Bit.Trip Runner 2 review Travelling along a plane at a constant pace has never been so much fun Runner2 is an addictive and rewarding experience. How long is Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien? HowLongToBeat has the answer. Create a backlog, submit your game times and compete with your friends!
. WW: February 24, 2016Mode(s)Bit.Trip Presents. Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, generally shortened as Runner2, is a 2013 developed. The game is the direct sequel to and has been released as a title available on the, and consoles, and on. The PC, Mac, Linux, and Wii U versions were self-published by Gaijin Games, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were published by Aksys Games.Cutscenes and menus are narrated by.While Runner2 has a lot in common with its predecessor, its polygonal graphics mark a significant departure from past entries in the Bit.Trip series. In an interview with Push Square, Gaijin Games co-founder Mike Roush cited the studio’s urge to “spread its wings a bit” as the inspiration behind the change.Runner2 has been well received by video game critics.
The game received a sequel, for the and PC platforms in 2018. Contents.Gameplay Runner2 is divided into five themed worlds, each with fourteen regular levels and five bonus stages for a grand total of ninety-five. The goal of each level is to guide the chosen character to the end of the level without striking an obstacle or falling off the screen. The character runs automatically, and in order to arrive safely at the finish, the player must perform various simple actions such as jumping, sliding and kicking, as well as more complex moves including hanging from rails, deflecting projectiles with a shield, and slide-kicking. Most obstacles require the player to perform one specific action to survive—jumping over ground-based enemies, sliding under hovering enemies or fireballs (which fly at head height), kicking stop-sign walls—although the player can either deflect the square 'beat' blocks to earn points or simply slide under them. If the player hits an obstacle (including failing to jump and thus running into a wall) or falls off the screen, the game rewinds to the beginning of the level. Runner2 introduces checkpoints halfway through normal levels and after each phase of a boss level; if the player suffers a 'bonk' after hitting a checkpoint, the game rewinds to that checkpoint.
The game has very mild penalties for failure: it does not track lives, so the player can fail a level as many times as necessary to beat it. It does reset the rewound area, so the player must collect gold bars and mode upgrades again, and it does track the total number of player bonks and ratio of bonks to level completions, though this only affects players curious enough to look at the stats page.Although it shares the auto-running style of its predecessor, the game also boasts several new features. There’s a glide move that enables the character to travel further while jumping, a loop-the-loop that challenges the player to twirl their analog stick in tandem with the character’s placement on the circle, diamond-shaped structures that task the player with pressing buttons at the correct time, and a dance move.
The glide move proves necessary to make many of the game's jumps. The loop-the-loop and diamond structures simply award players bonus points for good timing, with no way to suffer a hit.
Dancing earns the player bonus points but causes the character to ignore other inputs, such as jumping and ducking, for the approximately half second the dance animation takes, meaning the player must carefully time their dancing to maximize points while not crashing into obstacles. As noted above, the game also introduces checkpoints at the halfway mark of each level. These take the form of crossbars which the player may run into, allowing them to continue at that point rather than the beginning of the level, or jump over, which does not set the rewind marker but does award bonus points.
If a player manages to gather every gold bar and mode upgrade in a level, they’re provided a chance to shoot the character into a large target from a cannon. The closer the character lands to the center, the more points the player receives. Hitting the bulls-eye earns the player a Perfect+ ranking for the level, the goal of some of the in-game challenges as well as achievements or trophies.Costumes and alternate characters Runner2 also boasts a variety of unlockables, such as additional costumes and new characters (including Unkle Dill, CommandgirlVideo, Whetfahrt Cheeseborger, Reverse Merman, Pitazo, CaptainVideo, and retro CommanderVideo). Costumes are hidden in treasure chests scattered throughout the game, whereas new characters are earned by completing certain levels. The player simply needs to run into a treasure chest to claim it, and they keep it even if they suffer a hit later in the level.
In some levels, giant locks protect the path to the treasure chest. The player must first complete the Key Vault level in that world to make keys appear, then replay such levels to collect the key and chest.Retro levels Similar to its predecessor, Runner2 is home to several retro levels, which unlock when players uncover hidden cartridges. Collecting a cartridge immediately ends the level; in some cases the player must collect a key and open a lock guarding the path which contains the cartridge. While the retro levels of Runner were inspired by the era of gaming, Runner2 's retro levels are more reminiscent of the 8-bit era. Development and release Runner2 was released as a downloadable title for the on the and on, and via on February 26, 2013. It was then released on the 's the next day.
The game was released on the on March 5, 2013. Although all versions are generally the same, the Wii U version offers the added ability of playing on the with the function. The developers also confirmed that because Wii U is the newest platform with the most memory, it has the best overall load times of any of the consoles. Later releases The game is also available on iOS, PS Vita and PS4.
The iOS version was released on October 31, 2013. Said version is entitled Bit.Tip Run and very similar to the console version. The developer has already promised an update for the iOS version, which features GameCenter achievements and leaderboards, virtual controls, a better in-game shop and more levels.Downloadable content A 'Good Friends' pack was released on Steam on July 11, 2013, with a release for the console versions to follow.
The DLC adds six characters from various titles, including Dr. Fetus from, Josef from, Quote from, Raz from, and the Spelunker from, along with an invisible Commander Video skin. Atlas from is a Steam-exclusive character.Audio Like the rest of the series, Runner2 's music is a pivotal part of the experience. There’s a sound associated with every action, which allows the player to contribute to the soundtrack as they progress. Artist provided the music for the game’s retro stages, and Petrified Productions provided the rest of the.
