Freedom Planet 2: First Footage

[JezMM]

6 hours ago, Kintor said:

If you bought Freedom Planet thinking it was a pure Sonic clone then you clearly haven't played enough 16-bit platformers. Lilac's charged jump is straight out of Rocket Knight Adventures. The epic and challenging boss battles are straight of a Treasure game like Gunstar Heroes or Alien Soldier. I mean seriously, the late game bosses in Freedom Planet are actually pretty easy compared to something in late game Alien Soldier or Rocket Knight Adventures, while still putting up a decent challenge for veterans of the 16-bit era. As such, Freedom Planet is true to the games that in inspired, where this kind of challenging gameplay is essential to the experience.

 

As for your complaints about 'homework' - you’re on a video game forum, buy some more games! In this digital age of massive sales and easily accessible content there's no reason at all why any discerning gamer shouldn't have a respectable backlog of games. After all, arcade influenced games (like Freedom Planet) are designed to be played in short bursts. It's both easy and natural to juggle games like Freedom Planet, alongside things like Crimzon Clover and even the Metal Slug ports. In keeping with the arcade spirit these games are best played together. A half an hour here, two hours there, between a couple of different arcade style games, this is the way that Freedom Planet is meant to be enjoyed.

You're basically telling me how to live my life at this point so I'll be straight, I don't care.  I don't care about these sorts of games or your way of gaming.  There's nothing wrong with it but it doesn't appeal to me anymore like it did when I was a kid and it was the only option, plus I have tried Gunstar Heroes and Metal Slug and they didn't grab me (looking at Crimzon Clover I can also say that schmups rarely hold my attention either).  I do have a respectable backlog of games collected over my lifetime, I'd estimate totalling over 400 titles or so, but even if I didn't that wouldn't matter one bit to this discussion.  I'm not gonna buy 6 or so old games when I could use the same money to buy 1 new one I'm actually interested in, and saying "no excuse" is VERY assuming of people's financial situation.  I do okay and buy plenty of games when I can, just not these specific ones you want me to.  Right now I'm juggling Overwatch, Super Mario Maker 3DS, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Oxenfree, Fire Emblem Heroes and actually another playthrough of Freedom Planet because I wanted to refamiliarise myself with it and see if I still feel the same way about the climax of the game post-patch.  Got plenty to be getting on with, and then the Switch and Zelda comes out at the end of the month.

If you really think the Freedom Planet dev team, when asked "Do you need to have played a bunch of old 16-bit games to completion in order to fully enjoy your game?" would say "Yes" you're totally bonkers.  And if you're right and they designed a game to only be appealing under those conditions then THEY are totally bonkers lol.

 

This whole argument can be summed up as "I didn't enjoy this game" "well no you're wrong because you didn't play it correctly" over and over again on repeat.  The biggest irony here is this whole argument started because you were complaining that people were recommending against FP, but honestly, if I hadn't played it already to know I enjoyed it "for the most part" if I saw all this stuff about "you need to have played all these old hard 16-bit games to "get it"" I'd be like "oh glad I didn't give in to the Sonic influence and pick FP up then, doesn't sound like my bag at all."

[Kintor]

7 hours ago, Conquering Storm's Servant said:

Okay, let me chime in on this, because I see both sides being inconsiderate to each other on the game.

I'll start by saying I absolutely love the first game, and I played through all three characters on Hard mode all the way up to Brevon's final fight -- I then proceeded to play Final Dreadnought 4 no less than 20 times, mostly as Carol, but sometimes as Milla and Lilac, just to fight Brevon again, which I wouldn't put as any worse than fighting the Death Egg Robot with zero rings back in the classic since at least you take more hits to die. (You might call that masochistic of me, but I just enjoy difficult and colorful games *shrug*)

I'm not sure what to say of the level design compare to Sonic classics (except CD, because that was definitely ass), but one could make a stronger case for enemy placement in the latter half of the game being a pain--anything after, if not during, Jade Creek can make one rage. Every game is going to have a few hated levels, and for me that was Pangu Lagoon (FUCK those damn wasps, man!), Battle Glacier 2, and Final Dreadnought 2 up there with stages Metropolis Zone, Labyrinth Zone, and Sandopolic Act 2, among others. 

