After the ending of the original, it seemed a sequel was inevitable. Q-Games first official sequel (rather than an extended Encore) is finally here in the form of PixelJunk Shooter 2. After being swallowed into the belly of the beast a slight change has undertaken the aesthetic. The same general style remains, but now reflects a more organic, rather than earthly, atmosphere.
That’s not the only change, however, as a few new challenges look to rework your elemental hierarchy. The spin, shoot, and grapple mechanics were the same, but stomach acid was revealed as a brand new elemental hazard. In addition to not allowing missile fire, stomach acid started to dissolve my ship until it was dipped it water. Later on, stomach acid was present in gas form, which spun my ship completely out of control. I did, however, have a slight bit of influence over my direction thanks to some generous grapple points I could latch onto mid-spin.
The other level was a bit darker – literally. Rather than traditional, physical elements, this time around we were playing with light. Dark corridors required navigation to proceed, but presented a considerable challenge in their lethality. Your ship can only survive a few moments in the dark before invincible organism decimates it. This becomes particularly complicated when survivors are stuck in these areas; your grappling hook cannot pick them up in the dark. Of course, a solution is present in the form of grapple-ready light item. Pick it up and take it to your destination, get the survivors, and get the hell out of there before you’re engulfed in the darkness.
Co-op remains a part of PixelJunk Shooter, but I was told a battle mode was being considered, and online play to go with it. I was told co-op wouldn’t be available online because of the intimate communication required to not accidently destroy your partner best works when they’re on the couch next to you, rather than piped in through your ear. Good call, if you ask me.
A few new enemies popped up, one of which was a tentacle creature that needed to be lit up before I could blast it out of the darkness. From there, the other parts of the game felt familiar; find hidden diamonds, rescue survivors instead of accidently shooting them, and proceed until the end point. The number of levels is still undecided and the boss levels may appear more in the form of an advanced challenge than a traditional AI encounter, but all of that should be resolved by the time PixelJunk Shooter 2 ships later this fall. Check back with us then for more coverage!
