I am not good at Spelunky 2. It took longer than I?d like to admit to even get past level 1-2, and by the time I finally got the trophy for making it to the second area, my attempts were nearing 100. I usually hate reviewing games before I?ve finished them, and truth be told, I haven?t finished Spelunky 2. That?s why our review is landing so late. But get this: only 3.2% of all players have even completed the game yet (according to the trophy for game completion), and that?s just the tip of Spelunky 2?s iceberg. Completing the game isn?t nearly everything it has to offer, and there are multiple ways to ?finish? a run of Spelunky 2. That near-frustrating and almost-absurd difficulty is part of what makes peeling back Spelunky 2?s layers so enamoring though, and keeps it one of the most beloved roguelikes ever. On its surface, this is pretty standard 2D-sidscrolling platformer, but Spelunky 2 is the type of game that will consistently kill you in ways you didn?t even know were possible. Careful as you might be, something else unknown always lurks around the corner; a laughable series of unfortunate events that whittle your hearts down to none and leave you bleeding out on a set of spiky bones in a pit. It?s not just the death mechanics that are surprising however. Spelunky 2 is filled with secrets, nuances, subtle mechanics, and hidden elements that paint an increasingly complex picture of what this moon-delving dungeon explorer is all about. But also death.

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