A Valley Without Wind 2

It's been forever since I played this game. I was one of the folks that bought AVWW the first and got this one for free because Arcen realized that the original was too inconsistent to be worth completing. I remember the side-scroller of the first one being more fun than the rebuilt one, and liked the strategic exploration of this one better, but the side scroller parts being pretty terrible. I ultimately decided Arcen's games runs on good vibes, but their actual gameplay is godawful. Anyway, I mostly decided to write this review because I was trawling through my hidden games to see if any were worth salvaging, and those vibes pulled me back to the store page to read reviews. They reminded me that Against the Storm managed to pull off the formula it seemed like this was trying for. The inner game is a Settlers-style resource manager w/ quest elements. The outer is a choose-your-own-adventure style fog of war. The whole thing is wrapped up in a rogue-lite, which makes it a nice thing to pick up, win or lose, and keep going. That's a lot of the charm of games that try to make the formula work--and what I think was missing in both AVWW 1 and 2.

I never gave part 1 a try because skippity skippity skip skip , just because I don't want to and no one said to play sequel before prequel, because its 2025 and I am playing a 2012 game (Which seems like if it were just yesterday but bleh,. and so what, its not like its 1912) So, yeah for a good reason I never cared for part 1 because it doesn't seem to be like Harry Potter-ish synchronous storyline (Maybe some more buttons, visually intense and appealing sandbox and procedurally generated infinite world littered with chests, 6-7 achievements just for opening each chest , 6-7 achievements just for killing a bad guy, 6-7 achievements just for making a leg move, which is like Soooooo devilishly, head scratchingly, scooby dooby doodly fun, ) So I kept playing . And I enjoyed like tons. And it cured my prolonged depression permanently. Better than therapy. Cheaper than therapy. Funnier than therapy. (Although my therapist is now jealous and won’t return my calls.) Trust me, It’s like the game has a PhD in instant gratification and a minor in giving your brain a dopamine bath. So, at the end, I will be left wondering How the part 1 would have been like and what made this one different…

Don't bother. First game is trippy and an experience itself into what can be achieved when you disconnect your game design from normal conventions. Even though it was a 'infinite sand box' it had a much better base game loop than this one. The way you could just waste away your time there doing infinite looking dungeons. At least you got useful stuff to bring forward the day when you met the Overlord. This one? For me this is the first true fail for Arcen even if i am a fan of their work. This one was a attempt at organizing the chaos they created in the first one and it didn't work. Managing survivors on the map where they are being hunted while you do relatively annoying runs through levels to get x or kill off a storm mill gets old quick. Talking story characters and named boss fights don't help as much as you would expect. I suppose it's worth a spin after playing the first one but unless the game loop activity interests you then it wont carry itself far. Achievements are not worth much either these days so unless this one is in your library from a bundle then i would pass this one. First one is still worth it for the 'weird everything' thing going on. This one just does…

A Valley Without Wind 2 is an unconventional hybrid of action platforming and strategic gameplay developed and published by Arcen Games. Released in 2013, the game was designed as a complete reimagining of its predecessor rather than a traditional sequel. While the original A Valley Without Wind leaned heavily into procedural exploration and sandbox-style mechanics, the second installment rebuilds the concept around a clearer structure and a more focused campaign. The result is a game that blends multiple genres together, combining turn-based strategic management with real-time side-scrolling combat in a fantasy setting filled with magical battles and tactical decision-making. The story centers on a powerful tyrant named Demonaica, a nearly immortal ruler who has conquered the world and established an oppressive regime that dominates every remaining civilization. Players take on the role of a mage who infiltrates Demonaica’s ranks and manages to obtain the same immortality that protects the villain. With this newfound power, the protagonist becomes one of the few individuals capable of challenging Demonaica’s reign. The player then leads a growing resistance movement dedicated to …

Nah, i dont know the artstyle is just BAD. The gameplay feels cheap nothing i can recommend at all.

Yoikes. Not sure if this game is good or not because the font is tiny - particularly on high res - and I already have enough eye strain! So that's a not recommended then.