More than ten years ago (as of the writing of this article), I reviewed the original Freedom Planet as a video review here on The Arcade Archives. For those unfamiliar with the title, Freedom Planet is an indie game that began life as a Sonic the Hedgehog mod before evolving into something far more original, a loving homage to the Blue Blur’s classic games.

After playing it, I quickly fell in love with both the characters and the gameplay. While it wasn’t perfect, it took the familiar high-speed platforming formula and pushed it in a fresh, new direction. By the time I finished the game, a sequel had already been announced, and I was eager to jump back in.

Unfortunately, Freedom Planet 2 faced multiple delays and was ultimately first launched exclusively on Steam. While many would say I should have just played it there, I’ve always been more of a console gamer than a PC gamer. I’m also someone who prefers owning a physical copy of a game whenever possible. As a result, I ended up waiting eight years before Limited Run Games, a company that produces special prints of digital-only games, did a special run of Freedom Planet 2. This allowed me to obtain a copy, finally giving me the chance to play.

So, after all that waiting, was it worth it? And does Freedom Planet 2 deserve a spot on your gaming backlog? Read on, dear reader.

Pros:

• Improves on nearly every aspect of the original Freedom Planet.
• A fun new character to play and improvements to existing playable characters
  • Milia Basset plays much more smoothly.
  • Sash Lilac doesn’t need to wait as long to recharge her moves.
  • Carol Tea is even more fun to play and riding her motorcycle is a bit smoother.
  • Newcomer Neera Li, who was a boss in the last game, is playable, and her power attacks and ice powers make for a fun new addition to the cast.
• Faster recharging character abilities, making traversal smoother and more enjoyable.
• A dedicated dodge button that adds depth and makes combat feel more dynamic.
• More fun and better-designed levels overall.
• A fair difficulty curve for most of the game.
  • A noticeable difficulty spike near the end, but one that never feels unfair, especially when compared to Pikmin 4.

Cons:

For reasons I can’t fully explain, I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the story of Freedom Planet 2 as I was in the original. That’s not to say the story is bad; it just didn’t hit as hard. My best guess is that the narrative doesn’t feature as many surprising twists or turns, which makes it feel a bit more predictable overall.

Final Thoughts

Freedom Planet 2 is a confident evolution of its predecessor, refining nearly every gameplay mechanic while delivering smoother movement, deeper combat, and more thoughtfully designed levels. So, was it worth the eight-year wait? Yes, thanks largely to the meaningful gameplay improvements and the addition of a new playable character that freshens up the experience.

That said, the story doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the original and lacks some of the emotional impact that made the first game so memorable. Even with that shortcoming, the fair difficulty curve, improved traversal, and added depth make Freedom Planet 2 a sequel well worth playing. For fans of fast-paced, retro-inspired platformers, this entry still earns a solid place on the gaming backlog.