Of all the new features that were introduced to Spelunky players in Spelunky 2, branching paths was one of the most interesting. Throughout the game, there are three different sets of worlds that each offers two paths through them, and it's up to players to decide which path to take.
Some of the paths are as easy as choosing one door over another, while other ones require different actions based on where you’re going. Each of the worlds comes with its own layouts and dangers that can influence its appeal based on what you’re trying to accomplish.
The World Pairs
The three sets appear in world two, world four, and the end of world four. They are as follows:
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Jungle |
A dense and lush environment filled with a variety of plant and animal life as well as natural dangers. |
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Volcana |
An area composed of dark stone with lava spewing all around and pooling into rocky basins. |
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Tide Pool |
An area that used to be underwater yet is still filled with related features while holding the remnants of an ancient empire. |
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Temple Of Anubis |
An area dedicated to the Egyptian God Of Death, this area is filled with magic and blocks that don’t behave normally. |
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Abzu |
A hidden arena where you can face the mighty Kingu. |
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Duat |
The Egyptian realm of the dead where you can challenge the god Osiris and his son, Anubis resurrected. |
Which Route To Take
Depending on the kind of run you’re aiming for, going through certain worlds will prove to be more beneficial than others.
- The Jungle is accessed on the bottom left of the final area of the Dwelling. It’s known for having an overwhelming amount of hazards from Spike Pits to Spiked Walls and even omnidirectional Spike Traps. It’s the only area where the Black Market spawns, which is the only place to get the Hedjet. So, if you’re planning to reach the City Of Gold or get Excalibur, you’ll need to go through the Jungle.
- Volcana is accessed on the bottom right of the final area of the Dwelling. It has far fewer hazards than the Jungle but poses a threat with all the lava that can instantly kill you. Its most notable feature is a Giant Drill that can be activated with Udjat’s Eye to dig to Vlad’s Castle. If you’re looking to get the valuable Vlad’s Cape and find a shortcut to Olmec’s Lair, then Volcana is for you.
- The Tide Pool entrance is found on Level two of Olmec’s Lair with crabs surrounding it. This area is balanced between enemies and traps but has the Pangxie, which is one of the strongest enemies in the game. It possesses the Excalibur, which is a very strong weapon and is necessary to get to Abzu. This path is necessary to get this legendary sword and reach Kingu.
- The Temple of Anubis entrance is found on Level three of Olmec’s Lair surrounded by locusts. This area is fraught with dangerous enemies and traps, but the most prominent is Anubis who has lots of health and uses ranged psychic attacks. Unfortunately, you’ll need to brave these hazards if you want to access the City Of Gold and the Duat.
Which Boss To Fight
Both Abzu and the Duat serve as one-off areas that act as arenas to fight two very different bosses in order to get the same item, the Tablet Of Destiny.
- Abzu is reached by triggering a Lava Trap in the Tide Pool area. It requires you to have the Ankh from Olmec’s Lair as activating the trap will drain the lava and kill you. It’s an area that serves as an arena for fighting Kingu. This boss is considered the easiest in the game since she has no direct way of attacking you, and you’re free to just ride her shell repeatedly hitting her weak point. If you don’t have Excalibur to break her shell, you’ll need about ten Bombs. Defeating her yields the same rewards found in the Duat with less hassle.
- The Duat is accessed by reaching the City Of Gold and sacrificing yourself on Kali’s Altar while holding the Ankh. This area is full of dangers from the giant snake Apep passing through to Osiris and Anubis II posing as the main bosses. You’ll need to defeat Osiris in order to get the same rewards as Kingu, but you’ll need to endure a lot just to reach him.