We were quite happy with the sequel, although some players have since reported issues. These include blocked progression and rewards from bosses not showing up. The latest patch fixes all of this while

While the full list of fixes can be found here, the major talking points include the ability to return to where you fought bosses for their rewards. Important items required for progression will make their way directly to your inventory, and you can also smash through that pesky wall in Upper Kankan now. There’s also been a bit of balancing around your Breath’s healing, i-frames on parries and dodges, improved Dash Counters, and a few adjustments to attack speeds and hitboxes on select bosses.

The developer also revealed that they’re pondering the return of the boss rush feature from the first game as they try to fix the issue of some bosses dying before you get to fight them. You get the rewards if that’s happened to you, while the option to take them on somewhere down the line could be very welcome, considering how each one is quite memorable.

Major Patch – Combat, Platforming, and Bugs – 1.0.17551c

Major bugs:

• Boss Rewards bug – Every single player which died alongside a boss and lost access to it’s rewards for any reason, you can go to their arena now and gain that reward. Missing progression items will appear in your inventory upon loading your save with this patch.
• Missed Bosses – Bosses that previously died randomly due to a bug has gotten extra protections to prevent such cases. The reward you lost should be in the arena. We can’t safely return to bosses to your save in order to fight them, but we’ll use this as an incentive to explore an earlier re-introduction of the boss gauntlet system from GRIME.
• Kankan wall blocker – Anyone who got stuck behind a one sided wall in Upper Kankan can now simply break it from both sides to get out.

Combat Balancing:

• Attribute value increased – You now gain more value out of your attribute stats. Especially from Health, with a smaller drop-off every milestone. This will increase a lot of your power in the late game.
• Healing increased – All Breathcrowns healing value has increased across the board, giving you more value per heal.
• Parry Immunity has been extended.
• Player Immunity upon taking a hit has been extended.
• Dash Counter range increased significantly, making it easier to perform.
• Dash Counters which require you perform them from the air had their VFX updated to be clearer.
• Visagehand major bug fixes and polish.
• Updates to various bosses’ hitboxes, clarity and cooldowns.
• Quadblade now has a Breath-ward in their HP.
• Various attacks have been slowed down.
• Many, many more.

It smartly reworks familiar ideas through a new lens, weaving its themes into the journey of the Formless, an art mimic brought to life by the mysterious Rippler of Waves and told that the world before it exists to sate its appetite. That setup gives real purpose to the combat, pushing you deeper into the world as you cut down enemy after enemy and encounter the occasional ally along the way.

"The world itself carries an ethereal charm to it, its dangers seeming so natural and organic that you’re compelled to learn more about how it came to be the way that it is."

Before getting into combat and progression, though, it’s worth highlighting how strongly GRIME 2 is built around the idea of individual agency, with hands serving as a constant visual and mechanical expression of that theme. That idea runs through the entire game, and the repeated presence of hands in the world, in enemy designs, and even on your character, helps reinforce it in a way that feels organic rather than forced.

The world itself carries an ethereal charm to it, its dangers seeming so natural and organic that you’re compelled to learn more about how it came to be the way that it is. It’s also elegantly structured, with areas folding back into one another so naturally that the path forward remains coherent even when you’re poking around every hidden corner for much-needed upgrades.

Part of what makes that structure work is how vulnerable the Formless feels at the start. You begin with light and heavy attacks, along with a jump, dash, and parry for movement and defense. It’s a simple setup that the developers have utilized well with additional layers and moves opening up as you keep taking down some incredible bosses.

Each area teaches you how to use the mechanics it introduces, and its boss usually serves as the final exam, forcing those lessons into your muscle memory through punishing attacks. While I wouldn’t put them on the same level as a full-blown Soulsborne, they still offer a stern challenge, with the standard difficulty in particular keeping me on the back foot more often than I’d care to admit.

"The environment could work either for you or against you, depending on how you use it, which adds interesting wrinkles to fights."

Every boss fight you take on is tough but fair, requiring precise use of dodges, parries, and a grapple that’s introduced a little later. The weapons you use against them are also quite varied, and nailing down the timings on each animation was a huge part of the fun. You’ll likely settle into a preferred pairing of melee and ranged options, which gives you the flexibility to handle most encounters efficiently.

Of course, the art mimic does have one massive trick up its sleeve, and that’s the ability to absorb Molds of your enemies, using their own moves against them. Several enemies come with a yellow dot on their health bars. Whittling them down to their breaking point opens them up to a grapple that lets you copy their abilities. Repeat the process enough times, and that move gets added to a growing list that you can then mix and match to make your mimic your own.

