LostWinds2: Winter of the Melodias Review
- Publisher: Frontier Developments Ltd
- Genre: Action
- Released: 10 May, 2012
- Size: 136.5 MB
- Price: $3.99
PROS
- Slick single-touch controls; optional virtual pad available.
- Gorgeous environments that invite and reward diligent exploration.
- Summer/Winter system gives each area and its puzzles more depth.
CONS
- No option to turn off time-slowing; helpful for some, but sluggish and unnecessary for others.
- Performance concerns on iPads.
VERDICT
Return fans of LostWinds will fall in love all over again with LostWinds2, but new players aren't excluded as the game's inviting visuals and exploration-based gameplay is a treat for all gamers.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
When last we met Toku and the wind-spirit Enril, the evil spirit Balasar was defeated and all was well in Mistralis. It was a short, but intriguing journey filled with exploration and a handful of puzzles, and now with more evil threatening the lands, it's up to Toku and Enril to once again save the world.
Ultimately LostWinds felt all too short, almost a teaser of what is possible when platforming meets gesture controls. The sequel takes things even further, implementing fixes from the original title and providing players with even more puzzles, enemies and a larger world to explore.
Aside from the usual method of tapping and swiping to move and generate wind, players can switch on a virtual-stick if tapping isn't proving to be intuitive enough. New powers revolve around the now winter-y world with enemies facing the deadly 'cold snap' (freezing), vortexes can be used to generate snowballs to pummel through walls or hold down switches, and thanks to a new power you'll be able to switch between Summer and Winter, controlling the weather and opening or closing paths thanks to the changes in flowing water.
As always there are collectables to distract and challenge you, feeding directly in to the fun that comes from exploring new areas thanks to having unlocked new abilities; it's the Metroid-vania formula done right.
As a result LostWinds 2 feels meatier and there's more time to absorb the game's resplendent world. Even if you missed out on the original title, this is a platformer well-worth grabbing.
Screenshots
$3.99
