Gravity Rush 2 (PS4) Review

The sequel to the PS Vita (later ported to the PS4) classic has finally arrived after a few years of anticipation. Many of my followers know how much I adore Gravity Rush. It's not only one of my favorite games of the decade, but of all time. The protagonist, unique gameplay, art style, and music were admirable at best that left me coming back for more. In other words, I'd put it on a pedestal if I could.

A sequel was definitely something to consider. The gameplay has potential in being improved upon, the story has a lot of unanswered questions, and its unique world is something worth expanding. Does Gravity Rush 2 manage to top the original? I can say that, with confidence, it does and it serves as one of the best exclusives to come out on the PS4. It is not without its shortcomings, but there is a lot to admire.

From the start, Kat is separated from her magical cat, Dusty, the source of her gravity-shifting powers, and her rival-turned-friend Raven, after getting caught up in a gravity storm. All of that can be seen in the two-part Anime short, Gravity Rush: The Animation - Overture that bridges the gap between the two games. If you want my brief opinion on the two-part short, it is enjoyable, with some good animation, exciting action, and genuinely funny moments. Definitely check it out.

She and the police detective, Syd, end up working at a mining colony, barely surviving. One might think that the game would start out slow because Kat is powerless, but it actually does not last long. I am not kidding when I say that Dusty appeared right out of nowhere after Kat says she really needs him. In the words of Phineas Flynn:

With her powers back, flying around the new city of Jirga Para Lhao and fighting Nevi become satisfying once again.

The thing about Gravity Rush 2 is that it tells three stories with each third of the game, making it episodic in nature. They do share a common theme, however, and that is corrupted governments and different ways of living. In the first third of the game, the story talks a lot about classes. We see that the poor go through desperate measures to survive while the rich could care less about what happens down below. It's the same old stuff we have come to expect. To be honest, it does feel pretty one-sided. You know you're rooting for the poor because the game portrays the rich as selfish, discriminating snobs.

There is one thing that Gravity Rush 2 captures pretty well in the first third and that is the longing to go back home, only to see how much it has changed. In my experience, I moved from my current hometown about a decade ago and grew to miss it a lot. When I eventually moved back a couple of years later, I was happy, but also baffled to see that some things changed while I was gone. It's not really a spoiler, but when I returned to Hekseville, I got that similar feeling, so I have to give it credit for that.

What I think the game does better than the original is giving us characters to actually care for. I liked the supporting characters in the first game, but most of them were just there and were pretty static. From the start, I grew to love the new characters introduced in this game, from the stern but caring leader Lisa; to her adorably-timid daughter Cecie; to the slimy shipping captain Vogo, who kind of reminds me and my sister of Varrick from The Legend of Korra.

In addition, some of the characters from the original are a lot more interesting this time around and leave somewhat of an impact. Syd is still the bumbling character we've come to know, but he also serves as a great planner and he genuinely cares for other people. Raven is the most notable, as the game introduces her biggest quirk to add to her stoic nature: she's a big eater. Just this one panel alone is enough to get a laugh:

Even the relationships in general are spot-on. Case in point, I really felt the bond between Kat and Raven, seeing their friendship grow after the original and work well together as a butt-kicking duo. Some of the minor relationships that are explored in the side missions are also just as compelling, so you know that there was a lot of attention to detail put into them.

Kat continues to be a delight as the main protagonist. I've praised her several times before for her selflessness and chipper attitude despite not remembering what happened before she wound in Hekseville. Also, she's just so darn adorable. Every time she smiles or giggles, I can't help but smile, too. She also has some dimension as a character, showing signs of annoyance or just snarking whenever she can. I still call her one of the best video game protagonists of this decade.

Gravity Rush 2 continues to look just as beautiful as its predecessor. Just like the original, it has comic book-style visuals influenced by the works of Jean "Moebius" Giraud. This is present in a lot of cutscenes that are presented in panels filled with speech bubbles. The in-game character models are cel-shaded to resemble the art style. Now that I think about it, any game that has cel-shaded graphics will always look timeless, while realistic-looking games will be dated as the years go by due to advancing technology.

