The long-awaited follow-up to indie developer Thomas Happ's Metroidvania game, Axiom Verge 2 will arrive on Switch and PC, as an Epic Games Store exclusive, in the spring.
Axiom Verge 2, which has been in development for four years, features a new environment, new characters, enemies and powers. The game, which was due out last fall, was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Happ’s desire to make the enemies more sophisticated and improve the address disruptor tool.
According to Happ, somewhere in Antarctica lies "what appears to be an ancient, alternate Earth, complete with mountains, lakes, deserts, and the ruins of a civilization, but you get the feeling that something else is lurking just past the fringes of reality, waiting to pull you in."
On his blog, Happ has explained why he decided to launch exclusively on the Epic Games Store. "I'd be lying if I said the only reason I decided to go exclusive on Epic was because I'm a fan of the platform and all the wonderful people who work there (though I am, and they are).
"When I first started development on the original Axiom Verge about 10 years ago, it was my side hobby. I had a well-paying job with benefits, and my dog and I lived a very low maintenance lifestyle. I wasn't really expecting Axiom Verge to pay the bills."
Happ has confirmed that Axiom Verge 2 will eventually be launched on Steam as well as other platforms, though he hasn’t established a timeline. "I've been lucky that I've had great support from Sony and Microsoft over the years," he said, "so I hope to be able to talk about my plans on those systems soon."
Axiom Verge was released in March 2015 for PS4, in May 2015 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux, and in April 2016 for PlayStation Vita . The Wii U and Xbox One versions were released in September 2016, and a Nintendo Switch version was released in October 2017.
The critically acclaimed side-scroller action-adventure game, which centers on action and exploration, features over 60 items and power-ups. The gameplay is heavily influenced by classic games likeMetroid, Contra, Blaster Master, and Bionic Commando, among others.
Source: EuroGamer