Everhood 2is Foreign Gnomes' sophomore release, chasing its 2021 predecessor. A decidedlyUndertale-influenced game,Everhoodplays with Toby Fox’s unmistakable styles of art and comedy, infusing them with a unique flair through several impactful means, not the least of which being a vibrant and cathartic rhythm-based combat framework. With an injection of classic RPG mechanics and a healthy dose of gameplay variety,Everhoodhas proven to be one of the most fascinating indiesof the last few years.
At the time of writing, the firstEverhoodis comfortably sitting at an “Overwhelmingly Positive” overall rating on Steam, with just over 10,300 total reviews.
Everhood’s follow-up, slated to release this March, is seeking to further iterate upon the powerful premise of its progenitor, with the same psychedelic art style and emphasis on fast-paced gameplay blended with RPG fundamentals. Perhaps the greatest strength of the firstEverhoodis its raw originality: though the comparisons to games likeUndertaleare understandable, and even useful for the purposes of a shorthand description, they aren’t sufficient for covering the game’s strengths and pure imagination.Everhood 2may not be able to recapture the same sense of surprise as the first game, but it can certainly build on its foundations in refreshing and unexpected ways, and that’s exactly what it seems to be doing.
Everhood 2 Is an Evolution Over Its Predecessor
Everhood 2: An Overview
Equal parts spiritual journey and epic adventure,Everhood 2tasks players with defeating a Mind Dragon and discovering the “color of [their] soul.” Players will make their way through various environments, interact with NPCs, and collect gear in a fashion that should be familiar to RPG fans. LIkeUndertale, battles inEverhood 2eschew traditional mechanics like turn-based combat or hack-and-slash controls in favor of arhythm-based format similar to the likes ofGuitar Hero, though even this has its own unique twists, with the focus being on avoiding notes rather than hitting them.
Aside from battles, the firstEverhoodfeatures a number of rhythm-based puzzles, which shake up the moment-to-moment gameplay. All of these mechanical intricacies are couched within a psychedelic and heady narrative that explores themes like the nature of humanity. One can expect all of these points to make their return inEverhood 2, even though the sequel’s plot and gameplay particulars are relatively obfuscated.
How Everhood 2 Is Doing Things Differently
Based on the information currently available, it looks likeEverhood 2will reward aggressive playstyles a bit more than its predecessor; players will ostensibly have access to some kind of parry ability, encouraging a more active approach to battles.Everhooddoes offer offensive abilities, but only after a few hours into the game.The prominence of this parry ability inEverhood 2’spromotional footage suggests that such maneuvers will have a greater focus.
Naturally, one can expect thehigh falutin themes of the first game to make a return inEverhood 2, but the adventure will apparently be longer this time around: Foreign Gnomes has described the length ofEverhood 2’s campaign as being between 8 and 10 hours, whereas the first game was marketed as being about 5 to 6 hours long. The game’s Steam page also states that it will have over 100 songs to engage with, indicating a beefy single-player experience indeed. Beyond that, features like the Custom Battle Editor will be making a return, offering theoretically endless gameplay for dedicated players.
Overall,Everhood 2is shaping up to be a meaningful and intriguing continuationof the first game’s strengths, with more narrative and gameplay content that will hopefully strike a balance between refreshing and familiar. Time will tell if it lives up to its predecessor’s reputation, but it is certainly looking promising so far.
