Heyo Gravity Rush 2 video lesgo. First off, huge respect for openly talking about a game like this. Most of the time the main topic about this game when discussing it online is on how the game is an underrated gem that got unfairly overlooked by many...... which is TRUE, but this often ignores more proper criticism about what the game presents or how it tied the loose ends from its predecessor. That said, I consider this game specifically one of my favorite games of all time, and I wanted to give a proper comment here (especially since I re-completed the game just like.... 3 days ago) FIrst of: YES, the animation SHOULD have been just added at the beginning of the game. That alone would have fixed a lot of the issues in the start. That said, I still think the beginning of the game is still strong: as you said it has the same skeleton of the start of GR1: Kat stranded in a unknown location, possibly in a harsher situation, as she is forced to work hard to barely afford to eat and sleep with DUCKS while almost all of your past friends and your cat are missing. The setting of the floating house village alongside the weird rocky formation where you find Cecie and even the mines and the weird floral dungeon are solid as an intro. Maybe not as emotional as the first minutes of GR1 but I think they work. The stakes are different and I like the interactions with Lisa, Vogo and the other characters I think the confrontation in JPL is still a solid chapter: it sorta hints about the team of the game and foreshadow the reason Kat dropped from Eto in the firs tplace (since it is basically a similar problem of "people from above not caring for the people below") and I personally think that Vogo Lisa Syd and the rest of the cast make up for the lack of significant characters within the various layers (even tho it would have been cool to know more about the people in the corruptd senate... or the soldier you rescue... or the rich lady that wanna organize a party and burn gasoline for the sake of it). I still think it works pretty well. When it comes to sequels / duologies in general, I feel there is this sort of pattern with a lot of games: while the first game is built to present a new compact world or to introduce new original mechanics and stories, the second title are often built to experiment with said built-in world and mechanics; Mario Galaxy 1 is a tensed up experience: it is immersive because you are launched into an misterious observatory with a misterious lady that connects every part of the universe into a single location as you are mostly caught by the wonders you encounter in space as the gravity shifts around you...... in contrast Galaxy 2 is... just more of the same, but more just presented as a videogame: the atmosphere you got in the first title is substituted with different takes at the level design, and as a result even thee whole universe feels more segmented and less whimsical overall. In a way I feel this is what the devs wanted to do with JPL: they wanted to put you in this new great town, full of great landscapes and sequences and new gameplay gimmicks: you got a bustling marketplace, a rotten lower level, missions where you take pictures and go undercover, stealth missions, minigames where Kat sings, a new fight with raven that is not forced at all because who doesn'thave mind-controlling masks these days.... I feel that is mostly the reason why JPL is such a big part of GR2: it is the part the devs wanted to work on and showcase first, a priority compared to presenting the already existing ground. Plus it kinda makes sense narratively since for what people knew at the time, Kat already saved Hekseville, so returning immediately there for the sequel maybe would have been the approach to build up hype among old or new fans. The issue is mostly about the fact that... Gravity rush 1 sorta just ended with a lot of unresolved misteries, and so the devs had to crump together both the new things they added to make the title stand out AND giving a conclusive end to the whole narrative. And this results in a more rushed resolve of a lot of the events that unfolds on both sides: JPL has this interesting political narrative that doesn't get evolved a lot because "ohh yo the big titan town destroyed the syndicate that we were supposed to fight"... so tha tissue is solved but also felt like it was over pretty quickly. But at the same time Eto puts a lot of lore on your shoulders all together while also introducing new threats and an actual new god that I feel don't really get a lot of room to be better explored: Elektricitie is a violent god but why is she there and what is her motivation? Is Alias/Syd/ other Syd actually dead and if so who is guiding Kat in that liminal puzzle dungeon? Is Cai really that much of an a**hole or is he always been controlled by the Destructive force (I mean his a deer, with horns really similar to the Destructive force itself) The Raven DLC also feel slike the team went "oh yo we forgot about those kids stuck in the Ark huh...... that never happened lol.... but oh wait who is Raven now if the incident never happened? uhhh she is part of Kat's soul or something... I think?", which is why it is such a bad taste for GR1 fans. I mostly feel like the story has never been narrated to its full potential: There are A LOT of moments and story bits that I