Axiom Verge 2 will feature a new protagonist, a new combat style, and it now seems that it will feature new difficulty features. Creator Thomas Happ spoke about a feature that will help players with the game’s difficulty, specifically the boss fights. It turns out that you’ll be able to run right past them.
In a detailed post on the PlayStation Blog, Happ talked about how different the game is from its predecessor and the unique way in which it handles difficulty. Unlike most games, you won’t be choosing a difficulty setting; instead you’ll be able to choose how much damage you can inflict upon enemies, and they upon you. “ I’m letting players adjust their own difficulty settings,” he said. “Rather than choosing among an Easy, Normal, and Hard Mode, players can adjust both how much damage they do and how much enemies damage you.”
The second feature is specifically aimed at players who want to experience the game’s Metroidvania-esque exploration and not get stuck with boss fights. “Bosses are optional. You will be rewarded for defeating them, but gone are the days where they stood in between you and the rest of the game.”
He went on to illustrate the difference between the new protagonist, Indra, and Trace. Indra will not possess the wide range of attacking abilities and weapons that their predecessor did. Infact, you will start off with a shovel and have to rely on close combat. However, “it’s a question of brains over brawn,” said Happ. “She can use her technical skills as a tech genius to hack her enemies.”
It was revealed during the Day of the Devs showcase that Axiom Verge 2 will be heading to PS4 and PS5 later this year.Happ explained that he felt he owed Sony for showcasing the first Axiom Verge at its booth at E3 2014. However, the PS5 version may take a little bit longer as he wants to fully utilize the in-game hints system on the console.
Axiom Verge 2 was recently delayed to Q3 2021. "I could go into a long spiel about why it’s taking longer than I originally forecast, but I don’t want to get too bogged down into technical details," said Happ on the Axiom Verge website. Suffice it to say that the game will be better for the additional time, and I won’t have to burn myself out crunching to hit a date that I set for myself."