The original Gravity Rush already looked great on the PS Vita. However, its limitations became more evident after playing the remastered port on the PS4, since the latter has improved textures and lighting, smoother frame rate, and a higher resolution. Because Gravity Rush 2 was made with the PS4 in mind, it didn't have to held back by technical limitations. The environments are even more grand and detailed as they can be. It has a much greater draw distance, for starters. I was in one part of the world map and noticed the manhole symbol all the way from another section. That's only the icing on the anti-gravity cake (don't ask; just play it for yourself).

I am a little disappointed that the game runs at 30 frames per second compared to the original's remaster that ran at 60 fps. I'm not really complaining, though. When I observe the character animations, I can see that it benefits greatly with this frame rate, as it makes the game resemble an animated film at times. I will say, however, that the frame rate does drop when there is a lot of activity going on during combat, which is my only gripe.

Gravity Rush happens to have one of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time. How can Gravity Rush 2 follow up on that? By having another great soundtrack, of course! Kohei Tanaka of One Piece fame is back as composer and he did an amazing job. It retains the light-hearted, otherworldly, and adventurous feel of its predecessor, making it another favorite of mine.

What I love about the score is that sometimes the music can reflect on the different lifestyles in the city of Jirga Para Lhao. Lei Colmosna, the marketplace, has a track that is upbeat and lively; Lei Havina, the aristocratic section, is more relaxing, to show that the rich doesn't have problems to go by; and Lei Elgona, the slums, sounds sad yet hopeful, which is an appropriate feeling when in poverty.

Taking it even further, the soundtrack makes great use of a leitmotif, or recurring musical phrase. Some themes from the original are reused as a way to associate it with a certain element. The most noticeable leitmotif is the usage of the beginning track from the original, "Laws of Gravity." In one mission, Kat is mistaken for a jazz singer and is put on stage. On the fly, she comes up with lyrics and sings in the same melody as that track. It becomes a pretty significant song later on. Who'd have guessed that music would play such a big part in the game?

I've talked so much about the presentation that I haven't even begun to mention the gameplay. To sum up what the game is like, Gravity Rush 2 is generally a sandbox game. You take on story missions and travel around this open world by shifting gravity. Don't think it as flying, but more like "falling with style." Yes, I already used that Toy Story reference when I reviewed the original's remaster. Can you blame me, though? That quote is the best way to describe it.

Oh, yeah, I want to mention that you can finally replay missions... once it's unlocked, of course. It was a feature that was missing in the first game, and I'm glad it's in this one. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

The entire world map is more than twice the size of its predecessor. That can be a problem for sandbox games. Bigger does not automatically mean better if the game does not take advantage of that size. With that said, there is almost always something to see or do when roaming around both Jirga Para Lhao and Hekseville. When first entering the former city, you'll see some activity among the NPC's. Examples include a juggler or a musician playing an accordion to the tune of "Laws of Gravity." In other parts, I was near a group of people who were speaking to each other in the series' fictional language. It's this attention to detail that is commendable to the game designers.

There is one huge piece of advice that I want to give to players: do not rush into the story. When you're not doing a story mission, take in the sights, collect some Precious Gems to further upgrade your abilities, and take on some side missions and challenges. Doing all this stuff is a great idea to become fully immersed in this unique world.

I've talked about the general gameplay of the first game twice, so I say read both of my Gravity Rush reviews. Here, I'm going to talk about the various additions and improvements that makes it an even better sequel. One thing that I felt that the original could have had was more side missions. The DLC packs just weren't enough. Here, there are about 30+ side missions to take on, many of which I liked and some that I didn't.

All of the side missions help expand on the world of Gravity Rush. There is so much variety in the activities, whether they are action-packed or just mundane in general. One of my favorite side missions is where you have to help this rich woman's dog find her missing disc. It may not sound like much, but I just love the laid-back feel and it has an ending that I found extremely heartwarming. Plus, you can't go wrong with dogs. I've only scratched the surface on that one.

If you want to know a side mission that I didn't like, there was one where Kat is hired to dress up as someone else to advertise this new ice cream. The objective was simple enough: get near people and advertise the ice cream to get them to try it. There was one thing I hated, however; if Kat tastes the ice cream after a few times, she gets a headache that renders her motionless for a few seconds. It wouldn't be so bad if the objectives did not have a time limit! Still, the amount of side missions I disliked were only a handful.