Freedom Planet 1 may not be perfect, but it's not that horrendous. And it doesn't take that much understanding to why people put it as good as the Classics--it expands on a few elements that the classics haven't done such as the use of combat abilities and health system (yes, the Classics were known for using one button to attack, but one might like the added variety of abilities here), or does a bit more with what the classic have done like with the elemental shields given we have yet to have a shield that lets us traverse on spikes unharmed. And one might like the lack of a touch of doom for most enemies and requiring them to attack you to hurt you rather than you simply touching them to get hurt, as well as each character having better verticality in a few ways--Sonic could certainly have benefitted with something like a Dragon Boost to ricochet him off walls in case he got stuck in places like Mystic Cave's "fuck your superform" Pit-of-Doom.

And those might offset things like enemies taking more than one hit to die (in which they can die pretty quick, so that's still not a big issue).

But while some might like these aspects, let's not disregard that there are moments that could be better. Final Dreadnought 2 is still a bitch of a level even if you have it figured out,  and Pangu Lagoon's level design and enemy placement is downright sadistic in the worst way possible. Certain bosses in FP1 can be a huge pain depending on your character--Lilac seems to have a difficult time with Mutant Serpentine compared to Carol (or is that just me?) considering that a mistimed dragon boost can send you flying off into a pit and his large range can put all except Milla at an annoying distance, and Final Dreadnought 3's boss has attacks that cover way too much room for you to get a decent hit until you can use your special to go through them. Also, those Shade Troopers are ridiculously tough even as special enemies, as they seem way too smart and know when to open fire when you're vulnerable. And yes, Brevon is especially a bitch given that he'll knife you faster than you can react until you get the pattern down and learn to outlast him first--even tho I liked the challenge he gave, the fact that he had to be toned down kinda says a lot about what even those who liked the game felt about him.

I still rate the game high for the parts I enjoyed, and what it took notes on, putting in on par with S3&K. After beating a level, I can completely avoid any stage I didn't like; I love the multiple characters with their different strengths and weaknesses; I love exploring parts of the game I wasn't aware of; and I love the intensity of certain bosses. But just like S3&K, it has its annoying levels and gimmicks.

Not really hard to look at that and see why one may or may not like the game, guys. Or at least part of it. And if someone new is showing interest, why not at least tell them what they'll be in for if they take it on, regardless of whether you recommend it or not? Is it that hard for folks to try and be more objective? If you say "yes", I'll just tell you to put more effort into it.

Well said Conquering Storm's Servant, every game has its ups and downs in difficulty but Freedom Planet still remains a highly enjoyable experience overall. For what it's worth I really liked the design of the final boss battle against Brevon. Usually the final battle is against some giant sized enemy, which was true in the first phase, but the end game is actually just you and Revan in close quarters. What can I say? I found it refreshing that the final boss ended up being such a desperate struggle against a 'normal' sized enemy. It makes me wonder how Freedom Planet 2 is going to up the ante even further; I bet that Merga has a totally different fighting style to Brevon.

[Sean]

Pangu Lagoon is my favorite level of FP's second half. My only huge problem with it is that the boss goes on for too long, but I appreciate the level for its music and NiGHTS-like visuals, and the +1 boost is my favorite gimmick in the game.

[FriendBot]

Freedom Planet 2 is now in Steam Greenlight so show your support there and stuff!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=861154312

Here's the details from the page:

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* * SAMPLE VERSION AVAILABLE! * *
Use the link below to try out Freedom Planet 2 for yourself! Currently available for PC and Mac. Linux is in the works!
http://freedomplanet2.com/demo_win.php

Join the heroes of Avalice as they face their greatest challenge yet! An ancient terror has emerged from the depths of the ocean. Merga, a water dragon from Avalice's oldest and deadliest war, has been freed from her crystal prison as a consequence of the Kingdom Stone's destruction. War is imminent once again, but this time, the heroes are split between sides. As friendships are tested, will the girls stand united when Bakunawa rises?