feel are really fantastic if taken individually … but once you put all of the pieces together can feel contorted, and often than not it can raise more questions than others…. Regardless, I think the game is able to answer a lot of the mysteries of Gravity Rush 1 as well as making a great continuation and ending to the series. Could have been handled better? Absolutely, and I kinda hope the movie will cut a bit of the fluff to make at least an understandable resume of the narrative. But for what we got, I still love what the team tried to accomplished with this one: there is a lot of stuff that has been planned since the first game, and I feel what ultimately cut them off was the result of handling both unresolved questions and new ideas while also dealing with potential company schedules and limitations..... I respect your takes and angree with you on multiple fronts, but I still think I will still praise a lot of the things Gravity rush 2 introduced and the ties with the predecessor...... still great video! (also jeez sorry for the wall of text I startled writing and I didn't notice until now XD)
Kali and Durga are two manifestations of the same goddess representing the cruel part (war) and the compassionate part (love). They are both depicted as Shiva's wife with Durga being seen more as the lovely consort
i never realized how odd and disconnected the story chapters are in GR2… i also loved the first game but i will say I was gagged by Kat going to Elo, cause i kneeew since the first game! Anyways great video, so glad you’re back and making videos again!🫡
idk anything about gravity rush except it was one of two games my friend had for her vita, that and persona 4 golden. however my favorite genre of youtube video is someone explaining a piece of media that i’ve never consumed in vivid detail, and i love your thoughts and takes on the games you play! keep up the good work!
I'm glad that you liked some of the same emotional climaxes and character beats, I definitely feel like they got lost in a lot of the sociopolitical commentary either by retreading ground or being really heavyhanded with it for extended periods of time. I felt like the side quests retained much more of that charm Kat is capable of with those she wants to help without making things get muddied with cosmic implications and betrayal. Also in case you didn't know there's a manga specifically for Gravity Rush 2! No official translation but what's out there is fun and more of the same. Really didn't like the DLC either it was so dull even in gameplay.
I was waiting if someone made a hot take about GR2 in YT form. I really liked gr2 but I do have many grievances on this game. I found myself questioning their decisions being made many times. Why are there so many stealth missions, and many instances where you aren't allowed to shift? Why aren't the styles introduced earlier? Whose idea was it to have outfits and emote locked behind an online activities? Why am I getting game over'd for fighting thug npcs that one time? Why is the lost city rift plane so awful? wait, we're doing WHAT to raven's backstory? But they it did many things I liked. I love the southeast asian vibes JPL had. Not a setting you see much in games. I love that we're getting more Raven and Syd. I love her relationship with Kat in this game. I liked the new supporting cast. I liked the Lhao cast. Lisa's pretty cool and I think Vogo's a fun character. And that we got even more of the old cast, even if some are fan service (I think they just brought Permet back bc she was too cute to be a one off character in a dlc). In GR1, it felt like the amount of reoccurring characters are small, and while all Kat's interactions with them are great, I am glad we getting more of them in 2. I liked that the little shit son grew up to be a deadpan little shit. I like that Syd's cop assistant was kinda a bomb nut, being a bomb expert and all. And more of the fortune teller is a good thing. I personally found myself enjoying the side stories more. Has less of the grandiosity, more of the charm. I'd watch a Gravity Rush anime if it were like this. I feel like GR2 wanted to try new things, but is also felt obligated to wrap things up, and crammed 2 grand final acts in one game. Imo, I love Gravity Rush, and it left me wanting more. I also love Gravity Rush 2. I dunno if it's a little less, or more with some conflicting feelings. We will never get a GR3, but I don't really want one. What I'd like more is a directors cut, and that's wishful thinking. It makes me wonder what GR would've been if it was a PS3 game with it's original story intact. also live action kat's outfit it laaaaame. I love that they integrated the gold embroidery into her top, but it looks boring overall. They can do better than just a black shirt and pants.
I only played Gravity Rush 2. The story did not feel newcomer friendly. But I liked the style and movement! I guess I should give the first game a try!
Heyo Gravity Rush 2 video lesgo.
First off, huge respect for openly talking about a game like this. Most of the time the main topic about this game when discussing it online is on how the game is an underrated gem that got unfairly overlooked by many...... which is TRUE, but this often ignores more proper criticism about what the game presents or how it tied the loose ends from its predecessor.
