Jets'n'Guns 2
- December 11, 2018
- Rake in Grass
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Jets'n'Guns 2" is a side-scrolling space shooter where you play as a brave pilot tasked with saving the universe from a powerful enemy threatening to wipe out all sentient life. Engage in epic battles, travel through space and parallel dimensions, and unleash an arsenal of deadly weapons in this action-packed adventure. Local co-op play is also available for even more explosive fun.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Fast-paced, chaotic gameplay with a variety of weapons and customization options.
- Stunning graphics and visual effects that enhance the overall experience.
- Great soundtrack by Machinae Supremacy that complements the action.
- Significantly shorter than its predecessor, with only a few levels available.
- Lacks the depth of story and character development found in the first game.
- Difficulty balance is inconsistent, making some levels feel too easy or frustrating.
- music274 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Jets'n'Guns 2," primarily composed by Machinae Supremacy, receives widespread acclaim for its energetic and engaging soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the return of the iconic shop music and the overall quality of the tracks, some feel that it doesn't quite match the impact of the original game's soundtrack. Overall, the music is described as a highlight of the game, contributing significantly to its fun and chaotic atmosphere.
“The music is hands down, 10/10.”
“The soundtrack is still a banger, Machinae Supremacy is supreme.”
“Everything explodes, weapon customization is good, and the music will keep you coming back for seconds.”
“The music would sometimes cut out.”
“The soundtrack in JNG 2 is a few uninspired metal riffs with chip sounds slapped on top of them.”
“Even the repetitive boss fight music was so bland I don't remember it anymore.”
- story206 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the latest installment has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and engaging presentation, with many reviewers noting that it is reduced to brief text descriptions before missions, lacking the comic-style storytelling that characterized the original game. Players feel the narrative is uninspired and forgettable, with a significantly shorter campaign that fails to connect with the previous game's plot or characters. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a major disappointment, detracting from the overall experience despite the enjoyable gameplay.
“The first game was a journey across the universe told via comic panels, environment storytelling, and other tricks.”
“The comic strip style storytelling I loved so much is gone, and now the 'plot' is reduced to effectively being tooltips.”
“The story is much more bare-bones, being a lot more generic and lacking in any sort of real personality.”
“The story is barely there - sure you can play the game over and over but finishing the campaign is underwhelming and unmemorable.”
“The only story you get is twelve or so text boxes with no flare whatsoever.”
- gameplay138 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this side-scrolling shoot-em-up is characterized by fast-paced, chaotic action and a variety of mechanics that enhance the experience, including a wide range of weapons and upgrades. While many players appreciate the improved graphics and fluid controls, there are concerns about the game's short length and lack of diversity compared to its predecessor, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and enjoyable, but some players feel it lacks the depth and content expected from a sequel.
“Fast, frantic, and flashy, this side-scrolling shoot-em-up is a delight for the senses and features enough gameplay mechanics to back up the sizzle.”
“Completing the game is just the beginning - figuring out the best synergies and combos out of the insane amount of main weapons, their enhancements, missiles, bombs, and other systems provides hours of gameplay.”
“The gameplay is an improvement on the original Jets'n'Guns in every way possible.”
“This game is much shorter and is lacking in the gameplay diversity of the original.”
“Despite being fun and the soundtrack is great as always, it feels rushed (no real story), incomplete (about 2 hours of gameplay), and just underwhelming content mostly copy-pasted from the first game, especially for the price they're asking for.”
“There's not even 20% of the gameplay the first game had, and while the levels present some decent gimmicks and are generally well made, they severely lack variety and originality.”
- graphics130 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant, detailed, and polished aesthetic, marking a significant improvement over its predecessor. Players appreciate the clean visuals, impressive animations, and the chaotic yet engaging effects during gameplay, although some have noted that the clutter can occasionally hinder visibility. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience with their stunning design and dynamic elements.
“The graphics are absolutely glorious and the enemy design is unique and constantly interesting; if these devs don't get a bucketload of cash, I am going to be so upset because they genuinely deserve every cent for this masterpiece.”
“The gorgeous graphics are simply breathtaking, especially in motion.”
“This game is amazing, beautiful 2D graphics, cool light effects, and all spiced up with cyber-metal music!”
“The graphics are so similar to J'n'G 1, and yet in a completely different league.”
“The effects and art style are decent but somewhat blinding; I've found myself dodging my own munitions because I couldn't tell where they came from, and dodging into enemy fire because it didn't stand out enough.”
“Nauseating faux-16 bit graphics with hyper-saturated colors.”
- humor28 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its blend of silly, snarky, and chaotic elements that evoke laughter and enjoyment, especially in co-op play. However, some reviewers noted a decline in originality and the absence of the darker, juvenile humor present in the original installment, leading to a less impactful comedic experience. Overall, while the game retains a humorous spirit, it lacks some of the signature comedic elements that fans loved in the first game.
