One of the most anticipated Metroidvania games is no longer coming out this year. Developer Thomas Happ has officially announced in a blog that his upcoming title Axiom Verge 2 has been delayed until approximately the first half of 2021. The studio states that the main reasoning for this is due to the development going much slower than anticipated, In addition, the developer mentioned that the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic is another factor, which is understandable since it has had major ramifications on not just the video game industry, but the world as a whole.
As stated in his blog post, Happ says that Axiom Verge 2 is much more complex than its predecessor, especially in terms of how the enemies function and the overall structure of the world. For instance, the enemy can scan the immediate area that you enter, and if spotted, they will attack. Before this, enemies only stayed on a specific path, never straying from it. Another part of the development that Happ describes is the Address Disruptor tool, which was a staple of the original Axiom Verge. Happ states that a similar feature will be implemented in Axiom Verge 2, but doesn’t want to spoil it before he is ready to fully unveil it.
Happ also states that the art style for Axiom Verge 2 much more sophisticated than the previous one. Showing a side by side comparison in the blog post, it’s immediately clear that Happ is going for more of a natural style as opposed to the very 8-bit looking style that the original had. Happ concludes the blog by saying that he is happy that people are still interested in the sequel, despite the original coming out more than five years ago. When Axiom Verge did launch in 2015, it was generally well-received by the Metroidvania community, so if the fans have waited this long, then it’s more than likely that they can wait just a little bit longer.