新聞
Wall World 2 takes the mining roguelite to another dimension
F
Francisco Dominguez
On this strange planet, humanity exists on a wall stretching towards infinite height. Life on the Y-axis forces peculiar adaptation, as Stepan Komarov, General Producer and Art Director, explains in his lore breakdown of their vertical society. “No one has ever reached its edge, and a thick mist hides everything beyond a mile.”
“People rely on spider-like machines to mine resources directly from the wall,” he continues. “They construct homes both on and within the wall itself, raise livestock, and cultivate crops. But life here is far from safe; dangerous creatures known as ‘Zyrex’ roam the wall, and defending settlements from them is part of daily survival. For those born there, this is simply normal life, passed down through generations.”
Having discovered a giant hole in the wall at the end of the last game, players navigate this foreboding chasm of impossible depths in a lumbering spider-mech, locating cracks to blast rocks into valuable resources. That is, at least until the alarm is raised and you’re called to defend your mech against a wave of dangerous Zyrex in a tower-defense shootout that tests both your aim and your upgrade savvy, swiveling your gun turrets to mow down each onslaught.
Safe with the knowledge that their irresistible core loop had already proven to be a winner, Komarov tells us the sequel allowed the team to focus on adding more depth in every area, down to the way your spider-mech now reacts to every bump and ledge it crawls over. “Wall World 2 brings far more than just new content," he says. "It expands the first game in every direction, making the world richer, more atmospheric, and more rewarding to explore.”
One way they’re achieving this is with a new mission focus. In the first Wall World, your runs were primarily doomed endeavours that focused on survival. Now, each run has a specific objective, whether that’s rescuing a trapped human, racing to save a vulnerable section of the wall from a merciless Zyrex onslaught, or taking the offensive in a perilous raid on a Zyrex hive on the hunt for important items.
Once a place of safety, the interiors of your self-made caverns are now filled with new threats. Zyrex are now found deep beneath ground as you hack deeper into the rocky cliff face. What was initially a trolley-dash to scoop up precious resources for an upgrade spree now demands you turn your mining tools towards more dangerous ends.
Despite these hazards, these newly challenging sequences stop just short of becoming as fraught as Spelunky’s frenetic platforming, partly thanks to the impressive suite of options Komarov and the team have added. Before, you’d float around the mines to plasma blast your way to riches. Now you can equip rocket boots to sprint across the ground, or pick up a drone to collect resources and battle enemies for you, freeing your focus for exploration.
With one refuge removed, they’ve fortunately added another safe haven from Wall World 2’s inhospitable biomes in the shape of Sphere City. This hub is a place to visit the local bar to buy buffs, take on optional side quests, or simply enjoy its cyberpunk vibes.
The original game’s mech-mounted weapons all make their return too, including the reliable machine gun, the terrifyingly effective singularity gun, pungent chemical grenades, and a stake thrower whose accuracy increases the longer you charge it. Komarov hints that new mech weapons will be revealed—with some rare and ultra powerful guns hidden behind challenging missions—but they’ll all be equally effective. Thanks to upgrade paths that can hugely improve your weaponry’s damage output, maneuverability, and more, players can follow their preferred playstyle.
That commitment applies to the spider-mech too, which now has options to customize its hull and legs to tailor its design for different enemies and terrain. Komarov is determined for players to make their mark, down to its very name which is daubed on its side at all times. “If you decide to call it 'dude,' that’s exactly what will be painted on its armor!” he says.
There’s another exciting change that lends each run even more drama, an addition sure to please Helldivers 2 players: extractions. “In the first game, the only way to leave the wall was to die," Komarov says. "Now you can call for a transporter at any time and return to the upgrade hub while keeping everything you’ve gathered, so even short runs feel rewarding and players of all skill levels can make steady progress.”
Kamarov is quick to remind us that this is the best-case scenario; don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s a painless escape route, although it should be a memorable one. “Of course, extraction isn’t risk-free: the signal flare attracts a wave of enemies, and you’ll have to fight them off until the transporter arrives. It often turns into one of the most intense moments of a run!” he says.
Wishlist Wall World 2 today, as it's coming soon to Epic Games Store.