Quite possibly the biggest complaint about the original goes to the combat. I will admit, it's a little monotonous and it left a lot to be desired. 90% of the time, I often used the Gravity Kick to defeat enemies. Here, though, it's much better. The combat is much more refined. For example, I often used the Stasis Field, where Kat can use nearby objects as projectiles. I sometimes don't have to be too near towards objects in order to pick them up, which works well. This means that I don't always have to directly confront a Nevi in order to defeat them.

Not only is the combat refined, but more varied as well. Gravity Rush 2 introduces two new styles of gravity: Lunar Style and Jupiter Style. When both gravity styles are first acquired in their respective levels, most of it will be a tutorial that will probably test your patience. I don't mind getting the hang of this new gameplay addition, but they didn't have to make this drag on for too long. I'm talking to you, Episode 12!

Moving on, each gravity style has different functions. Lunar Style has lighter gravity and quicker attacks. You can be able to launch yourself high in the air like a rocket, which I always thought was pretty cool. Not only are the attack faster, they can lock on to enemies, too. This one is especially useful against the flying enemies that move around. The only thing I found difficult to execute was that long distance jump, which requires exact timing between pressing the jump button and pushing the analog stick in a certain direction at the same time.

Jupiter Style has heavier gravity, giving Kat limited mobility but stronger attacks. I often found myself using Jupiter Style's charge attack as a form of crowd control or to just take down armored enemies with a few hits. Both styles of gravity can quickly be accessed by flicking the touch pad up or down, which lessens the inconvenience. That is what's so great about the combat this time around: it allows for some experimentation, which makes things all the more satisfying when one figures out the best ways to defeat enemies.

The combat is also more satisfying when there is an A.I. partner. Sometimes Raven pops by to help Kat out in defeating baddies. Raven's A.I. is, without a doubt, highly competent. She doesn't just soften enemies up for you; she annihilates them, making for a useful partner in combat.

There is also the introduction of Talismans, which enhances certain certain stats when equipped. Talismans can be earned by either finding them in the mines or getting a gold medal on challenge missions. Perks can include increased health, automatic stasis field, and the like. To be honest, I don't really pay attention much to the Talismans. I hardly found myself switching between them, making me think that the game could have done without the Talismans.

Now comes the part where I talk about my favorite new addition to the game: the camera. Its usage is not limited to just some missions, but it can also be used for fun. I had so much fun taking photos in various parts of the game, whether they would be landscapes or self-portraits. Best of all, you can share them online (servers or social media) for other people to look at. This here is one of my favorite photos that I have taken, and one for the Hunger Games fans:

This is THE Girl on Fire! #GravityRush2 pic.twitter.com/xdi6YeTr2e

— Brian D. (@CrashJakFan1994) February 3, 2017

One other reason to take on side missions when you can is so you can unlock various photo items, filters, costumes, and gestures. I strongly recommend this game to anyone who just loves photography in general. It's there that I came up with a realization: every game on the PS4 should have a feature like this from now on. I don't mean just taking screenshots: I'm talking about working with filters or angles. It could be like the camera option in this game or the Photo Mode from the remasters of The Last of Us or God of War III.

It doesn't just stop there. There are also Treasure Hunts to take part of. Think of them like the package searching from Infamous: every now and then, the player will be notified of treasure chests to find in one section of the game. The only hint you have is the picture that was given to you. Say there is a treasure chest in Lei Havina. You will then be taken to the area where it could be hidden.

If the player who took the photo prior does a good job, then finding the treasure chest should not be a problem. There is a great amount of detail put in each city in the game. The player may be able to find the treasure because there was something familiar in the background or foreground. To make things less frustrating, you'll be able to hear a beeping sound when you're nearby. The faster the beeping, the closer you are, so do not listen to your iPod while doing these.

There is an incentive for the photo-related activities. Uploading them on the servers and having them evaluated by other players earns you Dusty Tokens. Earning a certain amount will unlock rewards like additional costumes, talismans, and other items. I do find this to be a double-edged sword, however. I appreciate this feature for the community aspect alone. I like reviewing photos that other people took.

