If you are a regular at simple video games, but with a great depth to which some difficulty is added, you may already know “Monument Valley 2”. If not, you should know what is the sequel to an award-winning video game that has incorporated interesting news. It is available for iPhone and iPad and in this article we will explain in detail the details of this interesting title that will surely end up as passionate for you as it is for us.
Precedents
In 2014 “Monument Valley” was born from the hand of ustwo Games, an interesting video game that swept the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play. The success was observed both in number of downloads and in user ratings. It even received several awards, including Apple‘s annual awards.
Its theme is very simple to understand, which does not detract from its complexity when playing it. We find a colorful world full of geometric structures that we will have to go through with our character, with the sole objective of reaching new levels. There are no enemies to dodge, nor will you lose lives as can happen in other games. The only traps will be the structures themselves, which must be manipulated in such a way as to allow further progress. In this way, the most bulky thing that can happen to you is that you get stuck in a level for not knowing how to get out, which adds more attractiveness.
Monument Valley 2 mechanics and history
In 2017, at the Apple developer conference, a sequel to this game was announced. It was released a few days later, with a new storyline but with the same mechanics. The story this time centers on guiding a mother and daughter through an equally exciting world in terms of structural puzzles.
The graphics continue to maintain the same essence. It is not a game whose landscapes and graphics are ultra real, but it is not the intention of this type of video games and in fact would subtract ‘magic’ from the title. We find castles, piers, labyrinths, bridges, stairs and other imaginary settings in which there is always a good way, but this is not always apparent.
Controls , by the way, are tactile. Yes, it is obvious considering that it is played on a screen of this type, but we are referring to the fact that there are no virtual buttons or anything similar. You just have to click on each part of the structure for the characters to move to that place. If the designated point is not accessible, the character will simply freeze where he was.
Characters and levels
There really are several levels with their different sublevels. Although everything could belong to the same world, the truth is that the landscapes vary in each one of them. Therefore, to be more correct when describing it, we would have to say that there are 14 worlds in which we can find various levels to overcome in order to move on to the next, since there is no other way to progress.
The main point of each level is to reach a door with light that will take us to the next level and once we have passed these, to the next world. Each of these is full of complex puzzles in which we can move structures, raise stairs, press buttons to open doors or turn figures. A whole complex set of structures that will put your intuition in check .
In most cases it is a single character that we must guide, being able to be accompanied by the other one who will go behind following the same steps. However, there are several points where both characters will be manageable, being distanced in the structure and acting in mirror mode. These characters, as we have said before, are a mother and a daughter. The mother will be the one who guides the steps of the little girl until they reach a jetty where both will say goodbye. By the end of the game, both will meet again.
Difficulty
In our opinion, this game knows how to combine all its facets very well. It has attractive graphics, a deep story to learn without getting too deep into it, and on top of that, it is an excellent mental challenge when trying to solve each level. It is not the most difficult game in the world, but it is not easy either and the fact of being in this category of puzzles makes it stand out above the rest.
Many times the easiest is to do the difficult and vice versa. On some occasions we have found levels that really did not require too many tricks to be solved and yet it has been difficult for us to continue advancing. This can sometimes make our patience run out and we have to resort to online guides explaining the solution at each level. This, no matter how you look at it, is cheating and we acknowledge having sinned from it.
In the end, the essence of any video game is to have fun and try to put ourselves to the test, so cheating does not benefit the entertainment or the challenge. In this same framework we can understand that the fact of being stuck for a long time does not benefit it either. Perhaps in a moment of despair when we are stuck if we can recommend using a guide, all before leaving a game that we find exciting. But always under the premise of not abusing cheating.
Is it worth paying for?
In order to play this video game, unless there is a temporary offer, you will have to pay an amount of 5.49 euros . We cannot judge specifically whether it is a high or low price, since each person will be able to assess it based on their expectations and purchasing power. However, we believe that as a general rule it is a fair price and more than reasonable for those who feel called by the mechanics of it.
Noteworthy is the fact that we will not find in-app purchases , since there are no aids or tools that can be used during the adventure. It goes without saying that this game does not contain any type of advertising and focuses purely on puzzles.
Therefore, if you are looking for a puzzle game different from what is known, that is challenging for your mind and also keeps you entertained for hours, this game will undoubtedly fulfill your wishes. In fact we recommend playing Monument Valley 2 even if you haven’t played the first part . There is nothing new that requires having played the previous one, so you could even play this sequel and then try your luck with the first version.
Will there be Monument Valley 3?
At the time of writing this article, we did not find a third party available on the App Store. However, numerous information has emerged from the developers that indicate that they are working on a new game under this title. The first information was released in the summer of 2019 and so far no date information has been released. We understand that the development of any type of application or game requires a long time and therefore we will arm ourselves with patience to enjoy the third part as soon as possible.