Velocity 2X Review (PS4)

Velocity and its remastered Velocity Ultra iteration delighted quite a lot of fans by combining elements from 2D shooters, bullet-hell type experiences, and puzzle mechanics, in order to deliver a tight yet rewarding title.

Now, for the sequel, in the form of Velocity 2X, developer FuturLab has brought forth a series of changes to the recipe, ranging from more varied environments to bigger challenges, and most importantly, a new 2D side-scrolling platformer mechanic, which sees protagonist Kai jump out of her space ship and go through different environments on foot.

Can Velocity 2X add innovation to the already stellar recipe of its predecessor or should Kai stick to piloting her ship? Let's find out.

Story

Velocity 2X is more about gameplay than story, but even so, the game has a simple yet decent story, which manages to continue from where the original title left off. Kai is found imprisoned by an evil alien race, but with the help of another, more benevolent set of aliens, she manages to escape and is now leading a rebellion against the evil creatures, while hoping to get back to Earth.

The whole plot is told through small cut scenes in between levels and manages to flesh out Kai's character, while giving a reason for all the new abilities and powers she unlocks for herself and her ship.

While you can easily skip entire scenes, the game has a good plot and it's worth just going through its scenes to see that Kai has a soul and that the alien conflict is a pretty serious one.

Control Kai

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Velocity 2X doesn't mess with the hybrid experience brought forth by its predecessor. It's still, at its core, a 2D shooter in space, which sees Kai pilot her Quarp Jet through all sorts of different environments. Throw in quite a few bullet-hell situations in which players must take out different enemy turrets, ships, or even boss ones, and you already have the making of a pretty stellar experience.

However, there are quite a few more layers to Velocity 2X, starting with its short-range teleport system that allows the ship to jump through walls in order to reach new zones and collect even more survivors, which is one of the main things you try to find during the levels.

There's also the scrolling screen, which progresses rather slowly, in normal circumstances, and much faster when players use the boost function on their ship. If you get stuck in an obstacle while boosting, the screen's progression will easily kill you, so you need to ensure that your reaction times are up to par.

Death, however, in Velocity 2X isn't a grave affair, as in seconds you're brought back and can start the level from the beginning or from the last checkpoint in that certain stage. The actual levels are unlocked depending on your experience, and if you keep collecting survivors, you won't be punished for wanting to skip a level, for example. Bear in mind that the difficulty curve isn't sharp, making the game quite accessible to many people.

This doesn't mean that Velocity 2X is a casual affair, as all levels feature leaderboards with the fastest completion times. Trying to get the best time in a level can become quite challenging as you progress, so there's a lot of incentive for hardcore players.

The puzzle elements include different gates that need to be destroyed in order, depending on their number and their color. This adds a layer of strategy, but once you reach the trickier levels, it becomes a bit hard to keep track of all the gates you've destroyed and their colors.

Take down boss ships

Towards the mid-point of the 50-level campaign, you can also use a teleport pod, which can be dropped at an intersection in the paths, so that you can go in one direction, complete all the goals, such as shooting gates or collecting survivors, and then teleport back to the original pod, so that you can explore the other path. The system is pretty intuitive, but it takes some getting used to. If you miss dropping a pod, which is reminded by the screen shaking in a blue tone, your only chance is to restart from the beginning.

Of course, one of the major new features in Velocity 2X is the 2D side-scrolling platformer section, in which Kai docks her ship in a special gate during a level and goes through a short sequence in which she needs to run, shoot, and find gates to destroy, just like she does on her ship. These platforming sections are top-notch, featuring the same controls, albeit with a few differences.

They also make use of the teleport system, including a special long range teleport one, which sees Kai throw a pod and then teleport to it. The aiming, however, feels way too inaccurate, which is a sharp contrast from the tight controls in the rest of the game.

Level design is top-notch and brings forth way more varied environments than in the original game. The different stages in the game's story are represented by new themes and level elements.

Visuals and sound

Velocity 2X is a stunning game, making great use of a stylized visual experience to ensure that everything feels futuristic yet accessible, without venturing into realism all that much. The colors are crisp and sharp, while the visual effects are very well done. Throw in the great 1080p resolution and the flawless 60fps framerate and your eyes will thank you for playing the game.

The soundtrack is also quite good, although it does get a bit repetitive sometimes. Don't expect any voice acting, but it's not that big of a deal, considering the music keeps you in the zone while you're trying to get the best times possible.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion