5 years after the release of The Climb and just a week after the release date was announced, Kretek returned with a second installment of his climbing game called Sochi by The Climb 2 and this time exclusive to the Oculus Platform Quest is. In this era of global pandemics, curfews and other imprisonment, we have the opportunity to breathe and enjoy the outdoors … and God knows it feels good

Beginner climber

To begin with, it is good to tell you that the author of this test did not have the opportunity to play the first climax of the name. All points in this article have been approached with a view to this license free of any experience.

Before we get into nature, the game takes us through a well-provided tutorial, which directly explains all the mechanics of the game. Because Ascent 2 is not a simple game where all you have to do is raise your hands one after the other. Others think randomly. Each of your hands has its own stamina, and is one of the most important parts of the game: managing the stamina that is required to survive the fall.

However, there are elements present to facilitate the player’s task: you can first take advantage of break time by holding it with your two hands, an action that has the effect of increasing your endurance to the maximum. You can also be helped by magnesia: this white powder with which you can coat your hands regularly will slow down your endurance loss.

During this tutorial you will also be able to know what is different to enhance the game apart from the classic tech. Narrow grips that make you lose your stamina fast, fast grips that lose a lot of endurance and cloud your vision, delicate grips that will leave after a few seconds and dust them off before using them . Sometimes you will also have the opportunity to use more original holds, such as zip lines, ladders, and other surprises. The award goes, surprising as it may be, to the robot cleaning window on the facades of buildings in the city. The most courageous and hasty would appreciate the possibility of being able to jump from one to the other. A technique that consumes more endurance in your hands, so be careful to calculate your stroke correctly if you do not want to end crushing less than 50 meters.

Rather city or nature?

Once the tutorial ends and the mechanics are acquired, you eventually reach the main content of the game, with 15 maps spread across 5 different universes: the Alps, the Bay, the Canyon, the City, and finally the North. (The previous one may be misleading,) this is not possible). It is not about climbing a slag pile by spreading marrils on hands… yes, we were disappointed too…).

Each universe has 3 maps corresponding to three difficulty modes: easy, intermediate and difficult, making changes to the route; And two game modes. The first, “accidental”, neglects endurance and where the goal is to climb the mountain top as quickly as possible. The second mode, “Professional”, takes into account endurance and points where the goal is to get the best score, increasing points according to the number of holds used during your climb, etc. These two modes have a ranking, and icing on the cake. If you want to defeat that damn player in the ranking in front of you, you can face his “ghost hands”.

We still regret that for this second opus, Cryotek did not offer other modes such as the actual multiplayer mode where we could encounter another friend or unknown player.

The mountain wins us

The Climb 2’s big positive point is undoubtedly its level-design. In fact, each level provides multiple routes to reach the top, providing a real sense of freedom in line with the game’s concept. Thus, it has already happened many times to miss a catch, fall, then avoid a fatal fall, initially catching me on a completely different path from a start, to a second outlet a few meters below each other. So you can increase your score again by taking other paths on the same map.

Another richness of the game is its living environment. During your ascent you will come across animals and insects, planes and helicopters, and sometimes even humans brush against you in a wing-suit. And these environments will sometimes surprise you with something in store: If you climb into the Alps, you can see a marmot, hide in its burrow as you approach. If you go to the valleys, this time you will come across snakes, which are much less afraid and which will not hesitate to bite you when you get too close to them, which will automatically let you go.

The game also offers us the possibility to unlock many cosmetic elements during our exploits, allowing us to personalize our hands (the only visual element of our character). Therefore you will be able to modify your gloves, your bracelet, your watch and even your gender or skin color. Although anecdotal, this description is commendable for those who like to be classy in all circumstances.

Beware of collapse

Climb 2 can be original and entertaining even if it uses the same recipe as its predecessor, it is still not free of flaws. For starters, the game is not always graphically correct. I am thinking specifically of animals that anyone can cross, but especially in the city in general which is not very beautiful to see.

Another problem that can take us out of the game is the “camera” which can sometimes be a problem. You just need to get very close to a socket, and your headset ends up in the wall, revealing a black screen with a message asking you to retrieve your headset in the play area. It is impossible to adjust the options whether you are left-handed or right-handed. Therefore it is not ideal for left-handed people to navigate the menu using their right hand.

Decision: 7/10

In summary, The Climb 2 is an excellent game with an original concept. We will appreciate this feeling of freedom during our climbing sessions, and we will feel stronger at the idea of ​​accomplishing real sports adventures (while we will actually be in the living room of our small Paris apartment in Chips). Despite not always having top graphics, the game knows how to surprise us and make us appreciate the joys of climbing. However, players who play the first game may feel a little déjà-vu.