Developer: Mr. Nutz Studio
Publisher: Microïds
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2 – Review
In the past, we have featured quite a few Asterix & Obelix games, and while the franchise is beloved by many, it has spawned a lot of awful games over the years. The most recent example was a card game that revolved around the iconic duo, which simply wasn’t any fun. It was hard for us to make the connection between card game mechanics and the usual upbeat action-packed adventures of Asterix & Obelix. Now, however, we are taking a closer look at the sequel to Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All!. We quite enjoyed the original back in 2021, even though the gameplay mechanics were rather shallow. We were hoping to see significant improvements in this department, but we were simply treated to more of the same.
Story
Truth be told, even though this Asterix & Obelix game does have a story, it all boils down to punching Roman soldiers in the face, which is always a great motivator to keep pressing onwards. It seems an innocent man has been accused of stealing a gold emblem of the Romans, and now this person is going to be punished. Asterix & Obelix of course set out to right this wrong, but they’ll have to acquire the necessary information first. What ensues is an action-packed adventure, with the occasional dialogue sprinkled in between.
Graphics
Just like the first game, Slap Them All! 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game. The developers once again respected the source material, and the character models have never looked better. There was perhaps also a bit more diversity in the environments, and it was always a delight seeing new enemies pop up. Sadly, the novelty did wear off rather quickly when we once again noticed a lack of character diversity. Don’t get us wrong, it truly feels as if we were playing through one of the comic books, but there are only a handful of enemy models, and even background characters are repeated ad nauseam. There was a bit more onscreen action compared to the original, and the visual effects remained rather satisfying throughout the entire experience.
Sound
The sound design of Slap Them All! 2 is quite good. The game has a proper adventurous soundtrack and the audio feedback you get from punching bad guys in the face is very satisfying. We did enjoy the SFX and even the voice acting was quite good. There is quite a bit of voice acting present, and all dialogues are fully voiced in the game. This is an improvement compared to the previous iteration.
Gameplay
Just like its predecessor, Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2 is an old-school arcade side-scroller, reminding us of titles such as Streets of Rage. This means you’ll be playing through short levels, punching baddies while collecting coins, and avoiding pitfalls. Most levels have the same layout, where you’ll just be going from left to right to reach the end of the stage, but there are a few levels that try to spice things up with a boss battle at the end or by adding more obstacles you’ll need to avoid. The offset is extremely simple, and it doesn’t really get more complex as you progress through the game. It’s a staple for the genre to keep things basic, but we still feel like this particular series could use a bit more meat on its bones than just doing the same thing over and over again.
Truth be told, there isn’t that much more to the game than we said above. You’ll simply go through the short stages to make the story progress. There are a few difficulty modes to choose from, and that’s about it. We do recommend playing the game with a friend or family member, as the fun wears out a lot quicker when tackling this adventure solo. Also, you might get stun-locked by some enemies when you’re on your own. A second player could remedy this, by taking out the enemy that is bothering you. Also, switching to either Asterix or Obelix when playing solo simply doesn’t work as intended. The button for switching characters seems to be the same button as your special attack, so we were only able to swap characters when our special meter was empty. We do hope this gets patched in the future.
Conclusion
Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2 is a decent continuation of the series, and while minor adjustments have been made, we feel as if it’s more of the same. If you enjoyed the original, we’re sure you’ll have a blast with this one as well. If you hoped the first game would have more complex mechanics and a lot more depth, then this second installment probably won’t win you over either. That being said, this one proves to be fun to play with a friend or family member and proves to be an authentic arcade beat ’em-up experience.
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