Teslagrad 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the extremely popular Teslagrad. Almost ten years after the original release, I got to see a glimpse of the sequel behind closed doors. Want to learn more about the game? Let’s jump in!
New beginnings
First things first, Teslagrad 2 will still be an exploration-based Metroidvania game with magnetic physics and will use the visual style that won the hearts of the players in the original. Since we are seeing this ten years after the original release, it’s safe to say that the sequel looks a lot better. It’s using the same visual style but this style has been improved tremendously. The cartoony look really works well and Lumina, a young Teslamancer and our new hero really looks the part. Lumina finds herself stranded after her airship crashes in Wyrmheim, a remote and treacherous land to the North. She will embark on a new but dangerous adventure filled with hidden secrets and environmental puzzles. She wants to reunite with her family back home but her quest won’t be easy. Only by using her electromagnetic powers does she stand a chance against the brute forces of nature and her enemies. In the game, you’ll need to defend yourself against Viking raiders, face gruesome beasts inspired by Nordic mythology and even test your strengths against some of the impressive bosses. Just like in many other Metroidvania games, you’ll go stronger and discover new skills the more you uncover the land, opening up different paths that were inaccessible at first. From what I’ve seen so far, Teslagrad 2 will be bigger, better, and more thrilling, it’s shaping up to become a very entertaining Metroidvania for sure!
Puzzles and bosses
During my brief session, the team showed me what we could expect from Teslagrad 2 and it certainly looks impressive. Your electromagnetic powers form the beating heart of the game and will offer some truly unique gameplay in the genre. You can use the magnetic powers to walk on ceilings and hover from one spot to another. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you try to connect two magnets, they can attract but also repel, the same goes for Lumina. She can be attracted to a magnetic field, enabling her to walk on certain surfaces but she can also be repelled, making her bounce off certain surfaces. It’s a fun mechanic that will result in some harder environmental puzzling. The team did confirm that Teslagrad 2 won’t be an easy game at some points. In order to reach the end of the level, you’ll need to be precise and time your moves correctly. It will certainly offer a challenge for some players although it’s not designed to be as difficult as possible. Judging on the gameplay so far, I think the team is certainly on the right track to finding that balance. Besides the magnetic powers, Lumina can also use impressive electric powers. The most memorable one is her transforming herself into a lightning bolt when traveling through water. We all know how electricity reacts in water and in the game, it results in some fast-paced puzzle action. I love how well these mechanics get integrated into the game and I’m pretty sure fans of the Metroidvania genre will absolutely love these mechanics.
Besides puzzling, you’ll be fighting enemies and even bosses to advance in the story. Since we only had a small presentation we didn’t really see a lot of variation in the bosses or the enemies but what we did see is the thrilling combat mechanics once you face off with such a boss. Without going into spoiler territory here, the bosses certainly are uniquely designed and stay true to the Northern theme.
Early conclusion:
It took a while but Teslagrad 2 is shaping up to become the sequel fans have been hoping for. It improves on everything and adds in some extra unique gameplay mechanics to keep you entertained as long as possible. I can’t wait to see and play more in 2023.
