Void Terrarium 2 – Review

Our Score 8/10

Toriko, the only remaining human, and Robbie the robot are the stars of Void Terrarium 2, a caring dungeon RPG set in a poisoned planet in ruins. Toriko is alone and defenseless in this dangerous environment, therefore you must scavenge the wastelands for supplies to maintain and outfit the terrarium, which is Toriko’s safe haven that shields her from the airborne poisons.

Terror in the Terrarium

Our story takes place years after the end of the human race was brought about by the spread of poisonous mycelium through the air. Our intrepid robot is exploring the desert when he comes upon Toriko, a young woman who seems to be alone in the world. Robbie soon encounters factoryAI, and the two collaborate to build a terrarium to contain Toriko.

The couple faces many challenges, but in the end, they are left alone with Toriko to care for her. Toriko is now showing signs of illness once again. Her physical state is decreasing with time. No one appears to have any idea what’s causing her sickness, which is unlike anything she’s ever experienced. Robbie and factoryAI look to Toriko and the history of humanity for insight.

Fighting for Survival

From the start of Void Terrarium 2 and whenever a new feature is added to the gameplay, a detailed tutorial is available to help players get up to speed quickly. The game’s tutorial is always available for players to review. Training Grounds, the game’s version of a tutorial level that players may access at any time. It has also received an update from the previous game.

Similarly, the gameplay of Void Terrarium 2 is split into two halves. First, there’s the dungeon-crawling, roguelike element. The game’s dungeons are produced at random, giving players fresh challenges each time they play. The player’s level is always reset to 1 whenever they enter a dungeon, and the dungeons themselves are produced at random. New features are unlocked at arbitrary levels in the levelling up system. The game is more strategic than your average roguelike dungeon crawler.

The hub region is the game’s second portion, and it’s here that players will tend to Toriko, upgrade their base, acquire new assignments, and create useful goods. It’s not as easy as it seems, so some planning is also required. This section will make sense to players when they reach it. As compared to other rogue-likes, Void Terrarium 2’s approach is quite welcome.

Looking at the End

Appearance-wise, it seems to be similar to the original Void Terrarium. But that’s not a bad thing. The atmosphere and visuals are nicely executed, giving players the impression that they are at the end of the earth in lonely areas. It’s got its own style that it successfully sticks to.

The game’s audio only supports a single language and that’s Japanese. And even though I don’t understand Japanese, the voice acting itself was quite immersive. The game’s audio is also well-balanced, and the music perfectly complements the game’s settings.

Final Verdict

Void Terrarium 2 is a cozy roguelike game that manages to keep you coming back for more with its gameplay. If you played the prequel, this is more of the same with some improvements so you’re definitely going to enjoy this.