4/5 ★ – summercomet's review of Anodyne 2: Return to Dust.

Coming in, I knew this game was going to be confusing like the first but that's what made these games so interesting. The narrative is told in such a compelling and strange way that's so close to the developers' hearts that I've rarely seen done. This game especially is so experimental in how it tells the story that made me keep wanting more despite each fantastic idea being introduce continuing to confuse yet entangle me. First of all, the gameplay from the first is built upon with even more 2D puzzle solving and interaction that the devs fleshed out with a lot more interesting mechanics that never overstay their welcome. A new 3D explorative open world is available for us to dive into with amazingly crafted texture work and platforming. Combat is a little bit lackluster with less boss fights than I would've expected given how great they're designed. The settings are gorgeous and the artstyle reflect the amazing atmospheres that are planted throughout the game. Every section feels so different yet so integral to the main thesis of the game and characters are fleshed out with not only great attention to detail in their personality but also their appearances. The music is always good and the callbacks to the first game not only musically but thematically connect the franchise in a really unique way. I don't want to spoil the game too much but if you can wait out the confusing nature of the story, there's a really interesting underlying plot to enjoy. I liked how much it made me think about life.