Hylics 2 is a 2020 role-playing video game developed by Mason Lindroth for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 2015 game Hylics. Set in a surrealist and absurdist world, the protagonist Wayne must stop the resurrection of the tyrant king Gibby by his minions. The gameplay is a turn-based RPG, the same as its predecessor. The game was acclaimed for its unique claymation and stop-motion visuals and psychedelic funk score composed by Lindroth and Chuck Salamone.
| Hylics 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Mason Lindroth |
| Designer(s) | Mason Lindroth |
| Artist(s) | Mason Lindroth |
| Composer(s) | Mason Lindroth, Chuck Salamone |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, MacOS |
| Release | June 22, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing, platformer |
Gameplay
edit
Hylics 2 is a turn-based RPG with similarities to traditional JRPGs.[1][2] It takes place in a surrealist and absurdist world,[2][3] with some horror elements.[4] The player character Wayne assembles a party of characters, fights enemies, and explore a 3D world, finding hidden treasure. Exploration is sometimes done in an airship, which has been compared to Final Fantasy.[1][2][4][5] Unlike the first game, the sequel contains 3D platforming elements,[4] and contains a segment of dungeon-crawling in first-person.[5] The player can dodge enemies with a variety of moves.[5] The plot of the game involves Wayne attempting to stop the resurrection of the first game's antagonist,[4] the tyrant king Gibby, by his minions.[1][3] There are many versions of Wayne in the world, of various shapes and designs.[1][4] The player characters gain more flesh (hit points) by putting the meat of dead enemies and Waynes in a meat grinder. When all party members' flesh hits 0, the player and their reality dissolve.[1]
Development
editThe game is a sequel to the 2015 RPG Hylics,[2] both developed by Mason Lindroth.[6] The sequel's plot contains motifs of the first game, but can be understood without playing the first game.[5] While the first game was developed in RPG Maker, the sequel was developed in the Unity engine.[4] In Lindroth's games, he uses a psychedelic claymation and stop-motion visual style.[2][7] He makes clay models and takes pictures of them in front of a green screen, putting the renders in the game.[1][7] Behind-the-scenes photos of the process were released in 2023.[8] Lindroth supported the sequel's development with a public fundraising campaign.[9] The game's psychedelic funk score was made by Mason Lindroth and Chuck Salamone.[10]
The game was announced with a trailer in January 2018, with a planned release date for later that year.[6][11][12] Another trailer was released in November, and by then, the release date had shifted to summer 2019.[9] The game was released on June 22, 2020 on the Steam and Itch.io platforms for Microsoft Windows and MacOS.[2][13][9]
Reception
editThe game was acclaimed upon its release,[1][2] with significant praise being given to its visual style.[1][6][8][12] Rock Paper Shotgun writer Alice O'Connor claimed the game had some of the best visuals and music in gaming.[2][10] The visuals were compared to the video game Clayfighter, artist Bruce Bickford's works, and the movie Fantastic Planet,[1][6] while the score was compared to Frank Zappa's music.[1] The in-game models, animations, and battles were considered improved from the first game.[4] In 2021, PC Gamer named Hylics 2 as having one of their favorite title screens in gaming.[5][14] It has a Metacritic aggregated score of 8.0.[13] Early user reviews criticized elements of the platforming, and the length of battles.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j James Davenport (2020-06-22). "Hylics 2 feels like a long-lost RPG from the 1970s". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h O'Connor, Alice (2020-06-22). "Claymation RPG Hylics 2 is out now". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b Jody Macgregor (2020-06-22). "Absurdist RPG Hylics 2 will be out tomorrow, here's a weird trailer". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g Allisa James (2022-10-22). "This week's top PC games are made of fever dreams and horrifying retro reality". TechRadar. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hylics 2 is out on Steam and I can't look away". Destructoid. 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c d kotakuinternational (2018-01-18). "Claymation JRPG Hylics 2 Is Looking Twisted As Heck". Kotaku Australia. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b Giada Zavarise (2018-03-31). "Remembering Hylics, the surreal art RPG". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Alice (2023-01-18). "I adore these Hylics secrets of handcrafted art and actual hands". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Alice (2018-11-06). "Hylics 2 continues to look chuffing gorgeous". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Alice (2021-10-01). "Our video game music recommendations for Bandcamp Friday". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "Hylics 2's Preview Trailer is Bizarrely Perfect and Just as Trippy as its Predecessor". Gaming. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b "Hylics 2 is a total fever dream and I love it". Destructoid. 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b "Hylics 2". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ Jody Macgregor (2021-01-06). "Our favorite title screens and main menus in PC gaming". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-02-02.