* This article is compiled from IGN US related content, the original author CAMERON HAWKINS, translated tonkotsu ramen, edited by Kamui Ye, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Although there are many games in the "Galaxy Castlevania" category, there are still few good works. Perhaps the biggest problem facing any new Galaxy Castlevania game is how to be different. After the wonderful debut of "Tesla Apprentice", it took advantage of this popularity to bring the long-awaited sequel of players. After 1 hour of starting the game, I felt that it was clear that the game wanted to add some fundamental changes to bring a very different experience, but at the same time retain the essence of similar games.
Tesla Apprentice 2 is a side-scrolling Galactic Castlevania game with a special focus on puzzle-oriented gameplay and exploration. Inspired by Scandinavia and the Nordic Five regions, the protagonist Lumina falls into the forest and must use her electromagnetic abilities to get back to her family.
Players familiar with Tesla Apprentice will find the gameplay of this sequel familiar with many of the key items you get when you open new areas of the map. When I first started the game, I was equipped with boots that could teleport a short distance in the direction of the face, but I quickly found a lot of new items and abilities that I hoped would find more interesting things along the course of the campaign. These abilities include the flashing boots mentioned above, as well as magnetic barriers that can be attached to walls and move quickly in water and on ropes.
Many puzzles are designed based on the rules of physics, which means that players need to perform the correct actions to successfully solve them. This design can lead to a lot of comforting puzzle solving, but if you fall to death or fall below several platforms, the player must travel a long way to resolve other puzzles before coming back and trying again, which is a very heart-wrenching experience. As you explore the map, you'll also find scrolls, collectible art cards about Nordic culture, which unfortunately serve no other purpose.
The most controversial thing about Tesla Apprentice 2 is that, as a Metroidvania game, there are no battles in this game, at least not in the traditional form. Of course, there are enemies and boss battles, but the game gives you not many resources to defeat them. Only after picking up a rare protective barrier does Lumina not die.
The main way to deal damage to enemies is to flash back and forth between them, a process that is boring and uninteresting. While I enjoyed my time exploring the puzzles, I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't a decent combat system in the game.
If I'm not right about my first experience, Tesla Apprentice 2 would be a great puzzle adventure game. While the game's physics puzzle design can sometimes be weird for the characters to control, the puzzle solving process itself is fun.
However, without any traditional combat, it's hard not to imagine what a Tesla Apprentice franchise would look like with or without fighting, highlighting the puzzle elements it excels at. The original veterans will undoubtedly be happy to play this game, I just think this game has more potential.