GRIME 2 Review – Bizarrely Beautiful

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GRIME 2 is a fantastic follow-up to the 2021 action RPG, GRIME. It expands on the original with refined gameplay and keeps the beautiful, unique art style that fans loved. I’ve really enjoyed playing it – it’s challenging, and I found myself eager to explore its cleverly designed levels and test my abilities against new foes.

The game takes familiar concepts and presents them in a fresh way, centering around the Formless – a living artwork created by the enigmatic Rippler of Waves. The Formless is tasked with consuming the world around it, which gives the player a compelling reason to fight. As you battle enemies and meet a few helpful characters, you’ll become more invested in discovering the world and its secrets.

The world has a captivating beauty, and its dangers feel like a natural part of it, making you want to understand its origins and history.

Before diving into the gameplay and how you improve, it’s important to note how central the idea of player choice is to GRIME 2. This is visually and mechanically represented through the use of hands throughout the game. You’ll see them everywhere – in the environment, on enemies, and even as part of your own character – which consistently reinforces this theme in a natural and meaningful way.

The world feels magical and inviting, even with its dangers, making you want to discover its history. It’s beautifully designed, with areas that connect seamlessly, so you can explore every nook and cranny for improvements without getting lost.

The game’s enjoyable structure relies on how weak you initially feel as the Formless character. You start with basic attacks – both light and heavy – and essential movement options like jumping, dashing, and parrying. This simple foundation is cleverly built upon as you defeat challenging bosses, unlocking new abilities and moves along the way.

Each section of the game carefully introduces its gameplay elements, and the boss at the end of each area tests what you’ve learned in a challenging way, making you truly master the skills. While not quite as difficult as games like Dark Souls, it still provides a good challenge – especially on the standard difficulty, which kept me constantly reacting and trying to survive.

The battlefield can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you utilize it, making combat more complex and unpredictable.

Each boss battle is challenging, but always feels achievable if you carefully time your dodges, blocks, and, later on, use the grappling hook. A big part of the enjoyment comes from mastering the different weapons and learning the rhythm of each attack. You’ll probably find a favorite combination of close-combat and long-range weapons that lets you beat most enemies effectively.

The Mimic’s biggest strength is its ability to learn moves from enemies. Many enemies have a yellow health bar indicator. When you defeat them, you can grab them to copy one of their abilities. Do this enough times, and you’ll build up a collection of moves you can combine and customize, making your Mimic truly unique.

The environment is a double-edged sword – it can help or hinder you, making each fight unpredictable and keeping the game fresh. Successfully navigating each level demands skillful play, whether you’re facing diverse enemy combinations or tackling tricky platforming sections that are visually impressive. A single mistake can disrupt your flow, leading to damage from enemies or triggering hidden traps.

You regain health by using the Breath mechanic. You fill up a meter by defeating enemies, and then use that meter to heal yourself over time. It’s a fast way to recover, but you still need to avoid taking damage, especially when your health is low. The Force meter adds depth to combat, encouraging strategic attacks instead of just rapid button presses.

The story provides helpful background for your adventures and adds to the overall enjoyable experience.

The game’s combat is cleverly designed – it’s easy to pick up, but surprisingly deep. Watching someone play might make it seem straightforward, and you’ll likely find that for yourself when you try it. However, mastering the timing and managing everything while facing multiple enemies or a tough boss is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. It’s a combat system that immediately draws you in while still requiring focus and skillful play.

The game’s story provides excellent background for your journey and adds a lot to the overall experience. I especially appreciate how it unfolds through the game’s world itself. You’ll encounter memorable characters – some friendly, others not so much – brought to life by great visuals and clever writing. Despite its dark setting, GRIME 2 has a surprising amount of charm and wit, and the story really ties everything together beautifully.

The music in this game is really noteworthy, adding a beautiful and eerie quality to many environments that encourages you to pause and soak it all in. I also loved the cute sounds the enemies make when they attack – it was funny, even when I was completely focused on the gameplay!

I was really impressed with how well this game ran on my regular PS5. The combat and platforming felt fantastic and looked consistently great – it was super smooth! Honestly, I didn’t even miss having graphical options, because it already looked and performed so well. They just weren’t needed.

The game’s fighting is excellent, but the platforming sections can be frustrating due to their difficult timing.

I did experience one bug early on that caused the game to freeze and required a restart, but after that, I didn’t have any significant technical problems. Sometimes objects would appear suddenly as I moved between areas, but it was hardly noticeable. Still, it’s worth mentioning.

I wholeheartedly recommend this game. The combat feels perfect, though the platforming sections can be quite difficult and require precise timing. Combine that with a captivating world and story, and you have a game that’s truly immersive and delightfully quirky.

Whether you’re already familiar with the series or completely new to GRIME, you’ll find this game incredibly enjoyable. It’s captivating from the start and well worth the investment of your time and money. Don’t let the challenging gameplay scare you off – this is one of the most engaging RPGs released recently.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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2026-04-02 17:44