Many an indie developer has tried to recapture the magic of formative Japanese RPGs — but few have managed to pull it off with such charm and confidence as Critical Games. The Australian studio has delivered something quite special with 8-Bit Adventures 2 — a title that doesn’t sacrifice its own identity in pursuit of the classics that it so clearly reveres.
Nostalgia can be a slippery slope, especially when it’s used to fuel a creative process. Games that harken back to simpler times can end up selling themselves short; content to simply exist within the shadows of the genre-defining properties that they draw upon.
But again, 8-Bit Adventures 2 feels confident in its own skin — it stands on its own merits first and foremost. Take its high quality writing, for example, which is packed with personality. The textbox dialogue is fast-paced and punchy, quickly endearing you to the game’s main party.
While this is a sequel, featuring characters and callbacks to the first 8-Bit Adventures — which isn’t available on PlayStation platforms, it should be noted — the story takes place years later, and deals with the aftermath of the original’s world-saving and world-changing events.
This is a setting that already has its heroes, and that makes for an interesting hook. Young protagonist Charlie is all too keen to follow in their footsteps, and before you know it, he’s fighting alongside his idols as they come face-to-face with the consequences of their previous actions.
To be clear, you don’t need to play the first game to understand or enjoy the sequel — and it actually does a great job of getting you up to speed anyway.
Really, it’s 8-Bit Adventures 2’s straightforward, but tidily balanced gameplay that ties the package together. Turn-based combat is, of course, the order of the day, with each party member bringing their own unique abilities to the fray.
Although there isn’t a whole lot of room for party customisation and tactical tinkering, the game’s fairly linear approach to progression gels well with the plot’s pacing, while a wide variety of enemy types — complete with defined strengths, weaknesses, and behaviours — bring necessary depth to the overarching battle system.
8-Bit Adventures 2 is both a fantastic homage to the classics, and a lovingly crafted RPG in its own right. It’s one of the best nostalgia-driven indies you’ll find on the market.