If there’s a reason to play, it’s to marvel at the immaculate level design and the clever upgrades that open up new paths for exploration. One significant beat early in the plot offers a surprising shift in the narrative and gameplay direction, but much of what follows lacks the revelatory follow-through I hoped to find. The story flirts with themes of identity and the question of what makes us human, but even with some sophisticated ideas, I was a bit let down by the story. Still, alternate universes and the nature of consciousness are concepts very much at play. Only the most fervent followers of Axiom Verge lore will detect the connective tissue to the first game. Her search takes her to an abandoned Antarctic research station and a cargo elevator that opens into an entirely different world governed by bizarre physics, technology, and history. Protagonist Indra Chaudhari is an eccentric billionaire hoping to track down her missing and estranged daughter. The pacing lacks some of the big moments that might lend structure and excitement, and the many interconnected corridors begin to blend into a long and confusing blur. But, Axiom Verge 2 is also a game that skirts the line between demanding patience and inducing frustration. Players can anticipate a lengthy and thoughtfully crafted adventure through gear-gated paths and an elaborate science fiction narrative. Years later, the sequel is more confident in its strides away from that core inspiration, but it remains no less impressive in size and breadth. That project also earned its reputation as the most Metroid-like game ever released that didn’t actually bear the name. The scope of that project was astounding, as it was accomplished almost entirely by a single person. Thomas Happ’s 2015 Axiom Verge is a triumph of both singular vision and nostalgia.
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