Monument Valley II
RETURN TO TOPSY-TURVY TOWN. $7.99 | ustwo.com
SOMETIMES, IT’S HARD to pick which games to review for this section, but Monument Valley 2 was truly a no-brainer. After the universal success of the original, we couldn’t wait to get our paws on the sequel and to feel that familiar sense of wonder as everything we understood about perspective and logic was simply thrown to the winds. If you’re a fan of the original, the news is all good — the ‘sacred geometry’ puzzles are familiar but new mechanics are added to give it that original twist that all perfect sequels need.
In this outing, Ro leads her daughter through the maze of crumbling, rotating, shifting walkways and bridges and, just as before, each level is dazzlingly beautiful and unique. From warm oranges and dark, cold blues, right through to abstract levels of greys and occasional flashes of bright colour, MVII is truly a work of art. The shifting of perspective goes one step further than the original, however, sometimes placing you square-on to the puzzles just to make your brain work a little harder. We’re happy to report, too, that Princess Ida’s friend the Totem is back and is as handy as ever, helping Ro by giving her access to high places and pressing buttons, but also occasionally adding to the environment itself to aid in the movement and rotation of level elements.
But the best addition, we think, is the introduction of the secondary character: the red-hooded daughter. In certain places, the pair are separated and, by controlling Ro, you must use your available paths to mirror the route Ro’s daughter needs to take to reunite them. The story is played out through the intervals between puzzle levels — where Ro encounters spirits — and through the heart-felt interaction between mother and daughter. We must mention the sound. As with the original, there are intricate layers of beautiful music and sound effects that perfectly complement the art style and genre. You’d be mad not to plug in while playing this game. We really have nothing bad to say about this game. Your humble reviewer is in love, and we can’t wait for more levels to be released.