The narration in this game is done by voice actor.Promotion Prior to its release, Gaijin Games promoted Runner2 with several gameplay videos, character announcements, and frequent updates on their blog. In one post, the studio asked its readers to try their hand at naming levels in the game; in another, they discussed the nature of development transparency, and the merits of keeping fans and press in the loop over the course of a game’s creation.In one of the more well-publicized reveals, Gaijin Games co-founder Alex Neuse informed Joystiq that the team was keeping track of how many beers they consumed over the course of development. Reception ReceptionAggregate scoresAggregatorScore87.36% (Wii U)87.27% (PS3)86.43% (X360)85.00% (PC)84/100 (Wii U)85/100 (PC)86/100 (PS3)87/100 (X360)Review scoresPublicationScore8/109/109/109/10Runner2 was met with positive reviews. Called it “one of the finest music games ever made,” and referred to the synchronicity of the music and gameplay as trance-inducing. Wahlgren, Jon (April 18, 2012). Push Square. Malina, Tom (October 18, 2012).
Nintendo World Report. Cook, Dave (February 26, 2013). Archived from on June 30, 2013. Cowan, Danny. Archived from on June 30, 2013. Archived from on June 30, 2013.
Fletcher, JC (March 14, 2012). Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013. ^ Cocke, Taylor (February 25, 2013). ^ Waters, Chris (March 6, 2013). Parkin, Simon (March 1, 2013). Vore, Bryan (February 26, 2013).
Kemps, Heidi (March 1, 2013). Wahlgren, Jon (March 4, 2013). Nintendo Life.
Ronaghan, Neal (February 26, 2013). Nintendo World Report.
Plante, Chris (February 28, 2013). MacGregor, Kyle (February 28, 2013). Hillier, Brenna (March 13, 2014). Retrieved March 13, 2020.External links.
When I was 12, I got my first guitar. At first, my parents didn't want to pay for lessons for fear that, like my piano playing, it wouldn't stick. So I sat in my room, headphones on, and attempted to teach myself Ramones, Green Day, and Beatles songs. The first time I managed to teach myself to play Blitzkrieg Bop, I knew I was on to something special.
More than a decade later, I felt the same spark, the same love, while learning to play BIT.TRIP Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien.When I say I was “learning to play” Runner 2, I don't mean it's inaccessible. Whether hero Commander Video is jumping over, sliding under, kicking through, deflecting, spinning around, or diving through whatever obstacles he runs into, it's all done with a press of a button or a flick of the stick. Just like simple guitar tunes designed to teach you open major chords or scales, early levels in Runner 2 focus on one or two skills, laying the groundwork for what's to come. And with each successful skill learned and impediment crossed, you're rewarded. Nail a jump, and a note is added to the Petrified Productions (and occasionally featuring the brilliant Disasterpeace), soundtrack. Collect all the gold bars and plus signs and the music rises to a crescendo. You can choose to not grab any of the goodies, but why would you deprive yourself of “playing” such excellent tunes?
Eventually, levels throw every move possible at you at rapid speed, filling the background music with the notes of success. Failure throws you back to the beginning of the level or to a checkpoint, only to try again and again. It feels just like learning a particularly difficult guitar solo. With enough attempts, muscle memory kicks in, and those notes come flying in.
There's no beating around the bush; this is practice. But with practice comes a payoff, and Runner 2's music is more than generous with the handouts. Those that don't like repetition could be annoyed, however. If you played the first BIT.TRIP Runner (or any of the other BIT.TRIP games, for that matter), Runner 2 may look a bit different than you're expecting. The first game featured pixelated characters with 3D backgrounds, whereas here we've got a fully 3D world. What's more, the sequel delivers fully narrated cutscenes, featuring the ever-charming Charles Martinet (you may know him better as the voice of Mario). Cheeky little advertisements for fake products like Mouth Burgers on the start screen also elicit smiles.
Perhaps the developers just wanted to get Martinet to say funny things, but whatever the case, I was clearly amused Each of the five worlds has its own distinct look, bringing us from a crazy forest called The Supernature to the docks of the Emerald Brine to the Mounting Sadds, a continent seemingly comprised of nothing but factories and lava. You'll spend most of your time staring at the obstacles ahead, trying desperately not to die, but there's some genuinely charming and funny stuff going on in the background. Look for a bunch of optional paths, too, some leading to much more difficult sections of the levels.
Often, they came accompanied with new costumes or entrances to secret areas, but the very idea of challenging myself to pull of some complex maneuvers was enough to draw me down those darker paths. I wanted to push myself further. I needed to learn each and every intricacy of Runner 2's world.
And that individual challenge made it a very personal experience. Of course, a dash of love for music and memories of my first guitar didn't hurt, either.
Occasionally, I found myself in a bit of a trance. I saw the enemies and walls coming at me, only to be easily slid past as my fingers played in perfect time, my tapping toe keeping the beat of the song. I had gotten good enough to essentially sight-read levels. I felt comfortable throwing in the optional dance button for extra points.
I was improvising. I had, in the few hours that I had been playing, learned a new instrument. It was hard, and required a fair amount of practice and perseverance, but being good was my reward.