Spelunky 2 adds new animals to rescue and more treasure to find within its dangerous caverns. — AFP Relaxnews
Clamp on your crampons for treasure-hunting, death-defying cave explorer Spelunky 2 as Ana Spelunky, daughter of the first game's clown-nosed lead character.
Indie hit Spelunky is generating a sequel, set for 2019, according to its first gameplay trailer.
And, as well as the tales of luck and woe that Spelunky players would tell each other, Spelunky 2 adds a developer-created storyline to the mix.
The first game was notorious for its challenging but conquerable nature, and this sequel "will have very strong themes of family and friendship" – themes that Yu intends to see implemented not only between in-game characters but also between developer and audience: "I want new players to feel cared for even as we put tough obstacles in their way," he said.
There's no date yet beyond a wide 2019 release window, but while Spelunky launched on Xbox 360, Spelunky 2 will debut on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC instead.
The original game, itself inspired by 1983 Atari title Spelunker, was first released as a free PC download in 2008 and then remade for Xbox 360 in 2012.
It was then adapted for PC, PlayStation 3 and Vita, PlayStation 4 and the Chrome web browser, and one would imagine a similarly wide net cast for the sequel.
Yu is partnering with Spanish studio Blitworks, whose track record of converting games from one platform to another includes not only the original Spelunky but a clutch of other indie hits, including Starbound, Don't Starve, Owlboy, Ollie Ollie 2 and Kerbal Space Program.
And for Blitworks, Spelunky 2 marks a step up in studio history, seeing as it is now credited with co-developer status. – AFP Relaxnews
