Dusk Diver 2 – Preview

Our Score: 8/10

A fresh voyage of adventure and guardianship is about to begin in Dusk Diver 2. The totally improved follow-up to the action game Ximending has new characters, new situations, and new personalization.

Diving Deeper

The events of the previous installment are continued in Dusk Diver 2. Which also reintroduces Yumo and the rest of the main cast. In fact, I immediately realised that comprehending the prior game is crucial to deciphering the plot of this one. If you have not played the first game, you will undoubtedly feel disoriented. Because there are numerous callbacks to and debates about earlier events, places, and people.

It picks off where the original game left off and is rather confusing because it believes you are familiar with the environment and characters. You should be aware that Yumo, who you control, has the ability to go to the Youshanding realm. She engages in combat with creatures known as Chaos Beasts there.

For gamers who are unfamiliar with the first Dusk Diver, there is a Gallery option that provides a concise summary. To really understand the situation, I still advise just going through the earlier game. It’s a pretty short experience. This game’s narrative ambition is highlighted by the astounding level of character interaction and exposition, which is why I won’t go into depth about the plot’s origins here.

The First Layer

The first chapters of Dusk Diver 2 include no significant developments. Instead, it takes its time to expose you to fresh gameplay mechanics while also appearing to sow the seeds of a later, more developed tale. For instance, a new company in town seems to operate in a suspicious manner. Additionally, there has been a little uptick in Chaos Beast activity, which is concerning.

The ability to quickly switch whatever character you are controlling is the biggest difference, though. If you choose, you may still play just as Yumo, but you can also now directly control characters like Leo and Le Viada, each of which has their own set of techniques. They will fight with you, but they don’t appear to be very effective at protecting you. You’ll be in charge of strengthening their talents by leveling them up, upgrading their tools, and gaining access to new ones as you go through the game. It certainly feels more interactive.

Combat Control

Dusk Diver 2 is proving to be an exciting blast in terms of the gameplay, which is the true heart of the experience here. In the midst of fight, characters can execute multi-hit attacks using a variety of combo strings, counters, special talents, and dashing. The controlling party member may also be actively switched, which broadens the range of possible strategic moves; however, there is a timed gauge in place to prevent abuse of this mechanic.

There are a huge amount of things to learn, and the game isn’t afraid to give you lessons. As a result, everything may initially seem really overwhelming. Dusk Diver 2 is actually best learned by doing, with the occasional instructional reference to explain certain complexities through the menu.

Final Verdict

The Dusk Diver 2 preview build was brief yet to the point. It’s from a smaller developer, but it’s obvious that it’s trying to emulate the look and feel of something grander, and it succeeds admirably in doing so. It has vibrant colours, and the battles seem truly interesting. Although there is enough potential depth here that I can see it going far, I’m intrigued to see how it grows as the game goes on.