Freedom Planet 2 is a sequel to the indie platformer Freedom Planet, currently available for PC/Mac/Linux on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/248310

For 2, we're refining the smooth momentum-based action of the original game and adding new abilities, powerups, stages, and more! Here's our current plans for the full version of the game:
 

• Four playable characters available from the start, each with their own unique fighting style: Lilac the Dragon Girl (Speed Type), Carol the Wildcat (Brawler Type), Milla the Hound (Explorer Type), and Neera the Frost Knight (Power Type).
• Lilac retains her moves from FP1 but benefits from her new Boost Breaker ability, which allows her to jump out of her Dragon Boost at any time and create a damaging explosion in its wake. She can also use her Rising Slash in the air now, giving her a more traditional double jump.
• Carol has been equipped with a stylish Jump Disc, which she can throw to slice up enemies from a distance. She can also warp straight to the disc for extra punchies! And of course, her motorcycle makes a grand return with a bunch of new, souped-up attacks. She can even throw the bike!
• Milla has been training hard since the first game and she now knows how to fight! Milla can attack enemies up close with punches and kicks, and she can rapid-fire her shield bursts. Unlike the first game where her Phantom Cubes needed to be charged for a second, they now come out instantly with the press of a button. With a cube by her side, she can shoot mini-cubes from a distance or shoot a powerful burst of energy from her palms.
• Neera is a new addition to the playable roster, and she forgoes speed in favor of raw power with her deadly Frost Arts. With her ice staff, she can lay waste to enemies with five different attacks based on what direction you hold when attacking. She can also launch Ice Lassos to instantly freeze minor foes in blocks of ice.
• Parry enemy attacks with the new Guard button. With proper timing, this can be used to completely avoid hazards! If timing's not your thing, an Auto Guard item exists in the game that makes your character automatically guard against attacks if possible.
• A new Revival system gives you a better chance at victory! If you're knocked out during a stage, you can choose to spend one of your extra lives on the spot to revive your character. She'll receive temporary invincibility, but she won't recover any life, so once the invincibility wears off, one more hit will knock her down again. This mechanic can give you a chance to clinch victory during a very close boss battle, and during normal gameplay, it can also help you save time without having to return to a previous checkpoint.
• Adventure Mode and Classic Mode make a return with more obvious differences. Adventure mode features proper hub areas for you to explore as well as a world map that allows you to revisit previous stages or buy items from shops. Classic forgoes the story and features a more simplistic stage select screen with quick access to important features.
• A new item system lets you change the rules. You can select two items to bring with you to a stage that will make things easier or more challenging, such as increasing your maximum life, turning all shield crystals into Fire shields, or placing a time limit on the stage. Items that make the game harder will reward you with bonus crystals at the end of the stage. Our Sample Version / demo includes 12 items for you to play around with via the Custom difficulty setting.
• A brand new adventure with voice acted cutscenes from our talented voice cast! Recording for FP2 was done in Studio Okratron in Dallas, Texas resulting in much more consistent quality and volume. You can check out our cast list at freedomplanet2.com!

 

[JezMM]

Just taking a break from Brevon killing me in 3 hits on fucking normal mode 15 times in a row to confirm that Freedom Planet 1's final boss is still putrid shit, but that "spend an extra life immediately" thing in FP2 sounds nice and means I can enjoy most of the game on Normal as I do FP1 (when thus far this last half hour of my replay of FP1 has been putting the idea in my head that I should probably just play Easy mode in FP2 and save myself the agony).

I am playing on the Wii U mind and I noticed when I started that Milla wasn't an option in Adventure mode.  Did the Wii U version not recieve any post-release content?

EDIT: I beat it on my 16th attempt.  Apparently ranting is what it takes to have an epiphany about the boss' attack pattern. =B

[Kevin]

Just finished playing the demo myself and overall, it feels like an overall improvement over the first Freedom Planet. My thoughts on each character:

Lilac: Pretty much the same gameplay style some with tweaks. She's still my favorite character to play as.
Carol: Yeah...I'm going to have to agree with everyone who said that the removal of Wild Kick was a downside. I miss that move as well.
Mila: So. Much. Better! So was so awkward to play as in the first game and now I think I'm actually going to enjoy playing as her in the second one!
Neera: Pretty fun to play as. She's a welcome addition to the playable character lineup.

