1. Velocity 2x is a speedrunner's fever dream. Other people will like it too.
2. This is the second game in the series but I am hoping the 2x in the title refers to the fact that there are two genres in one game here: a vertical scrolling shmup and a 2D platformer.
3. Both playstyles have similar mechanics in spite of being much different genres. You can always hold a button to move faster. You always have the option to shoot in the direction of the second analog stick. You can always eleport to avoid enemies or get to new areas. It feels natural and seamless to switch between the different ways to play.
4. The thing that ties these together is speed... errr, velocity (2x). No matter which type of section you are in, movement feels fluid and fast in much the same way. It very quickly reaches the point where most actions are second nature and flow freely in spite of quite a few mechanics being at play. In short, the double genre mashup works because the controls for both are excellent.
5. Volocity 2x doesn't try to knock you on your butt w/ its technical fidelity but its graphics are nevertheless stylish and effective. Bright, bold colors not only set the futuristic tone in this deep space setting but help enemies and collectables stand out from the background.
6. There are nevertheless some sections where one tiny collectable is easy to miss and this does wind up having a negative effect on gameplay esp. as you reach your way toward the end game.
7. The plot is delivered through still frame images w/ text. It is simple but it works. The art really shines here and after several dozen sets of just a few images a piece, the tale of a repressed race overthrowing their oppressors w/ the help of a lone human woman feels full and real in spite of only serving the gameplay purpose of breaking up the pace.
8. So, as stated, this game plays fast. It encourages you to play fast by outside means like scoring you on completion time and internet leader boards but, more so than that, it just feels right to try to scurry through. I wish they would have stuck more w/ the latter method.
9. The scoring on each level relates to how many collectables you get, how many enemies you kill and how fast you go. You unlock additional levels by scoring enough on previous levels. This is easy enough for about the first three hours. After that, it's pretty easy to pick up some extra points to keep things going for a while but eventually most players are going to hit a wall. Then you've got to grind.
10. And I don't mean idly grind away like you do in an RPG. This is white knuckle, no mistakes, try after try grinding like speedrunners do. It's satisfying as hell to but it seems kinda cheap they wall off end game content w/ this stuff.
11. The issue is this expectation for near perfection isn't given to you at the outset. You have to more or less memorize most of these levels but you can get so far ahead in the game before you realize this that you've forgotten anything about the first bunch of levels and so have to go back and start relearning from scratch. It would be much better just to set the bar higher initially if that is what you are going to do.
12. This is made worse by the fact that the levels get fairly long by midway through the game. To have to repeat a five minute level yet again because you missed one or two tiny collectables (see number 6) is incredibly frustrating.
13. So, yeah, I complained a lot about the progress wall but the reason it sticks out so much is that Velocity 2x is otherwise just so much fun. I actively like and enjoy grinding these levels for fast times and high scores, it just sticks in my craw that I have to. Maybe I am just acting like a spoiled teenager, I dunno... Go start your own blog about how I act like a spoiled teenager if that is the case. Otherwise, go play Velocity 2x. It's a blast and half. Plus it's two games in one, making for a total of three blasts. I can do math. You should play this game.
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