When I think back to all the games that should have gotten a sequel in Sony’s history but never did, I’m reminded of some amazing IPs that, sadly, we may never see again. Thankfully, with the release of Gravity Rush 2, we don’t have to add another to that list, and it casts hope on the future of the series.
After saving the floating village of Hekseville from a chaotic gravity storm, our protagonist Kat from the original game awakens in the strange mining settlement of Banga. Having lost the power to control gravity, and missing her space kitty partner Dusty, as well as fellow gravity shifter Raven, Kat comes to terms with living life as a miner in the Banga settlement with Syd. Taken in by Lisa and made to work, Kat and Syd live in the hope that they can get back to Hekseville; until Kat finds Dusty with the help of Cecie and her powers return. But the looming threat of the Nevi appearing from gravity storms again and Kat and Syd return to form to save the day.
Gravity Rush was quite a unique IP for the Playstation Vita when it was released. The ability to shift and control gravity was a strange and sometimes frustrating mechanic to master, but made for some interesting gameplay. Now making its way onto the PS4 (rest in peace Vita), Gravity Rush 2 takes everything that the first game did well and builds on it, leading to what is ultimately a much better experience.
With the increased processing power of the PS4, everything looks more vibrant and bright; the world feels fuller and there is more to explore. The major floating city of Jirga Para Lhao is a bustling hive of activity, and every aspect of it yearns to be explored – which presents a challenge, given that it is 2.5 times larger than the original. Add some great atmospheric music and sound effects, and you’ve got a guaranteed timewaster when not playing missions; Half of the time I spent playing just involved zooming across the city seeking out gems to upgrade and generally having fun exploring the different sections with Kat’s gravity powers.
Kat has a range of powers that are easy to control but difficult to truly master – from simple gravity control, to sliding across landscapes, throwing objects and kicking enemies in mid-air. Each power can be upgraded with gems found across the city (or in mining sidequests) which gives you better control over the powers and how you use them. Kat is given two additional play styles which help players – Luna Mode, which makes her lighter and easier to control for newcomers, and Jupiter Mode, which allows more skilled players to take control and add greater effect to her combat style.
There’s quite a lot of online functionality in Gravity Rush 2. Firstly, the photo mode in the game allows you to take photos of Kat or your surroundings at any given time. You can upload these photos to gain Dusty Tokens, which can be used for a variety of rewards.
Challenges were one of the best parts of Gravity Rush and they’ve been improved with Ghost Challenges in Gravity Rush 2. You can play against the ghosts of other players. Sure, it’s asynchronous but it’s still a ton of fun to put your skills to use.
You can also hunt various mines in Gravity Rush 2. Information provided by other players will let you know just how valuable these mines are. Mining will gain you Talismans. Talismans provide Kat with additional powers such as being able to deal more damage, ability to find more gems, auto-recover health among many other powers.
Gravity Rush has a compelling narrative and gameplay reminiscent of some of Sony’s best titles of years past, and some very intuitive character controls. Gravity Rush 2 is a return to form that I don’t think I’ve seen in games in a long time. It has heart and soul, and is genuinely fun to play. Gravity Rush 2 is not for the fainthearted gamer; the controls and gameplay will frustrate many people, but in the end the payoff is worth it.