Planet Stronghold 2
- March 31, 2020
- Winter Wolves
Get on Steam"Planet Stronghold 2" is a sci-fi VN/RPG where you play as Captain Lisa/Joshua Nelson, facing challenges such as limited resources and political instability. The game features a branching plot, non-combat skills, and the ability to romance certain characters. You can play in traditional RPG mode or switch to "Visual Novel Mode" for a story-focused experience. The fate of the colony is in your hands as you navigate tough choices and multiple alien factions.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The writing and character development have significantly improved, creating a captivating and emotional experience.
- The game offers a rich blend of RPG and visual novel elements, with meaningful choices that impact the story and character relationships.
- The art style, music, and customization options enhance the overall gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for fans of both genres.
- Some gameplay mechanics are clunky and may be confusing for newcomers, especially those unfamiliar with the first game.
- The combat can feel grindy and unbalanced, with issues like healing enemies and a lack of clarity in character abilities.
- There are technical issues such as bugs, UI problems, and a lack of customization options that detract from the overall experience.
- story76 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Planet Stronghold 2" continues from its predecessor, offering a rich sci-fi world with deep characters and a complex narrative that emphasizes player choices and their consequences. While some players found the pacing slow and lacking backstory for newcomers, many praised the engaging plot, character development, and the meaningful impact of decisions made throughout the game. Overall, it is regarded as a solid sequel with a captivating storyline that enhances the gameplay experience.
“But as a visual novel, it's excellent: there is a rich sci-fi world, with interesting, original aliens, deep, compelling characters, and a complex, engaging storyline with decisions that feel meaningful and important.”
“The choices you make will lead to consequences and they will also be remembered by the characters throughout the entire story—who, at times, won’t shy away from reminding you of them, including showing their displeasure, which is very realistic and adds to the experience.”
“The story is compelling and riddled with twisting branches of choices that have impact.”
“- lacking backstory for new players”
“- no new party characters, similar story from the first game”
“I may just be me, but I found the story to be slow and boring and the graphics/artwork amateur, just not my cup of tea.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the aesthetic character portraits and the anime/cartoon blend art style, while others criticize the artwork as amateurish and inferior to its predecessor. Overall, the visuals are generally considered good, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some players finding them lacking in comparison to previous titles.
“The character portraits are aesthetic.”
“I like the anime/cartoon blend art style here.”
“Usually I don’t write a review without going through at least most of the game, but Planet Stronghold 2 has become an exception: interesting story, original world, nice graphics and good gameplay.”
“I found the story to be slow and boring, and the graphics/artwork feel amateur; it's just not my cup of tea.”
“Clearly an inferior version of the previous Planet Stronghold, both gameplay-wise and graphically.”
“The graphics/artwork feel amateur; it's just not my cup of tea.”
- music18 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its variety and quality, especially considering it is an indie title, with many users praising the soundtrack and overall fit with the game's atmosphere. However, some areas are noted to lack music, and there is only one combat track, which some found to be neutral but not bothersome. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's art style and gameplay experience.
“I liked the music; there was enough variety for it to not become grating.”
“In fact, most music was surprisingly good for such an indie title.”
“On a side note, I was pleasantly surprised by the soundtrack!”
“Some areas lack any music.”
“There was only one combat music, but even that was reasonably neutral.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Planet Stronghold 2 is generally described as decent, with combat mechanics that are straightforward yet engaging enough for at least one playthrough. While it retains similarities to its predecessor, some players noted a lack of depth in new mechanics, such as the party-splitting feature that appears only briefly. Overall, the game offers enjoyable gameplay, particularly for fans of visual novels and the series, despite being considered an inferior version of the original.
“Planet Stronghold 2 is a solid sequel, having a captivating story while maintaining the gameplay from their first game (since it's been a long time since I played PS1, I really can't point if something changed, but at the very least it is similar).”
“Usually I don’t write a review without going through at least most of the game, but Planet Stronghold 2 has become an exception: interesting story, original world, nice graphics and good gameplay.”
“Clearly an inferior version of the previous Planet Stronghold, both gameplay-wise and graphically.”
“Another ... not quite 'issue', but 'strangeness' was that at one point there was this whole new mechanic involving splitting the party, with a whole new interface ... and it never comes up again.”
“The combat mechanics are decent - nothing too complex, but there's enough there to avoid boredom, for at least one play-through.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as strategically placed and effective, with standout moments from characters like Milos, who is described as both hilarious and adorable. While the overall plot leans towards seriousness, the funny combat system and well-developed characters contribute to a balanced comedic experience.
“Milos was hilarious and adorable.”
“Great game, good story, and a funny combat system.”
“The plot is more serious, humor is more strategically placed, and characters feel more fleshed out.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game boasts excellent replayability, with players noting they have completed it multiple times—over ten in some cases—to unlock all 75 achievements. This suggests that the game offers a deep and engaging experience that encourages repeated play without requiring a massive budget.
“This game has great replayability as I played it more than 10 times to get the 75 achievements.”
“I really think that giants like Bioware should learn that you don't need an unlimited amount of money to create something deep, fun, and replayable.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players have found the game to be a deeply heartfelt and complex emotional experience, evoking a wide range of feelings that include both laughter and tears. This emotional depth has left many feeling profoundly impacted and reflective.
“The truth is, I was completely taken aback and mindblown by how heartfelt it actually was.”
“What I experienced was a complex, emotional journey that provided me with ample food for thought and made me cry and laugh quite a few times.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have stability issues, including frequent bugs, error screens, and problems with the user interface and statistics. These issues have negatively impacted the overall user experience.
“The game is buggy, with frequent error screens and issues with the UI and stats.”
“There are numerous bugs, including error screens and problems with the user interface and statistics.”
“The stability is poor, plagued by bugs, error screens, and various UI and stat issues.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of Planet Stronghold II to be a significant drawback, noting that the game requires extensive leveling of characters and equipment to progress effectively, which detracts from the overall experience.
“As an RPG, Planet Stronghold II is mediocre: the combat is decent, but grindy and too dependent upon having characters and equipment of the highest possible level.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a general disappointment with the character development and writing in the game, suggesting that players found it lacking and unsatisfactory.
“I played the first game a month ago and was disappointed about the writing and character development.”
