Review - 8-Bit Adventures 2

Fernando Da Costa

4 hours ago6 min read

Developer: Critical Games, Ratalaika Games

Publisher: Critical Games

Available On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, & PC

Review Console: Nintendo Switch

GOING BACK DECADES!!

They say nostalgia is a powerful tool and yeah, I believe it. In fact, to prove that statement, it took a single trailer to convince me to review 8-Bit Adventures 2. The visuals alone charmed my pants clean off as they reminded me of the golden age of RPGs - it made me feel like a kid again. Hell, I was so enamoured by it that I didn’t realize that this game’s a sequel. My dumb ass thought the name was a weird stylistic choice. Well, it isn’t, with the first having been PC exclusive and just as faithful to the 80s. See, it’s pretty clear that this pair is a love letter to a bygone era. Critical Games have nailed that aesthetic but what of the fun?

8-Bit Adventures 2 shares DNA with two juggernauts of the genre in Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. It aims to channel the soul of prime Square Enix. On paper, that probably sounds fantastic and has tons of y’all chuffed. The thing is, without any modern sensibilities, it might not entice a younger generation. My goal is determining if it’s indeed too old school.

BACK TO THE PAST!!

We are a seventeen year old boy - a rambunctious child with dreams of going on a grand excursion. It’s all he talks about with his friends. Day in and day out, he rambles on until finally, he decides it’s time to set off. His plan is simple, stowing away on a ship headed for greener pastures. However, eventually, he’s caught by a woman that happens to have helped save the world two years prior during the events of the initial title. Yup, this is a straight up continuation that while cool, does pose an issue. You see, it likes to assume that you’re familiar with this narrative, meaning it fails to properly introduce the characters making a return.

Essentially, half the cast feels half-assed. Because their relationships have already been established in 8-Bit Adventures, there isn’t much development in the second. With that said, the newer faces will have tangible growth and I have to say, it’s sort of awesome. My favourite facet is the romance that blooms between the teenage lad and a blind girl. The teasing and banter are easily both bright spots, exuding this wholesome energy. It’s certainly a highlight but does come with the unfortunate side-effect of amplifying just how, not necessarily bland, but one-note the others are. Again, not due to bad writing; it’s due to skipping the original.

Look, I don’t mean to be negative, especially since I did largely enjoy the dialogue. Despite utilizing the generic hero’s journey plot, there’s an irrefutable charm. Of course, there won’t be much literary depth to speak of. Actually, it’s way more shallow than a toddler’s pool. None of that even matters, though. What does is the sense of humour of the script is mint; the sarcastic quips are delightful. The lore itself is your standard fantasy fare but has passion shaping each word. It leans into how cookie-cutter it is and unabashedly bathes in the many cliches of this genre - defeating the big bad, awakening magical potential, and a touch of innuendo.

CAN I GO YET!?

8-Bit Adventures 2 truly feels like it was released decades ago. It has that classic turn-based combat with who goes when being determined by speed. What I found nifty is I’m not blind to who’s up next as I’m shown the order to the right of the screen. I liked this feature because it adds a little sprinkle of strategy. If, say, I’m low on healing potions, by targeting specific enemies in a specific sequence, I can then negate any and all incoming damage. I can adapt to the situation accordingly, picking them apart one by one to avoid an onslaught. It’s that element of control that tickles my taint - with the right plan of action, my party is spared.

The catch is the combat balance is pretty damn abysmal. It’s a sham, really. Okay, at the beginning, the challenge was there but it wasn’t a disaster. As my session progressed, however, that seemingly went out the window. Here’s the deal; the monsters pack a serious punch. Even by purchasing and wearing the optimal equipment, they still managed to batter me. Normally, my answer is to grind. I mean, I’m the weirdo that finds the entire process therapeutic. Well, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is a problem. Bluntly, it’s tedious because most of my time is spent trying to heal. Foregoing that to strike is risky because I'd be vulnerable to a lethal counter.

Another wrinkle is the hefty price of those items. See, in an attempt to speed through encounters, I would use special skills like thunderbolt or a shower of blades. Naturally, that costs magic points, or MP, and because it eats up a fair bit, I was constantly recovering myself with Ethers which are stupidly expensive. As an extra jab to the groin, the cash reward for winning battles is sometimes not enough to even buy one. As a result, I hoarded what was in my inventory and that meant I refused to fight. I needed to save that money to upgrade my weapons and armour. Funnily, a tiny tweak would adjust this ridiculous hiccup and salvage it.

Let me paint a picture; there’s zero auto-saving. Critical Games wants us to take the old-fashioned path; in other words, at a blue sparkle like Chrono Trigger or other classics. Now, before y’all roll your eyes, we can save wherever we please by doing so through the pause menu. It’s convenient, sure, but it begs the question of why have players do so at a particular spot, too. Couple that with there being no benefit to going this route and it’s rendered redundant. If it fully restored HP and MP, I could see it. That slight change would make any grinding much easier to swallow. At least being killed won’t reverse my progress, so there’s a silver lining.

LET’S BEEF IT UP!

I would like to note the augment system which would also improve if this hotfix was implemented. See, spread across the world are trinkets that grant various passives. I might obtain a necklace with a resistance to an element like ice. Most importantly, I can cop an amulet that will make me impervious to a status effect like confusion or poison. What I relish about this facet is it encourages me to explore in order to find these. By taking detours, I can ensure that by the final boss, I’ve got a party of tanks. With five slots on each character, with a space opening at certain levels, it becomes clear how important a quick patch will be for 8-Bit Adventures 2.

WAIT, AM I TWELVE!

I can’t describe how happy the pixel goodness makes me. It’s just so beautiful. The sprites seem like they were plucked from the 90s. With that said, the animations will use the beefier horsepower given by the Switch. Movements are buttery smooth with no sign of stutters. If you grew up during the SNES era, those exaggerated reactions, typically a staple of Squaresoft, are alive and well. What impressed me most was how clean everything looked, though. The periodic cutscenes that will sometimes appear are my personal favorites. I’m not overly sure I can properly articulate my feelings but the few screenshots here will do it justice.

DECADE OLD SOUNDS!

Maybe this won’t make sense but when I go back to the NES or even SNES days, one aspect rings strong. The music has this nasty habit of having the pitch of the volume too loud. What you end up with thanks to that screech is enough to make ears bleed. Fortunately, that isn’t the case in 8-Bit Adventures. This game does indeed want to channel that vintage JRPG feel but without the downsides and that includes a silky soundtrack. Of course we’ll still have chiptune music blaring through the speakers but on this occasion, it’ll be competently mixed. I’m not going to pretend that improved technology helps but so does having a ton of passion.

AND THE EARLY 90s VERDICT IS…

8-Bit Adventures 2 is a faithful recreation of the JRPGs I played as a young tyke. Hell, the graphical presentation is lifted straight from the SNES days. If you aren’t fussed about what some consider prehistoric visuals, then I reckon you’ll be enchanted. I mean, there’s an inherent charm to the pixelated goodness. I will, however, note that what holds this game from being simple to recommend are those save points. I’m baffled that they don’t fully heal, particularly because it will in select areas. The caveat is, those areas are abysmal when it comes to trying to grind, rendering it null. A single hotfix would turn its fortunes but until then, get it on sale.