Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Teslagrad 2 by developer RAIN GAMES:
Teslagrad 2 (The Explanation)
Telsagrad 2 is the follow-up to the 2017 original, which I don’t believe I played, but from the looks of the previous game’s trailers and videos I have seen builds upon the original gameplay and story in every way. In Teslagrad 2, you play as Lumina, a Teslamancer, which is fancy for having electromagnetic powers, as she navigates the land where her airship crashes.
In the early hours of the game, I was faced with some light puzzles, platforming, and ability-using skills that were reminiscent of games like Ori and the Blind Forest and Celeste. The way you use Lumina’s powers of electricity, attraction, and movement feels like a spiritual successor to those aforementioned titles. The game tells its story through atmospheric sound design which kept me on my toes, especially as I navigated through dark caverns where the shadows of beings slink around in the darkness and attack you.
As you move in every direction a bit of Metroid-vania-like puzzle solving comes into play. I felt as though I had to gain new abilities to move forward which forced some backtracking, as the game didn’t necessarily guide your hand in the direction you needed to go. I died a lot in my first hours and had to restart sections that were frustrating to navigate, but overall, the platforming and puzzle-solving were satisfying, especially when I figured out what to do next and where to go on a first or second try.
The atmosphere of Teslagrad 2 is subtle in some areas with light music to guide you as you move through the darkness, and then bombastic at times when a battle or difficult area of traversal is in front of you. Oftentimes you will be faced with exploring the map, solving a puzzle, and then platforming through an area using your various abilities. In the opening hours of the game, I was able to learn how to bolt across lines in a ball of electricity, teleport through small obstacles, levitate using magnetic abilities, and a few others as well.
Overall the floatiness of the controls and the rapid succession in which some of your skills will be needed was put to the test. I didn’t feel like the game was punishing me, except when it expected me to maneuver through some tight corridors while also avoiding spikes or electrically charged walls. If you have played the Ori games or Celeste, and enjoy that type of gameplay puzzle-platforming and feel a rush when you navigate a particularly hard area of a game, then Teslagrad 2 might be up your alley.
My initial impressions of the game are positive, and if it wasn’t for having several other games to review and Tears of the Kingdom to work through, I know I would spend more time in Teslagrad 2‘s world and the story that is unfolding. I hope to get back to the game soon and add it to my done column. Hopefully, my above initial impressions of the game’s strengths and highlights are enough to entice you to pick up this indie game and support the developers.
Teslagrad 2 (The Gameplay)
Game Specifications:
Developer: RAIN GAMES
Publisher: Maximum Games
Platform: Nintendo Switch | Version: Digital
Category: Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure, Action,
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: EU & NA: April 19, 2023
Price: $19.99
File Size: 2.6 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
