. Attempting to describe the world in which you find yourself would be a tall task, but anyone who’s played the first game or remembers Earthbound’s Moonside will have a good idea of what to expect. The hub areas of Everhood 2 and the guidance of a purple raven make the overall journey a bit smoother this time around.
A simple but major change to the combat is what pushes the original’s awesome battles into the realm of perfection. Positioned at the bottom of five columns, your character had to evade different motes and beams of light in order to survive until the end of the song, or eventually reflect some of these in the direction of your foe; in Everhood 2, however, you get to fight back from the very beginning, and it’s fun as all heck. By absorbing groups of the same colored lights, you can launch a projectile back at your foe, with a more powerful strike the more lights you absorb. Each battle involves constantly having to decide between whittling down their life meter with a cascade of smaller attacks or risking it all on a mega absorption combo to deal a massive amount of damage. No written explanation can fully capture the satisfaction of landing a charged blast after pulling in 30 lights in a row, or the disappointment of missing a jump or dodge that would preserve such a combo. In playing Everhood 2 for review, I’m not sure what was higher: the thousands of points of damage I rained on my opponents, or the number of swear words shouted out in the process.
Everhood 2 leans much more heavily into its RPG trappings, with a dedicated experience meter, treasure chests full of EXP to help you level up, and power gems to acquire so that you can strengthen your weapons. The better you are at the combat, the less time you might need to spend exploring thoroughly or grinding for level ups, but in reaching what I believe to be the game’s full or true ending, I never found myself having to grind. There are also four difficulty levels to choose from to tailor the game further to individual preferences.
The ridiculous, zany cast are another unforgettable element of Everhood 2, ranging from Carl Jung and Rasputin to a giant watermelon, a horde of tomatoes, or an all-powerful dragon. Familiar faces and places from the original Everhood also make an appearance, creating a compelling continuity between the two games. Puzzles that may seem complex at first are often simpler than they appear and typically played for laughs, and their inclusion adds a pleasant variety to the largely linear spaces that you explore. Some of the environments include a Lost Woods-inspired forest, the inside of a video game system, a vegetable kingdom, and many others, and at no point did I feel like I wanted my time with Everhood 2 to end. The amount of entertainment to be derived from its charming spaces and captivating battles is nigh endless.
The more I feel that words lack the power to explain the joy of a game, the closer that game might be to utter greatness. There are stones left unturned in the world of Everhood 2 that I fall asleep thinking about, like the random codes and keys to be used in a mysterious hotel elevator that can take me to encounters unknown, or a colosseum where you can replay any fight from the game to achieve a higher damage total and put your name on the online leaderboard. In later segments of the story, you even get to play as some of your friends in a tower defense-style mini-game. I’d be doing a disservice by sharing anything further about the incredible moments around every turn; in a word, they’re magnificent.
Everhood 2 upgrades every element of the first game and even streamlines the experience to create a more well crafted, captivating, and pulse-pounding adventure. The enjoyment of the battle system is underscored by its simplicity and the way each encounter feels fresh, with the major boss fights crafting some truly legendary moments. There’s a bit of repetition built into seeing every single thing under the hood, but repetition is no real issue when it’s so darn groovy. While I may have completely forgotten that this sequel was announced in 2023, I’ll make no such mistake if developer Foreign Gnomes deigns to go for a three-peat. It’s undoubtedly a beautiful day in this neighborhood.
