Across Age 2 Initial Impressions
Ceska and Ales are back, and this time, they're...well, I won't say too much as I don't want to ruin any surprises. Suffice it to say there have been some changes since your last adventure in the original Across Age, which released in 2011. Developer FDG Entertainment has you travelling forwards and backwards in time to set things right.
I’m four hours into my review playthrough, but since the game has just appeared on the App Store I thought I’d relay my initial impressions. FDG has another solid Japanese Action-RPG on its hands. Fans of top-down, 16-bit adventures from yesteryear will lap this up.
The Across Age series introduces some interesting party mechanics to help it stand out from the App Store's crowd. You can travel together or separately, switching at will between your heroes – each of whom have different abilities - leading to some good puzzling. For example Ales can pick Ceska up and throw her to higher levels that he can't reach, and she'll continue alone to open up pathways for the team. Also some monsters are more susceptible to Ales' sword, and some to Ceska's magic, and you'll be needing to get to know which is which.
It is not essential to have played the first game to be able to appreciate the second, but there are some nods, winks and recurring characters that fans will enjoy. There will also be the usual head scratching that comes from any story with a time-travelling theme. I’m looking forward to rest of the experience – you can grab the game on the link below and enjoy some classic J-Rock in the trailer.
While you’re here, you can also check out our ABCs of RPGs.
Writer:
Garry Balogh
References:
- Across Age
- Across Age 2