I have always liked the expressive charm of Rain Games’ work. His first title, that of 2013 Teslagrade, made a strong first impression thanks to the excellent visual storytelling that peppers a fresh take on a metroidvania platformer. In fact, his next two titles, world west Y hypnotist, everything took place within that same world. With those expectations in mind, he intrigued me. Teslagrade 2; a proper sequel after nearly a decade. Now, after spending about eighty minutes with him, I need to see more.
Teslagrade 2 the opening hits the ground running. While the original game took place almost entirely inside the mysterious tower, the sequel opens with the red-haired protagonist being attacked by an enemy airship. This kicks off the game’s tutorial where you travel through foreboding caves, get involved in some chase and escape sequences, and ends with you in an abandoned town. This is where the art direction really shines with beautiful backgrounds, emotive character animations, and an aesthetic that is somewhere in between. tintin and a Russian folk tale. In addition, there is a dedication to non-verbal storytelling. Why is the protagonist exploring this land? She holds up a photo of what could be her family. Why is a mysterious hooded figure giving you upgrades? She looks like someone in the photo. It all feels effortless and says a lot with so little.
After reaching this town, Teslagrade 2 it starts to open up. The electric and magnetic powers from the series return, which you use to navigate the environment. You have a lightning dash that helps you get through gaps and tight spaces. Later, you get a magnetic field that allows you to stick to red surfaces and repel blue ones. it is here that Teslagrade 2 the feel of the game really starts to shine through. I remember having a smile on my face as various spots and challenges were dished out at a solid pace. The electric dash move helps you get through gaps, which you use to escape a sequence in some abandoned mines. Eventually, you get a magnetic field, which allows you to stick to red surfaces and repel blue surfaces. This is used to great effect with magnetic blocks that you grab and throw, as well as sections where you travel up red walls and ceilings.
But Teslagrade 2 throw some extra twists on this formula. The demo’s biggest hurdle was in an elaborate tower filled with electric undead. This is where the demo introduced glowing blue blocks that could only be climbed if their magnetic field was turned on. This led to some tricky sections where I had to quickly turn my field on and off to avoid hazards. It also led to a single frustrating section where I had to use my magnetic field to climb up the tower through some tubes. the physics of Teslagrade 2 they’re heavier than you’d expect, leading to frustration in places. If you shoot from the wrong angle or don’t alternate your field at the right time, you can end up caught or stumble. This took a bit of trial and error as I didn’t cast from the correct angle or bounced off a wall and fell to the bottom, breaking a state of continuous flow.
This sour note was quickly forgotten by the end of the demo: a boss battle against a bony electric stag. The battle itself was challenging, mixing movement challenges and enemies scattered throughout the demo. It also helped that there was a checkpoint just outside the arena. But shortly after beating the boss, I unlocked a new gadget. It was a pair of boots that slipped me across certain power lines like a certain blue hedgehog. It was so quick that when the “Thanks for playing” screen appeared shortly after, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more. If that’s not praise for a preview, I don’t know what is.
Teslagrade 2 maintains the strengths of Rain Games’ previous work. The environment design is great, expanding the scope and scale of the original. The non-verbal narration is both charming and efficient. The puzzle platform, although it has some tricky points, is still rewarding. It all comes together to give the experience a certain magnetic charm. Here is the complete game keeping that charm.
TechRaptor Preview Teslagrade 2 on PC using a preview code provided by the publisher.