The environment could work either for you or against you, depending on how you use it, which adds interesting wrinkles to fights, ensuring that things in this weird world never get boring. That’s because exploring each level requires a fair bit of dexterity on your part, be it in dealing with the various enemies in differing combinations that stand in your way, or some platforming challenges that were a pleasure to pull off correctly, thanks to how cool it all looked! Even slight mistakes can quickly shatter your rhythm, whether that means eating damage from enemies or blundering into carefully placed traps.

You recover health through the Breath mechanic, which involves building up the eponymous meter by killing enemies in the field before you use it all up to give yourself a heal-over-time effect. It’s fairly quick but does require that you continue to avoid damage in case you’re really low on health. The Force meter adds an interesting layer to offense, rewarding you for managing it well rather than simply mashing attacks.

"The story helps set it all up with context for your adventures, and is another solid part of the experience."

Managing all of these elements when you’re juggling multiple enemies or trying to learn the ins and outs of a boss’s attacks is deviously delightful. It looks so simple to a spectator, as you’re probably going to see for yourself if you dive in, but it is challenging and incredibly satisfying to pull off. It’s the kind of combat system that feels instantly inviting even while demanding real concentration and precision.

The story helps set it all up with context for your adventures, and is another solid part of the experience. I’m a fan of games that tell their stories through world-building, and this one has that in spades. You meet a range of characters, some welcoming and others decidedly less so, who stand out thanks to strong visual design and sharp writing. It’s a testament to GRIME 2’s quality that there is a certain wit and charm to be found in its bleak world, and the story brings it all together very well.

The soundtrack deserves special mention, giving many areas a haunting beauty that makes it easy to stop and simply take in the atmosphere. I’m particularly fond of the adorable noises some enemies make when they let an attack loose. It made me chuckle to myself even as I was laser-focused on the action.

The game performed very well on my base PS5, running smoothly enough for its combat and platforming to consistently look and feel excellent. Although there aren’t any graphical options on offer, I reckon they’re an unnecessary addition to a game that looks and performs like this one does.

"Its combat is spot on, while its platforming trappings can have you grinding your teeth as you try to nail down the timing on its various challenges."

I did encounter one early bug that froze the game and forced a restart before I could continue, but beyond that, I ran into no major technical issues. There was also the occasional bit of pop-in when traversing between areas, but you’re unlikely to notice it unless you’re actively looking for it. It does bear mentioning, though.

You’ve probably already guessed that for me, this one’s very easy to recommend. Its combat is spot on, while its platforming trappings can have you grinding your teeth as you try to nail down the timing on its various challenges. Put that challenging gameplay loop beside a world and story that are quite intriguing, and you’ve got the recipe for a title that lets you fully immerse yourself in its absurdity.

If you were a fan of the original title, you’re going to love this one. If you’re new to GRIME, strap in for a very entertaining romp through a world that’s spellbinding right from the get-go. Either way, this one’s worth your cash and the time and effort it takes to master all it has to offer. Its difficulty may look intimidating from the outside, but it shouldn’t put you off, because you’d be missing out on one of the more compelling RPGs in recent memory.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Wielding heavy masses, throwing daggers, and even using a bow is child’s play for the new protagonist. What’s really interesting is its core ability to create Molds, thus gaining new appearances and weapons. It can also grapple around with its tendrils, ascending walls faster than Akhlan and even smacking enemies from afar.

The result is a much faster tempo of combat and exploration, but you don’t have to take our word for it. A free demo is available now on PC via Steam, where players battle through the Temple of Hands. Thus far, it’s rated “Very Positive” based on 99 percent approval from its 127 user reviews.

GRIME 2 doesn’t have a release date, and it’s currently only in development for PC.

Elden Ring: Nightreign

“New” might sound like a misnomer for Nightreign, a spin-off of FromSoftware’s massive open-world action RPG into a co-op experience. Nevertheless, it’s something truly unprecedented from the studio – one or three players survive through multiple days, nights and bosses (including some from Dark Souls) to take on the Night Lord. Select a class, scope out areas with valuable loot, face the night, and try to survive. It’s out later this year for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC, and we’re intrigued to see how it fares.

GRIME 2 sees players as the Formless (aka, the Stealer of Forms), capable of using tendrils to absorb enemies and fashion Molds from their parts. You’ll explore a new realm in the same universe with different cultures and characters to meet. New bosses and enemies also await, but you have new weapons, skills and the ability to summon the absorbed enemies as Molds in battle.

Molds can also be used as special attacks, like projectiles to attack from range or stun foes. The tendrils can also parry, when necessary. The aesthetic is also pretty nice, with locations composed of “painted nails and giant vases.” Your guess is as good as ours as to what this means.

Stay tuned for more details on GRIME 2, and in the meantime, GRIME on Nintendo Switch will receive a release date “very, very soon.” Fans can also expect a third update to coincide with the launch of the Switch version.