That said, I consider this game specifically one of my favorite games of all time, and I wanted to give a proper comment here (especially since I re-completed the game just like.... 3 days ago)
FIrst of: YES, the animation SHOULD have been just added at the beginning of the game. That alone would have fixed a lot of the issues in the start.
That said, I still think the beginning of the game is still strong: as you said it has the same skeleton of the start of GR1: Kat stranded in a unknown location, possibly in a harsher situation, as she is forced to work hard to barely afford to eat and sleep with DUCKS while almost all of your past friends and your cat are missing. The setting of the floating house village alongside the weird rocky formation where you find Cecie and even the mines and the weird floral dungeon are solid as an intro. Maybe not as emotional as the first minutes of GR1 but I think they work. The stakes are different and I like the interactions with Lisa, Vogo and the other characters
I think the confrontation in JPL is still a solid chapter: it sorta hints about the team of the game and foreshadow the reason Kat dropped from Eto in the firs tplace (since it is basically a similar problem of "people from above not caring for the people below") and I personally think that Vogo Lisa Syd and the rest of the cast make up for the lack of significant characters within the various layers (even tho it would have been cool to know more about the people in the corruptd senate... or the soldier you rescue... or the rich lady that wanna organize a party and burn gasoline for the sake of it). I still think it works pretty well.
When it comes to sequels / duologies in general, I feel there is this sort of pattern with a lot of games: while the first game is built to present a new compact world or to introduce new original mechanics and stories, the second title are often built to experiment with said built-in world and mechanics; Mario Galaxy 1 is a tensed up experience: it is immersive because you are launched into an misterious observatory with a misterious lady that connects every part of the universe into a single location as you are mostly caught by the wonders you encounter in space as the gravity shifts around you...... in contrast Galaxy 2 is... just more of the same, but more just presented as a videogame: the atmosphere you got in the first title is substituted with different takes at the level design, and as a result even thee whole universe feels more segmented and less whimsical overall.
In a way I feel this is what the devs wanted to do with JPL: they wanted to put you in this new great town, full of great landscapes and sequences and new gameplay gimmicks: you got a bustling marketplace, a rotten lower level, missions where you take pictures and go undercover, stealth missions, minigames where Kat sings, a new fight with raven that is not forced at all because who doesn'thave mind-controlling masks these days....
I feel that is mostly the reason why JPL is such a big part of GR2: it is the part the devs wanted to work on and showcase first, a priority compared to presenting the already existing ground. Plus it kinda makes sense narratively since for what people knew at the time, Kat already saved Hekseville, so returning immediately there for the sequel maybe would have been the approach to build up hype among old or new fans.
The issue is mostly about the fact that... Gravity rush 1 sorta just ended with a lot of unresolved misteries, and so the devs had to crump together both the new things they added to make the title stand out AND giving a conclusive end to the whole narrative. And this results in a more rushed resolve of a lot of the events that unfolds on both sides: JPL has this interesting political narrative that doesn't get evolved a lot because "ohh yo the big titan town destroyed the syndicate that we were supposed to fight"... so tha tissue is solved but also felt like it was over pretty quickly. But at the same time Eto puts a lot of lore on your shoulders all together while also introducing new threats and an actual new god that I feel don't really get a lot of room to be better explored: Elektricitie is a violent god but why is she there and what is her motivation? Is Alias/Syd/ other Syd actually dead and if so who is guiding Kat in that liminal puzzle dungeon? Is Cai really that much of an a**hole or is he always been controlled by the Destructive force (I mean his a deer, with horns really similar to the Destructive force itself)
The Raven DLC also feel slike the team went "oh yo we forgot about those kids stuck in the Ark huh...... that never happened lol.... but oh wait who is Raven now if the incident never happened? uhhh she is part of Kat's soul or something... I think?", which is why it is such a bad taste for GR1 fans.
I mostly feel like the story has never been narrated to its full potential: There are A LOT of moments and story bits that I feel are really fantastic if taken individually … but once you put all of the pieces together can feel contorted, and often than not it can raise more questions than others….
Regardless, I think the game is able to answer a lot of the mysteries of Gravity Rush 1 as well as making a great continuation and ending to the series.
