The first Monument Valley proved how touch screens can deliver unique, immersive adventures. Part 2 does more of the same, but that’s okay in this case.
When the credits of Monument Valley rolled by, we immediately wondered how and if developer Ustwo Games would ever come up with a sequel. Yet your adventures are not over in these MC Escher-esque worlds.
Monument Valley 2 review: updated and trusted
Monument Valley 2 immediately feels familiar and recognizable. You still control a character (Ro) by tapping the screen and turning switches and knobs. Focusing on one figure is not enough, however, because the story revolves around a mother and daughter, who are regularly separated from each other.
You do not directly control the daughter, but obediently follows her mother. This gives Ustwo the chance to come up with some clever new puzzles, where you have to take exactly the right position to be on two switches at the same time, for example.
The optical illusions are also back, so that you can, for example, make a bridge of two objects that do not actually touch each other. Thus the game continuously plays with the way you see the world. Sometimes Ro suddenly runs upside down, but turn the image and it suddenly looks credible and normal again.
Lack of challenge
Combine this with the bright colors and fairytale buildings and you get a game in which you prefer to wander around for as long as possible. Since the first part in 2014, few iPhone games with such a distinctive graphic style have appeared, and part 2 even goes a step further. For example, more animations have been added, in which you can see, for example, a tower breaking down and falling on another part of the level.
In total, there are 14 worlds you will traverse in Monument Valley 2. That is more than in the original game, although you will reach the credits within a few hours. So you certainly get value for money, but we had hoped for more. In addition, the difficulty level has been lowered, so you can reach the end faster and the number of ‘eureka moments’ can be counted on one hand. A shame, because Monument Valley is at its best if you take the time to overcome an apparently impossible obstacle.
This makes the game a beautiful work of art that you can walk through without breaking your brains too much. If you haven’t already bought Monument Valley 2, we can only recommend that you do so. This is one of those games that you rarely see.
→ Download Monument Valley 2 from the App Store (5.49 euros)