We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling a little brighter as of late – well, ignoring the creeping resurgence of COVID-19, and the fact that Donald Trump has just been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, that is. Yes, in the world of videogames at least, things are finally looking up. At last, we’re seeing movement on the part of the next-gen consoles, with Microsoft revealing attractive price points for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and Sony’s response imminent. There’s new energy in the air again, and it’s welcome.
Spelunky 2 is so ambitious that even Derek Yu doesn't know what you'll find in its darkest depths
But there was one particular event this month that had everyone at Edge grinning from ear to ear more than anything else. The knowledge that Spelunky 2 – the sequel to one of the most influential indie games of all time, a Roguelike that set the benchmark for a whole new era of game design – would soon be in our hands was exciting enough. And then the good people at Mossmouth agreed to let Edge Magazine be the first in the world to review it, and suddenly it was in our grasp within the day.
To say we were ecstatic would be an understatement. Happily, our time spent tinkering with its incredible new set of systems (teleporting axolotls, anyone?) proves the sequel to be precisely the refinement of Spelunky’s magical propensity to surprise and delight that we were hoping for. You’ll have to pick up a copy for yourself to read our full thoughts, of course – but with a cover like this, who could resist?
Spelunky 2
It features an original and exclusive wraparound creation from Spelunky 2 artist Justin Chan, and is available to purchase today from all good UK shops and newsagents. You can also grab a copy online here, and have it delivered to your doorstep, no matter where in the world you are.
Subscribers have already had eyes on this exclusive review since Saturday – alongside two others, to boot. We’ve also delivered our verdict on Supergiant’s excellent action-RPG Hades, and rhythm-shooter BPM: Bullets Per Minute, ahead of anyone else in the industry.
They’ve also been enjoying an exclusive subscriber cover, once again courtesy of the indefatigable Justin Chan. The arrow in the pug’s hat provides a small visual clue as to the general theme of the rest of the issue. We wanted to share with our readers the joy to be found in videogames in these darkest of times.
Playing for Laughs
Not many games have dared to stand where Portal once stood, but a new wave of developers are increasingly focusing on comedy as a way to elevate the next generation of videogames. We talk to some of the industry’s leading lights about what happened to games’ funny bone, and why we’re now starting to see a resurgence of games designed to tickle the player.
King the Castles
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware of slapstick battle royale sensation Fall Guys. We caught up with its lead designer to get the full story of exactly how this plucky contender managed to catapult itself to the top of the Steam charts.
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