On the other hand, earning Dusty Tokens comes off as nothing but farming. 5,000 Tokens just for Kat's outfit from the first game?! It means I have to constantly search for photos to review while free-roaming, keep taking on more treasure hunt challenges, and hope that people reviewed the photos I shared in the servers. I don't even earn a lot of Tokens when reviewing photos or completing the challenges. I only get, like, 8 or 10 each time. Then came the one-week event early this month where you earn about twice the amount you usually get.

This has some people wondering: what if years from now, someone buys this game and fails to unlock everything because the servers are either shut down or not as active? They're pretty much out of luck, I'll tell you that. To think that I'll be able to unlock all content in the first game years from now, but not in the sequel. I just hope that if the servers are shut down in the future, maybe there will be a patch that lets players automatically unlock these rewards from the start. Online servers do not last forever, so I say that this is the way to go.

Since I'm on the topic of the cons of this game, there is another gripe that I want to talk about: the stealth sections. The first game did have some stealth sections, but only three in total. They didn't even last long, anyway, so I wasn't complaining. Here, there are way more. There were some that I was okay with, like tailing people, but I did not approve of the rest. I don't mind some trial and error, but the stealth sections felt like an afterthought.

In one side mission, this reporter asks Kat to take pictures of a deal going on. The place was surrounded by troops and patrol cars. It was okay from the start until I had to find a way to go down to get a closer look. I observed every part of the environment until I saw a car coming out of a hole. That's when I realized that I was supposed to down there, and there was no shot making it clear that I was supposed to take that direction.

The stealth mechanics (or lack thereof) do not have the complexity of Metal Gear or the simplicity of Sly Cooper. With Metal Gear, a lot of thought was put when it comes to noise and distance. With Sly Cooper, the simplicity came from just getting caught if a big guard shines a light on you. This game does not have any of those. If there is ever a Gravity Rush 3, the developers should limit to just tailing people or removing them entirely. In short, Gravity Rush is not designed for stealth!

Lastly, remember in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker where after you defeat the supposed final boss, the credits roll... only for the game to tell you "Chapter 5: Peace?" This game does the same thing. It fools you into thinking you just beat the game, only for you to figure out that there is an extra ending. Whose idea was that?!

With that said, though, I had a fantastic time playing through Gravity Rush 2. It built upon its predecessor and pretty much added more to make it a great sandbox game in general. There is so much to do outside of the story. By the time I beat the game and unlocked pretty much everything, I clocked in at 50+ hours, which is more than twice the length of the first game after completing it 100%.

In addition, there will be an upcoming story DLC in March. Not only is Raven the main playable character, but this expansion will tie up a loose end that was never resolved in the first game or here. I'm not sure if there will be any more story DLC afterwards, but with more content, you bet that the $60 will be well-spent.

Story-wise, it continues to be intriguing. I appreciate the many twists and turns that happened throughout. It's also more emotionally engaging this time around. I couldn't tell you how many times I reacted with utter shock or any other emotion when one thing happens, especially near the end. It also succeeds in answering some questions that weren't explored in the first game. At the same time, it also raises newer ones, which I don't know if they will be answered in the future. I'd argue that this is becoming a Kudzu Plot, like Metal Gear or Kingdom Hearts.

The conclusion, despite coming off as an ending of the journey, left me wanting more, though I'm debating whether that's a good or a bad thing. The last third of the game felt kind of rushed. It introduces some things rather fast and expects us to go along with them. It's like the developers were unsure if this game will sell well outside of Japan to warrant a third game, so they cram in all this stuff. I think these could have been saved for another game to better flesh them out.

I've been a little back and forth between the pros and cons. Now that I think about it, there are more cons here than the first game. I assure everyone, though, that these inconveniences do not ruin the game at all, at least for me. I really do think Gravity Rush 2 mostly tops the original in terms of content, mechanics, and character development and the...

GOOD OUTWEIGH THE BAD

A series that has this amount of charm and creativity deserves a lot of love. If any of you have a PS4, you owe it to yourselves to play both of these amazing games. You will all definitely FALL in love with them. Get it?