Could have been handled better? Absolutely, and I kinda hope the movie will cut a bit of the fluff to make at least an understandable resume of the narrative. But for what we got, I still love what the team tried to accomplished with this one: there is a lot of stuff that has been planned since the first game, and I feel what ultimately cut them off was the result of handling both unresolved questions and new ideas while also dealing with potential company schedules and limitations.....
I respect your takes and angree with you on multiple fronts, but I still think I will still praise a lot of the things Gravity rush 2 introduced and the ties with the predecessor...... still great video!
(also jeez sorry for the wall of text I startled writing and I didn't notice until now XD)
Kali and Durga are two manifestations of the same goddess representing the cruel part (war) and the compassionate part (love).
They are both depicted as Shiva's wife with Durga being seen more as the lovely consort
Some things are just not gonna be good as a movie
i never realized how odd and disconnected the story chapters are in GR2… i also loved the first game but i will say I was gagged by Kat going to Elo, cause i kneeew since the first game! Anyways great video, so glad you’re back and making videos again!🫡
Had no idea any type of movie was coming out, we need an ANIMATED movie imo
I’d be all for an animated movie omg!
idk anything about gravity rush except it was one of two games my friend had for her vita, that and persona 4 golden. however my favorite genre of youtube video is someone explaining a piece of media that i’ve never consumed in vivid detail, and i love your thoughts and takes on the games you play! keep up the good work!
I'm glad that you liked some of the same emotional climaxes and character beats, I definitely feel like they got lost in a lot of the sociopolitical commentary either by retreading ground or being really heavyhanded with it for extended periods of time.
I felt like the side quests retained much more of that charm Kat is capable of with those she wants to help without making things get muddied with cosmic implications and betrayal.
Also in case you didn't know there's a manga specifically for Gravity Rush 2! No official translation but what's out there is fun and more of the same.
Really didn't like the DLC either it was so dull even in gameplay.
I was waiting if someone made a hot take about GR2 in YT form. I really liked gr2 but I do have many grievances on this game.
I found myself questioning their decisions being made many times.
Why are there so many stealth missions, and many instances where you aren't allowed to shift?
Why aren't the styles introduced earlier?
Whose idea was it to have outfits and emote locked behind an online activities?
Why am I getting game over'd for fighting thug npcs that one time?
Why is the lost city rift plane so awful?
wait, we're doing WHAT to raven's backstory?
But they it did many things I liked. I love the southeast asian vibes JPL had. Not a setting you see much in games.
I love that we're getting more Raven and Syd. I love her relationship with Kat in this game.
I liked the new supporting cast. I liked the Lhao cast. Lisa's pretty cool and I think Vogo's a fun character. And that we got even more of the old cast, even if some are fan service (I think they just brought Permet back bc she was too cute to be a one off character in a dlc). In GR1, it felt like the amount of reoccurring characters are small, and while all Kat's interactions with them are great, I am glad we getting more of them in 2. I liked that the little shit son grew up to be a deadpan little shit. I like that Syd's cop assistant was kinda a bomb nut, being a bomb expert and all. And more of the fortune teller is a good thing. I personally found myself enjoying the side stories more. Has less of the grandiosity, more of the charm. I'd watch a Gravity Rush anime if it were like this.
I feel like GR2 wanted to try new things, but is also felt obligated to wrap things up, and crammed 2 grand final acts in one game.
Imo, I love Gravity Rush, and it left me wanting more. I also love Gravity Rush 2. I dunno if it's a little less, or more with some conflicting feelings.
We will never get a GR3, but I don't really want one. What I'd like more is a directors cut, and that's wishful thinking. It makes me wonder what GR would've been if it was a PS3 game with it's original story intact.
also live action kat's outfit it laaaaame. I love that they integrated the gold embroidery into her top, but it looks boring overall. They can do better than just a black shirt and pants.
hey do you like video games or something
I don’t, I’m just posturing for clout
i ADORE gravity rush! the series is really underrated imo so this video is such a nice surprise
I only played Gravity Rush 2. The story did not feel newcomer friendly. But I liked the style and movement! I guess I should give the first game a try!
Omg yeah I feel like 2 would be really hard to get into without the context from 1, but I would definitely recommend the 1st game!
Bro, i agree 100% if you, gravity rush 1 its magic in his on way, wen i come to play de second game i just fell the realy mediocre end no apelling