Slime Rancher 2 Early Access Review- More Slime is Good Slime
The original Slime Rancher was an excellent romp through an alien land filled with secrets, cool upgrade and, of course, slimes. Being able to farm these little guys with their favorite fruits and vegetables for their plorts was as addictive as it was infinitely charming. The much-awaited sequel is, well, more of the same (and, in some ways, less at the same time). This is far from a bad thing, however, since more Slime Rancher is always a good thing. It's also important to note that this is still in the earliest days of early access- meaning much more is in the works. The return to Slime Rancher through Rainbow Isle may feel like an expansion at times, but it shows lot of promise and changes from the original that I think will be enough to set it leagues apart- eventually.
Presentation
Developers Monomi Park have excelled in making Rainbow Isle look beautiful and alien but also extremely welcoming. Each area has so much character- with every corner giving rise to a new visual gimmick, such as a rocky area where the terrain is quite literally split in two between red and blue, and a grassland location that changes color as the day progresses- making the name 'Rainbow Fields' quite literal. It's not just the areas that look great; the stars of the show have had a notable visual upgrade. Each slime has more personality than before thanks to new textures, animations and behaviors that set each out from the rest. It's even more of a joy to return to your slimes bouncing around your home base upon your return from a resource gathering run or exploration trip around the island. The music has a much calmer feel this time around with the vibe being more relaxed rather than uplifting-which suits the new location very well. Some audio tracks are reused, but this doesn't feel grating or repetitive due to the staying power of the original's music. Overall, the visuals, audio, and overall presentation of Slime Rancher 2 is a step up, even if it is subtle at times.
Gameplay
The way Monomi Park has developed the way Slime Rancher 2 feels to play and the tweaks to different systems is enough to recommend this product- even in its early access stage. The best change, in my opinion, is the way resources work. Instead of having to wait a set amount of time to obtain these, you can just find them naturally around the world. This really lends itself to improving the exploration side of the experience. This is especially true with the fact that treasure orbs are now not locked behind late game unlocks. Being able to access these immediately doesn't feel like you're wasting time when running around the island. To counterbalance this, unlocks like the jetpack and stamina upgrades are much harder to obtain- incentivizing exploration much more than in the original. This gameplay loop is as addictive as it is fun, and it doesn't have any stop-start mechanics like the original. The loop is constantly moving- as long as you engage with it. Of course, you're not forced to explore at all. Once you have all we slimes you want, you can stay in your huge new greenhouse hub for- well, forever. This is where the game shines brightest: its collection of slimes. The most exciting addition is, of course, the new slimes. With five new buddies ranging from bunnies to bats, discovering what gimmick each one has is the most exciting part of the game. This is especially true considering each have much more unique and inventive features than any slimes seen before. For example, the 'ringtail' slime has the ability to eat an infinite amount of anything- but stops producing plots after a while. This means that if one escapes, every crop on your farm is at risk of being decimated by this glutenous (but still somehow incredibly endearing) blob. On top of this, they turn to stone during the day- so you have to be extra careful about where to place them on your farm. That's just one of the new additions- and with dozens of updates to come, I can't wait to see what Monomi Park has in store for their next batch of slimes.
With the introduction of these new slimes, however, some have been cut to make room. Notable exceptions include the rad and (one of my personal favorites) tangle slime. Despite this, I wouldn't consider the lack of certain slimes as a severe omission. This just leaves more room for the new and original fellas to breathe and have more personality rather than giving the player an overwhelming number of slimes to deal with- which is something the first game sometimes felt like it did. Of course, its also true that these older slimes will probably make a comeback in later updates- which is even more of a reason to get excited about the coming years.
Story
Not much can really be said about Slime Rancher 2's story yet. There are glimpses of a larger narrative forming, but this part of the package is lacking at the moment. However, even in the original, the story really takes more of a backseat and serves to set the stage for the world rather than tell a revelatory tale.
Of course, this could all change with future updates, but I'd be fine if the story was limited to the optional text logs and conversations with fellow farmers like the original. These logs act more like a tour of the island than anything else- and I think that's all that's really needed for new and returning fans to become acquainted with Rainbow Isle.
Overall, Slime Rancher 2 might not initially seem like a huge step up from its original- but it makes changes in the areas that matter most. Quality of life changes and a beautiful new location to explore (not to mention the new slimes) make this a worthy successor in more ways than one. Content is lacking at the moment- with only three main areas being explorable so far- but the potential that this is already showing has surpassed the original. Whether you're a veteran craving more slimy goodness or a first timer to the Far, Far Range, Slime Rancher 2 has everything you need to start your addictive farming journey (and its only got more to come).
