The original Freedom Planet, grounded in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog fan games, was one of the first modern games to move from an original design fan game to a standalone IP. Sabrina DiDuro and the team at GalaxyTrail made the most of the development of the new IP by creating a game with much more story and action than Sonic’s usual strong platform games. In the original, GalaxyTrail wanted to find the right middle ground between too little and too much story, and to equip the series with voice acting throughout. They did this, and later revised the game to include story-driven modes or pure action. In the sequels, they found a happy medium by using short cinematics in tandem with long levels.

The foundations created in the first game live on in the sequels, albeit with refined core mechanics. The sequel uses the same Sonic-style gameplay at its core, but everything is further refined in terms of moves and characters, radically different from each other in some ways, but similar enough to be easily switched between. The multi-character setup allowed the first game to combine characters that work with fast-paced Sonic-style action with a less attack-focused approach alongside a more damage-focused approach, making it stand out in games like

Dramatic Improvements

Lilac is the team leader and speedster. Her dragon boost allows her to dash forward, and can also be used to deal damage. Pressing the action button again can cancel the action, leaving energy behind that deals continuous damage. Compared to the first game, she is significantly more fun to use, and her upward attack allows for an impromptu double jump. Her quick defense allows her to avoid damage as well as deal it. It feels similar to the first game, except with more refined mechanics and a focus on movement.

Carol isn’t as fast as Lilac, but she can unleash endless attacks when she feels like it. With the ability to spin dash at any time, she’s like a cross between Zero from Mega Man X/Zero and Sonic the Hedgehog, but she also deals damage with her spin dash, and her melee damage is incredible. While simply slicing through enemies is great, slicing through obstacles feels just as rewarding. She now has a jump disc that she can throw, which not only deals a certain amount of damage but can also be used to fly around or as a base to jump off from.

Revamped Characters

Milla is an oddball, with a melee attack unlike the first game. She can deflect many projectiles and send them back at enemies, making her perfect for defensively minded players. She has a mid-range bullet attack and the ability to charge them or fire a short-range beam attack for continuous damage. In fact, she feels a bit like Mega Man with a flamethrower power-up. She can also fly, giving her an almost Tails-like look, perfect for exploring the world alone.

Finally we have Bella. She’s very action packed. She’s a power type, has a wide-range staff attack, and can freeze enemies with her ice lasso. She feels a bit like Samus with her ice beam, as she can turn frozen enemies into extra platforms. She also has a tundra beam that can propel her into the air and deal damage. She can also use spike traps to deal damage and also use them as jump-off points. Her sniper rifle allows her to fire bullets forward, adding another Mega Man vibe to the action. Her double jump makes her a bit more like a bus, with the combination of long-range attacks, heavy damage up close, and a double jump.

Dramatic Gameplay Improvements

Overall, the improved gameplay makes the sequel even more entertaining than the original. The game had promise, but the jumps and levels were too long and made the gameplay a bit choppy, so it never became something you always wanted to play like the classic Sonic games. The former issue has been mostly resolved, while the latter is helped by the fact that the levels contain so many different areas that they feel different. In this respect, it’s a bit like Sonic Super Star, where a single level theme takes you through several different sections of the world, all of which look different.

This versatility sets Freedom Planet 2 apart from the original game and many Sonic-influenced games that don’t offer much variety. Here, despite the basic core of running, jumping and attacking all being the same, the characters all feel completely different in their execution. The flow between their mechanics varies, making each play session with them almost feel like a new game. It’s a lot like playing a Mega Man X game as X and then as Zero. The feel and overall flow of the action changes so much that the same level can feel different as you attack in different ways. What’s really surprising is how different ways of progressing through a level can feel.

Rewarding Challenge and Gameplay Change

A speedrun-like run with Lilac is a completely different feeling than a leisurely run with Bella, but both are equally fun. Like the original, Freedom Planet 2 suffers from levels that are too long compared to other games in the genre, but they allowed for longer play sessions to make up for this. In classic Sonic, we know you can complete multiple levels even within a 10-15 minute time frame, but here you’ll need to manage your time better, as you may only be able to complete one level in that time. As you start to play, there’s a greater variety in playstyles, showing just how much work has gone into Galaxy Trail over time to create a truly great sequel game, rather than just a side-change or minor upgrade.

Visually, the sequel follows the original game with a greater level of detail in the backgrounds and sprite behavior. Freedom Planet, like Sonic Mania a few years later, felt like a “what if” scenario of what would have happened if there had been a full-fledged Sonic Adventure on the 32X or Saturn. Where the original was a 32x game in terms of graphics, the sequel is more like an upgrade for the Saturn, with faster overall action and smoother scrolling. There’s a lot more going on here than before, but that doesn’t slow things down, and the overall flow of the action is quicker throughout the game. It’s offset by slower story sections that give players a chance to recharge before moving on to the next level. Action to relax with.

The full voice acting in the original was flawed but still impressive, but Freedom Planet 2 has raised the bar. The cast is more natural in their roles, the acting isn’t as corny as it was before, and the mix of comedy and drama is beautifully presented. Musically, Freedom Planet 2 features a similar mix of songs to the original that would have been popular in the original Sonic games, but also features more drama that would have fit the more dramatic Saturday morning Sonic cartoons. A single fast-paced action platformer that pays homage to so many things about Sonic while doing its own thing helps Freedom Planet 2 stand out.

Closing Comments:

Freedom Planet 2 takes everything about the fast pace and diverse playable cast of the original and improves on it. Gameplay for the same feeling characters has been completely overhauled to make each playthrough feel different while still retaining enough familiar elements of each character to make each playthrough worthwhile. Gameplay has been streamlined, improving the mix of story and gameplay in terms of pacing and acting. The graphics are still excellent, but they have been visually revised in terms of the level of detail, which represents a significant improvement over the first part.