8-Bit Adventures 2 Review – more than just a retread of old ideas

Games attempting to emulate the NES/SNES era of JRPGs are nothing new when it comes to the indie scene, though many fail to bring anything interesting to the table. With a name like 8-Bit Adventures 2, I was expecting a “nostalgic” RPG that leaned too heavy on its inspirations. What I got instead was a game that really understands what made that era so special, while still offering its own welcome spin.

8-Bit Adventures 2 takes place after the events of the first game, with the opening giving a brief recap of what happened previously. I hadn’t played 8-Bit Adventures, but this recap definitely gave enough info to stop you from getting lost — most references to the first game later on are explained to the player too.

The world has been saved, but one of its heroes finds himself going on another journey due to a potentially dangerous being. Once he goes missing, it’s up to both new and old heroes to find out the cause of his disappearance, triggering the start of a multi-world-spanning adventure.

I’m referring to characters without their names because, like with many classic RPGs, you get to change party member names in 8-Bit Adventures 2 they’re introduced. You get a number of classic archetypes, including the warrior hero, rogue, and wizard from the previous game.

With the previous cast already having some chemistry between them, it’s interesting to see how they mesh with the new members of the group. You have a kid who ends up tagging along to find the missing hero, a blind girl that might be holding untapped potential, and even a robot.

Many of the characters and their designs definitely lean on classic RPG tropes, but they still have enough going on that they feel like their own people rather than just clones. The breakneck pace of the story does get in the way of some character building — you constantly switch areas for most of the game’s runtime — though things do slow down occasionally for more emotional scenes.

Speaking of the breakneck pacing, 8-Bit Adventures 2 does not mess around. Leveling is constant with no need for grinding (random encounters are gone entirely) and the world itself is relatively compact. I did take the time to explore some of the towns you end up in, which is generally worth it thanks to optional side quests and the occasional chest. I’m a big fan of how you can sometimes run into NPCs you helped previously in new areas, even when this doesn’t lead to extra rewards.

Combat is where some of the more noticeable changes come into play. At its core, battles in 8-Bit Adventures 2 are familiar turn-based affairs, but now with some modern additions. For starters, you can see the turn order at anytime, similar to Final Fantasy X. This makes planning your next move far more rewarding, as you can take out enemies to avoid damage or guard incoming attacks.

In addition, while you only have three party members in combat at a time, you can switch them with your reserves freely. This doesn’t even use up the turn, greatly rewarding you for making use of the entire cast. I often found myself switching around party members a lot to take advantage of elemental weaknesses, or switch out someone that was about to take a hit.

Taking and dealing damage builds an extra gauge, which opens up access to Omega Burst moves for each character. For some this is just a large AOE, while others can enter a more powerful form for a few turns. It acts as something similar to Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy 7, but shared rather than per-character.

It all leads to an experience that offers a good blend of old-school and modern design choices. This is aided by boss fights that actually require you to pay attention. Some have unique gimmicks, with most hitting hard and needing you to use all the tools at your disposal.

Outside of combat, things are generally more streamlined. Gearing is a simple process (though you can sometimes find good gear from chests or quests off the beaten path.) Exploration also matches the story’s pacing, with only a few extra areas to find in the world early on.

I don’t think this is a bad thing at all. The pacing means that you’re always working towards something new, especially during the first 10 hours of 8-Bit Adventures 2. Things do open up a little more in the game’s latter half, especially once you gain access to the airship, though it’s mostly just so you can fight some tough optional bosses.

8-Bit Adventures 2 Review – Final Impressions

8-Bit Adventures 2 makes for a great palette cleanser between longer big-budget titles, helped along by the fantastic spritework and soundtrack. Its pacing might not be to everyone’s tastes, but this is an RPG that rarely wastes your time.

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8-Bit Adventures 2 was reviewed on Switch using a code provided by the publisher. It’s also available on PS4, Xbox, and PC via Steam and GOG.

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