Before we start talking about Gravity Rush 2 as a whole, it's important to clarify that a remaster of the first episode is available on the PlayStation Store for less than 15€. The opportunity for those who have not had the opportunity to play it to discover the first adventures of Kat. This is all the more preferable since the story of Gravity Rush 2 takes place shortly after the end of the first episode. However, this sequel does not really bother to do a little recap of what happened before or even introduce the characters. Neophytes may be a little confused, especially since this second part very quickly lays the foundations of its story, without even focusing on the events of the previous episode. In itself, not playing the first episode will not be a handicap to understanding the story, but it would be a shame not to see how the relationship is created between Kat, our heroine, and Raven, her best friend. At the same time, you can also watch a 20-minute anime at this address, which links the two episodes. The cartoon is free and it will not be a luxury to watch it before embarking on your adventure, or to quickly discover the world of the game. Once this step is over, you will be able to start your journey in Gravity Rush 2 from the best way. In this second episode, the story begins with Kat and her friend Syd, forced to work for a mining company after they were swept away by a gravitational storm. Without money or power, our heroine is forced to work for the village of Banga in exchange for a roof and food. Gradually, Kat will regain her powers as well as Dust, the cat at the origin of her powers. For now, nothing too fancy in terms of scenario, although it allows us to gradually discover the range of movements achievable by Kat.
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
After having mastered all the basics of the gameplay, we are off to Jirga Para Lhao, the gigantic city where most of the events of the story will take place. Once there, Kat will realize the harsh reality of the country in which she landed. The poor are housed in the lower levels of the city while the wealthy enjoy the comfort of their villas, perched high in the sky. Despite these pronounced disparities between the different castes of the city, Jirga Para Lhao is nonetheless magnificent and its colorful design, reminiscent of the cities of South America, does not leave anyone indifferent. Of a substantial size, the city proves to be an excellent playground where one takes real pleasure in using gravity to fly between buildings in search of gravitational crystals. In addition to the main mission, this is where you can also participate in side missions and challenges.
In addition to increasing your level, these additional missions are also an opportunity to earn talismans, which improve Kat's powers and statistics. If it is quite possible to complete the main story without carrying out secondary quests, the latter will not be refused to approach the last chapters of the game. Especially since these missions offer quite varied objectives, thus avoiding to repeat many and many times the same actions. From espionage to racing, through the protection of a shop, players will have plenty to do before reaching the end of all the secondary missions offered. As you will have understood, Jirga Para Lhao offers a huge playground capable of keeping you busy for long hours, knowing that it will take about 25 hours to complete only the main story. To overcome all the additional quests, it will take about thirty hours, see a little more if you have trouble winning first place in the various challenges offered in the city.
I'M NOT HEAVY, IT'S GRAVITY
But if Gravity Rush 2 offers a huge city and very dense content, it is above all through its gameplay that the game stands out from current productions. As with the first episode, Kat is able to modify gravity at will by pressing R1, which allows her to perform free falls to move. So if you want to walk on a wall, all you have to do is aim the wall with the right stick and then press R1 to direct gravity in the direction of the wall. From then on, the player can move completely freely and we take great pleasure in strolling around the city of Jirga Para Lhao by chaining the changes of gravity in order to slalom between the buildings. In addition to saving you from long boring walks, manipulating gravity will also be useful in combat. Thanks to it, you can chain your enemies with gravitational kicks or by throwing objects at them. If all these movements were already available in the first episode, it is the arrival of the two new modes of gravity that really interests us. Starting with the "Lunar" style which allows Kat to reduce gravity in order to be able to perform longer jumps or to take support on the walls. Once lunar mode is activated, the player will also be able to count on a new ultimate attack, as well as a new wickedly styled gravitational kick. Finally, lovers of big brutes can turn to the "Jupiter" mode, which allows Kat to obtain a heavier gravity, in order to swing devastating blows, like the gravitational kick which creates a wave of shock.
Thanks to these two modes of gravity, the fights gain in interest and prove to be much less repetitive than in the first Gravity Rush. The styles can be changed on the fly and you shouldn't hesitate to alternate between the three gravity modes to overcome the toughest enemies. In addition, you can also expand your range of moves by spending gravitational crystals in the upgrades menu. Since Kat's powers are separated into several distinct classes, it will be up to you to choose what suits you best. An important choice when you discover the price of certain improvements. Only small downside, the "Lunar" mode gives the impression of skating, which makes travel particularly difficult. Each movement is amplified and it is not uncommon to fall into the void simply because we wanted to take a step to the side.
THE QUI KAT BREAK
On the technical side, the game seems to have succeeded in its passage on PS4. Clearly, the sets are much finer compared to those of the remastered and the game runs almost without any slowdown. The cel-shading is very effective and will not leave anime fans indifferent, who will be keen to contemplate the different panoramas offered by the game. Regarding Jirga Para Lhao, the main city of the game, the developers are not there. not gone dead hand. In addition to being colossal, the metropolis has an excellent viewing distance which allows us to appreciate our falls into the void even more. Moreover, the population of the city does not seem fixed and one has the impression of strolling in a real city, alive and warm. The most nosy among you are likely to spend many hours there, looking for gravitational crystals scattered all over the map.
On the script side, Gravity Rush 2 relied on comic book cutscenes, which allow for significant savings in production. However, this does not make the story any less pleasant to follow, quite the contrary. This allows you to enjoy the dialogues while taking the time to discover each box without rushing. It's simple but effective, especially since great care has been taken in the designs. The real black point of Gravity Rush 2 comes mainly from its camera, which is not always the most practical. If during falls, it is quite simple to direct the camera, it becomes much more complicated when you land on a wall. The camera tends to stick to the walls and very quickly it becomes difficult to know which way you are. Normally it's not a problem, but it's a whole different story against enemies. It is sometimes difficult to chain the gravitational kicks and because of the camera, it is often necessary to replace it in order to be able to chain the attacks without being blocked or aiming in the void.
