Hammerwatch II (2023)

Hammerwatch II's graphics and world design are amazing, and the soundtrack fits super well into each area. The gameplay is still a little frustrating, though. And with the very real chance of losing all of your progress, I wouldn't say it's worth it. It's sad to see such a well-designed game ruined by such fatal bugs.

To sum up I did like Hammerwatch II but it’s not a game that’s going to work for everyone. I absolutely praise the developers for not simply copying the formula of the previous games and slapping an II on the box. But this is not a pick-up-and-play experience like the prior games. It took me several hours and 3 character restarts to wrap my head around things. But once the game finally clicked I did start to enjoy myself. Although the experience felt much more geared to co-op play. This steep learning curve will not work for everyone and I can see some players jumping out of the game out of sheer frustration. But if you can overcome this hurdle there is much fun and depth to discover with Hammerwatch II made all the more enjoyable if you can bring a friend along for the adventure.

Hammerwatch II picks up right where the first game left off but its narrative and technical shortcomings make it feel like the rough draft of a fantasy epic rather than the final version. The open world is big enough to get lost in for hours at a time and you will die repeatedly while doing so. Still, if you need a game to do a bit of mindless grinding in, the combat is fun and easy to pick up, which keeps this sequel from being a complete disappointment.

While I enjoyed my time with Hammerwatch 2 in short bursts, I never felt like it was going above and beyond to give me something that hadn't been done before. Some clunky design here and there only draws attention to these frustrations. Despite this, the core gameplay of Hammerwatch 2 is enjoyable enough to go through with friends for a dungeon or two, with a healthy amount of customisation to be found.

Poorly-implemented interfaces and controls, paired with a bit of aimlessness, bring down this sequel effort