I'm also loving the visuals and music too and very much look forward to playing the full game once it's out!

[MegasonicZX]

2 hours ago, JezMM said:

Just taking a break from Brevon killing me in 3 hits on fucking normal mode 15 times in a row to confirm that Freedom Planet 1's final boss is still putrid shit, but that "spend an extra life immediately" thing in FP2 sounds nice and means I can enjoy most of the game on Normal as I do FP1 (when thus far this last half hour of my replay of FP1 has been putting the idea in my head that I should probably just play Easy mode in FP2 and save myself the agony).

I am playing on the Wii U mind and I noticed when I started that Milla wasn't an option in Adventure mode.  Did the Wii U version not recieve any post-release content?

EDIT: I beat it on my 16th attempt.  Apparently ranting is what it takes to have an epiphany about the boss' attack pattern. =B

I don't think there's anything wrong with hard bosses to be honest, I mean my favorite boss in the whole entire souls series (for example) is Ludwig from blood borne and that guy was wrecking me so hard that it took me upwards to a week just to beat him but when I did it was the greatest feeling of accomplishment that I'd ever gotten from beating a boss in a video game (persona 3's final boss being a close runner up) and through that experience I can thoroughly dismantle that boss while hardly taking damage (7 times out of 10 I never even get hit on his first phase now since I know it so well) and it feels good to just be able to play well on something that used to give you lots of trouble.

Of course, I haven't finished FP myself so I have no idea whether Breton is hard for good reasons or he's just terribly designed but I just felt like making my case on this whole thing.

[PC the Hedgehog]

3 hours ago, JezMM said:

I am playing on the Wii U mind and I noticed when I started that Milla wasn't an option in Adventure mode.  Did the Wii U version not recieve any post-release content?

Nope. I think they said they might after FP2 comes out, but...I have my doubts.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

7 hours ago, JezMM said:

Just taking a break from Brevon killing me in 3 hits on fucking normal mode 15 times in a row to confirm that Freedom Planet 1's final boss is still putrid shit, but that "spend an extra life immediately" thing in FP2 sounds nice and means I can enjoy most of the game on Normal as I do FP1 (when thus far this last half hour of my replay of FP1 has been putting the idea in my head that I should probably just play Easy mode in FP2 and save myself the agony).

I am playing on the Wii U mind and I noticed when I started that Milla wasn't an option in Adventure mode.  Did the Wii U version not recieve any post-release content?

EDIT: I beat it on my 16th attempt.  Apparently ranting is what it takes to have an epiphany about the boss' attack pattern. =B

Oh come on, I lasted longer on Hard mode before I switched to normal pre-update brah. (now that was some shit)

Funny enough, That's where I died three hits. Did Brev hit you with his knife attack? Because that's usually the quickest way to die, whereas as I took more than three to die depending on what I got hit by.

Then again, I haven't played in a while, so I might be remembering wrong.

Although I do remember getting beyond pissed when I die right when me and the boss are neck and neck in health and I die right before I get within inches of the last hit, so yeah that on the spot revive will definitely be a life saver (if risky) for moments like that.

[JezMM]

7 hours ago, MegasonicZX said:

I don't think there's anything wrong with hard bosses to be honest, I mean my favorite boss in the whole entire souls series (for example) is Ludwig from blood borne and that guy was wrecking me so hard that it took me upwards to a week just to beat him but when I did it was the greatest feeling of accomplishment that I'd ever gotten from beating a boss in a video game (persona 3's final boss being a close runner up) and through that experience I can thoroughly dismantle that boss while hardly taking damage (7 times out of 10 I never even get hit on his first phase now since I know it so well) and it feels good to just be able to play well on something that used to give you lots of trouble.

Of course, I haven't finished FP myself so I have no idea whether Breton is hard for good reasons or he's just terribly designed but I just felt like making my case on this whole thing.

 

3 hours ago, Conquering Storm's Servant said:

Oh come on, I lasted longer on Hard mode before I switched to normal pre-update brah. (now that was some shit)

Funny enough, That's where I died three hits. Did Brev hit you with his knife attack? Because that's usually the quickest way to die, whereas as I took more than three to die depending on what I got hit by.