“Each level felt fairly unique, and the bosses were either challenging, entertaining, or funny, or sometimes all 3.”
“Jng1's story was so off-the-wall, ridiculous, and felt like it was written by a middle schooler that it had me laughing and shaking my head.”
“Good silly humor is baked right into this one.”
- replayability25 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability despite its short campaign length, primarily due to its extensive weapon customization, new game+ mode, and looping levels that encourage players to improve their skills and compete on leaderboards. While some reviews note a desire for more content, the combination of varied gameplay mechanics and the potential for infinite difficulty progression keeps players engaged. Overall, the replay value is highlighted as a strong point, making the game worth the investment.
“The game is rather short at around 2 hours, but it makes up for it in replay value and New Game+ mode, because the game has an overwhelming amount of guns and equipment available, letting you customize your loadout in an insane number of ways.”
“Great replay value with a looping campaign and increasing difficulty.”
“Weapon customization and infinite difficulty progression gives the game great replayability.”
“The biggest downside of this game is its content and replayability.”
“Hence, the game stalls really quickly and is not really replayable.”
“For me personally, the short campaign length is the biggest problem for replayability, so I wouldn't mind seeing another 20 levels added to the game.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be enjoyable for players who appreciate RPG elements and want to experiment with upgrades, though it can also lead to tedious repetition, especially when mastering difficult patterns. The sequel introduces a mission select option that facilitates farming but reduces income from repeated levels, encouraging progression through the campaign. Overall, while grinding can enhance the experience for some, it may also contribute to frustration due to challenging gameplay and long checkpoints.
“But this is balanced out by severely reduced income from repeating already completed levels, which also encourages you to push forward in the campaign instead of grinding the same level.”
“Outside of the first one, they all have multiple states that you have to defeat, which leads to heavily tedious repetition while you learn the patterns, which are shifting and include instakill death rays that you cannot dodge.”
“It retains all of the challenge, carnage, and customization but with a lot less frustration due to things like enemies coming from behind or above without warning, such that you had to memorize the patterns to avoid instantly dying... which got especially tedious when the checkpoints were far apart.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, with smooth performance exceeding 100 fps at high resolutions even on older hardware, and no significant bugs reported during early access. Players appreciate the detailed stats for weapon customization, which enhance gameplay, while the controls are noted for their precision and ease of use. However, the limitation of having only one ship throughout the game may detract from the overall experience.
“The stats shown on guns are a lot more comprehensive, giving you damage and heat per second rather than being arbitrary symbols not at all indicative of a gun's performance.”
“On the upside, every gun has an adjacent modification slot that allows you to fine-tune the performance of all of your firearms, be it increasing their fire rate, making them automatically track targets, or 'suck' the enemies' HP out of them.”
“The game runs smoothly at over 100 fps, 2560x1440 on my ancient GTX 960 graphic card.”
“One more downside is that you only have one ship for the entire game, and even though you have considerable freedom of customization, you're always stuck with a selection of four guns with optional slots for items that can improve their performance, one kind of bombs and missiles, two usable devices, and six minor gadgets.”
“Though in early access with only 4 levels, the game is solid and I haven't encountered any performance issues or bugs.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its vibrant style and visual appeal, maintaining the charm of its predecessor. While the music features a diverse range of tracks that blend metal and chiptune, some users feel that certain pieces do not always align with the overall atmosphere. Overall, the combination of visuals and sound creates an engaging experience.
“Same great style and atmosphere as the first.”
“Everything is super pretty, the music is great, the atmosphere is spot on.”
“It was dozens of tracks, from atmospheric to pure carnage, all having a great blend between metal and chiptune.”
“Awesome game, though sometimes the music doesn't really fit the atmosphere.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs, particularly in the menu system when switching between weapons and gear, which affects overall stability.
“I also found the game somewhat buggy.”
“The game menu is also a bit buggy, especially when switching between weapons and gear.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is perceived as a cash grab, with some users feeling it primarily serves as a tech demo rather than a fully realized product. However, the over-the-top humor and nostalgic references have garnered some appreciation, suggesting that while the monetization strategy may be off-putting, the game's entertainment value still shines through.
“Sadly, this feels like a cash grab.”
“While in reality, it just works as a tech demo and a cash grab.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in JNG 2 is notably lacking, with players expressing disappointment over the absence of memorable faces or names, resulting in a shallow narrative experience.
“Sadly, in JNG 2, there is virtually no character development; there are no faces or names to remember.”
“The characters feel flat and uninteresting, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of growth in the characters; they remain static throughout the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional aspect of the experience is characterized by excitement, particularly regarding the impressive effects and efficiency of the Van Buuren lasers.
