After its initial launch on PlayStation 4 and the Epic Games Store last August, Axiom Verge 2 recently made the jump to PlayStation 5 and Steam. The indie game chronicles the adventures of Indra, a tech billionaire who heads to Antarctica after receiving a cryptic missive concerning the location of her missing daughter. Dimension-hopping, robot hacking, and intense platforming combat ensue with some major changes to the original game's formula.
Game Rant recently spoke with solo-developer and franchise creator Thomas Happ about new mechanics in the sequel, the future of the franchise, possible multimedia adaptations, and more. Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Can you begin by introducing yourself, and sharing your favorite Metroidvania (or sequel to one) of all time?
A: Hi, I'm Tom Happ, developer of Axiom Verge. I would say my favorite Metroidvania was Prey, but I've been told it's not a Metroidvania, so maybe I'll go with Metroid Prime for now. It always changes.
Q: How would you introduce Axiom Verge and Axiom Verge 2 to players who have yet to hear about either title?
A: I'm usually asked to explain Axiom Verge to people who are not even gamers, and to them, I tell them it's like an old Nintendo game in the style of Mario, Contra, or Metroid. Usually, they only know one of those, and seem satisfied with that. To gamers, I compare it more to Super Metroid, since that's kind of a baseline everyone has heard of, and then attempt to explain how there is glitching in the first game and hacking plus an alternate world in the second game.
Q: Should new players experience Axiom Verge before diving into Axiom Verge 2, or does the sequel stand on its own?
A: They are meant to be played in either order; I haven't heard from anyone which order is preferable, but they almost always play Axiom Verge 1 first, anyway.
Q: What can you tell us about Axiom Verge 2's new protagonist and premise?
A: The main character, Indra, is a tech billionaire who receives a message from someone purporting to know where her missing daughter is. She goes to Antarctica to find her, then ends up being teleported to an alternate world. The game is about the player exploring this world and trying to find her daughter and find a way out.
Q: Will Axiom Verge 2 address any lingering questions and mysteries from the first game? For example, the cliffhanger seen in the high-completion ending?
A: Not directly, though some players have developed an entirely different interpretation of the events of AV1 based on information introduced in AV2
Q: The original Axiom Verge's narrative has shades of Half-Life, Metroid, and more. Did you incorporate any new influences from other games or science fiction stories into the sequel?
A: It's got a lot of A Link to the Past in its DNA, and some inspiration for the robot hacking from Horizon: Zero Dawn. There's also some Alastair Reynolds influence in there; as with AV1, the preponderance of nanotech zooming around like little bugs, and minds separating or merging with those of others.
Q: Have you ever considered exploring the Axiom Verge multiverse in another format? Either a different genre of game, or a different medium altogether?
A: I've thought about it, like making a shmup or run-and-gun or even a strategy game, but at this point I can't take any risks because I need to financially account for my son's needs over the course of his whole life. If I ever get to a point where I feel like he will be able to survive after my wife and I die of old age, then maybe I can think about other things. Though if someone from Netflix or HBO or something wanted to make a sci-fi show based on it, that would be something I could consider, since it hopefully wouldn't mean I need to stop making games for it to happen.
Q: One of the hallmarks of the original Axiom Verge is the huge amount of collectible items and weapons players can obtain. Roughly how many power-ups and tools should players expect to encounter in the sequel?
A: I think there's about 35 items and weapons and maybe 120 power-ups?
Q: Can you share a favorite new weapon or piece of gear from Axiom Verge 2, and why?
A: You get a sort of grapple for the drone that slingshots it over edges. It's very fast and enjoyable to make it zip all over the place.
Q: Roughly how many new bosses and environment types will players find in Aviom Verge 2?
A: There's eight boss creatures and about 14 different environment types.
Q: What do you think is the most important aspect of developing a satisfying Metroidvania?
It's probably most important just to get the feeling of moving the character down. I know that's not specific to a Metroidvania but without it the rest all falls apart. Next is communicating to the player where they can go or what they should be doing in a way that doesn't remove their sense of exploration or their freedom of choice.
Q: Did you learn any lessons developing Axiom Verge that altered your approach to crafting the sequel? And now that the sequel is complete, is there anything you would have approached differently if you had to start over?
A: There were a lot of little lessons, like, how much time I spent designing things that ultimately didn't matter as much. Mostly I just wanted to do new things so as not to make it feel like a chore. I definitely spent too much time trying to make certain aspects data driven. It's so hard to debug problems with that stuff.
Q: Were you able to include any mechanics or concepts you had to cut from the original game in Axiom Verge 2?
A: In a way the hacking interface does what I wished I had been able to do in AV1 in that it lets you determine the effect you want to apply to the enemy. But overall, I was pretty happy with AV1. The things I changed were more to keep it from feeling like I was just re-skinning the same thing.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the randomized item mode for the original game that you developed in conjunction with the Axiom Verge speed-running community?
A: The "conjunction" aspect is pretty limited. They made the entire thing and what I did was merge it into the PC and Nintendo Switch builds. Basically, what the mode does is randomize the order you find the items in. By default, it tries to do it in a way that doesn't break the game and allows you to play from start to finish without being soft locked. But it has more hard-core options for speed-runners who don't need to worry as much about that.
Q: Will there be a special edition release of Axiom Verge 2, like the original's Multiverse Edition?
A: There is a Limited Run special edition shipping soon-ish. But other than that, I don't think there will be anything else.
Q: What is next for Thomas Happ Games? Are you considering DLC for Axiom Verge 2, or a sequel, or do you want to work on something different next?
A: I've got some work to do on the AAC (Augmentive and Alternative Communication) software my son uses, but after that I'm going to dive back into making games.
Q: Is there anything else you would like readers to know?
A: I've been steadily updating my "Omniverse" blog. It's got some rantings that fans may find interesting.
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Axiom Verge 2 is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Switch.
Source: Omniverse Blog