Then again, I haven't played in a while, so I might be remembering wrong.

Although I do remember getting beyond pissed when I die right when me and the boss are neck and neck in health and I die right before I get within inches of the last hit, so yeah that on the spot revive will definitely be a life saver (if risky) for moments like that.

I'm playing it back in my head now and honestly it wasn't SO bad.  Yeah it was the knife attack, I guess my first bunch of attempts he got me with that EVERY time or something (either way starting the battle and immediately losing half health is very discouraging).  Once I got the hang of it his attack pattern is VERY short and consistent, just four attacks over and over and then his big swishing around green thing which... I do find hard to understand how to predict/avoid but as long as you're avoiding everything else it's fine.  I get what Kintor was talking about with the whole "learning the boss" becoming arcade perfect etc thing, and at least they were kind enough to give him and him alone a health bar so you knew how you were progressing with learning how to beat him lol.

The idea of doing this on Hard with randomised attack patterns though is insane.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

20 hours ago, JezMM said:

 

I'm playing it back in my head now and honestly it wasn't SO bad.  Yeah it was the knife attack, I guess my first bunch of attempts he got me with that EVERY time or something (either way starting the battle and immediately losing half health is very discouraging).  Once I got the hang of it his attack pattern is VERY short and consistent, just four attacks over and over and then his big swishing around green thing which... I do find hard to understand how to predict/avoid but as long as you're avoiding everything else it's fine.  I get what Kintor was talking about with the whole "learning the boss" becoming arcade perfect etc thing, and at least they were kind enough to give him and him alone a health bar so you knew how you were progressing with learning how to beat him lol.

The knife attack isn't really that difficult to predict -- aside from the beginning of the fight (he always, always strikes first with the knife, always -- I came to the conclusion that him holding it before the fight begins is a subtle hint that he's gonna slash at you), every time you hear Brevon go something like "yaah!" that's basically your warning of his knife attack and that you need to jump/Wild Kick/Dragon Boost it to not get hurt by it.

But yeah, if anything, that's the only attack you need to watch out for most of the time. Basically, before the fight begins, JUMP AS SOON AS YOU CAN to avoid the knife, and then proceed to be wary of it from then on.

Although his laser gun still leaving a flame for you to run into is also a bit of a bitch, but not as much.

Quote

The idea of doing this on Hard with randomised attack patterns though is insane.

Guess that explains myself a lot of the time. I personally love it! 

...except when I die from a clutch moment, then I feel my hands balling into fists. Yet that just makes me want to keep fighting the motherfucker...

[TheOcelot]

*Bump

New gameplay trailer:

 

New demo version 1.0.6 is also available to download:

http://freedomplanet2.com/demo_win.php 

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

I think I'm gonna enjoy this more than the first one. All four characters look hella fun to play as.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Who’s ready for an update?

Enjoy!

 

[Tara]

They've been torturing him for months.

This looks like it's coming out really good.  Can't wait for more.

[Graystripe2000]

An Adventure Mode preview stream from SAGE last year. 

 

[PC the Hedgehog]

Looks like Freedom Planet has another thing in common with Sonic: taking forever between games.

(Yes, I know they're a small team by comparison, but still)

[pathospades]

On 5/8/2021 at 3:11 PM, PC the Hedgehog said:

Looks like Freedom Planet has another thing in common with Sonic: taking forever between games.

(Yes, I know they're a small team by comparison, but still)

Yeah. Been waiting on Freedom Planet 2 since it was announced... And still waiting... And waiting...

 

Really though, if you announce a game, you need to release it in the same year. That shit ain't cool.

[BLUzCLUz]

The release window will be revealed on the next day.

[TheOcelot]

Freedom Planet 2 has a release date!

 

I've put the progress report (a series of tweets) in the spoiler tag:

Spoiler

 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Yep, this was definitely worth the agonizing wait!

Definitely helps their case this time that this wasn’t done without a kickstarter this time, so they were only beholden to when they could put up an actual date, cuz goddamn this would’ve been a firestorm if they had used other people’s money and took all this time to get to this point.