Slime Rancher 2, a placid journey to Rainbow Island | Tried

Slime Rancher 2

A planet to explore and save, a whole new reality to discover and many secrets to reveal. If Slime Rancher 2 were a movie, it would be The Martian with Matt Damon, who played a lost in the Martian atmosphere looking for a way to get home. The production developed by Monomi Park, already famous to the public for a first chapter appreciated by critics, takes us back on an interplanetary journey to discover new plump alien creatures with a great need for help and comfort.

Yes, because Slime Rancher 2, like so many productions that define themselves "Simulators of life", is between Forager, Animal Crossing and Journey to the Savage Planet, with the only difference that, compared to the latter, it is not sarcastic, ironic or pungent; but it is even more colorful, placid and imaginative than its predecessor, with a new planet to be discovered and known. We could not expect anything else from Monomi Park, in fact: if in the past the approach chosen for the work has been a great success, it is particularly thanks to a style that has been able to capture a large slice of players, who have fans and were fascinated by the world of Slime Rancher.

On Twitch, in fact, the video game was first in the standings for months, and was played by names known to the public of the purple platform, which was able to give it the due stage on which to perform. If nothing else, this is what makes certain independent video games known to the general public: sharing, which is important for anyone who wants to do this job, perhaps becoming someone. We saw it with Hades, we participated in it with Grounded (which still had Obsidian Interactive behind it) and we were enchanted with Call of the Sea, while Neon White was presented to the world ready to amaze and amaze.| ); }
It was, if nothing else, what we really needed in a time of great change, especially in a landscape that, unlike the others, is now increasingly at the center of new ideas. In the independent market, if nothing else, they are the ones who make certain video games iconic. Slime Rancher 2, like its predecessor, let itself be discovered through the classic Early Access on Xbox GamePass, giving us a first smattering of the world we explored over the weekend. In short, it is an island to be discovered in the full style of Bugsnax, another video game initially released on Sony consoles that was recently also released on Xbox (and is, of course, available on GamePass). What does it mean to travel in space, arrive on a planet and decide to live there?


In this sense, many are complained of a development lacking meaningful content, which did not guarantee the replayability of the product despite the excellent ideas. For those unfamiliar with it, Slime Rancher is a video game that combines the classic life simulation with an adventurous and unpredictable first-person dynamic. During our preliminary journey, between one Slime discovery and the next, we can already assure you that this concept has already been absolutely addressed with maturity by the team, which has known how to represent a context in the appropriate and passionate way that is suitable for a production that intends to excel with the important names of the industry.




The girl, driven by curiosity and her fame, ventures into a new world, far from the safety of her farm, a place where she grew and improved as a breeder, honing her studies and her skills. To follow her dreams she is ready for anything, even to face the unknown of a new and unknown world, which has something to hide, while remaining colorful and lively like her predecessor. The team, building a very different context, however, has skillfully designated an excellent setting, much larger and better characterized than that of the first chapter.

The map, to be discovered as you progress through the experience, is first hidden by a cloud as happens in many other more famous productions (Far Cry, the work of Ubisoft reminded us), and to discover the various areas we need to explore. The production, however, does not stop there: the creation of the world, albeit simple, is well represented and inspired, with many elements to discover during the journey.



In our initial adventures, in fact, we have often come across the border with the map currently available, exploring and knowing new Slimes scattered around the Isle of Paradise. We often consulted a part of the diary to remind us which species they belonged to, and this reference reminded us of Bugsnax, a work that, unlike Slime Rancher 2, made us discover insects in the form of junk food such as french fries, High-calorie burgers and sugary sweets. If nothing else, and on the one hand we are delighted, in the new iteration of the Californian team there is no such implementation, where it could be difficult to hold back one's appetite.

In Bugsnax, more than one occasion, we had to wipe the bib off our mouth, trying to stay focused on what was happening on the screen. A result that, although complex to achieve, was nevertheless brought home. In Slime Rancher 2, however, the approach is different: out there is a world to discover that awaits only us, and we absolutely cannot make it wait. What we met, while exploring Rainbow Island, was a living and pulsating world that changes, changes and innovates, and survives thanks to the Slimes. It is not an artificial area, but a wild and unpredictable one, which cannot be treated in a superficial and predictable way.

Unlike the unknown planet of the first chapter, here the fauna and flora are further explored in a part of the rather exhaustive diary, with references to keep an eye on during the experience so as not to lose the purpose of any mission. We had the impression that what we have faced is nothing more than the beginning: the game map, in fact, unfolds in many other areas. Before continuing, we counted how many Slimes there were to be known in order to interface with all of them from the dedicated interface within the diary. Apparently there are some of different colors, and each of them may need to be explored better just by advancing in the experience. Slime Ranchers 2, unlike the defects of the previous chapter, gave us the impression of being curated to offer a long-lived, stimulating and fun experience, and that can only be deepened in its entirety once published.

Simplicity is at home

Slime Rancher 2 is a first-person video game with an unobstructed view, and just like its predecessor, Elizabeth is armed with a rifle capable of sucking Slimes, food and items to earn money, useful for buying upgrades, new structures and stables for the Slimes. We initially approached the video game as we did in 2017, absolutely not imagining that, instead, we had to study our every single movement before leaving the outpost.

In this sense, we have often left it unprotected and, on more than one occasion, we found ourselves in the position of having to retrieve the Slimes before they ran away. Some we have chased them, others we have lost and others have passed away. The management of the ranch, however simple, is nevertheless demanding: we faced situations that were not easy to manage without the necessary precautions. On more than one occasion, as we progressed through this first taste of gameplay, we were forced to have to forage for food around the island.

We found carrots and pomegranates, giving them to our puppies, which they release often colored feces that we can use to create new structures. We made a total of six, an excellent number, especially if we consider that we were only at the beginning and that there was a lot to do. We spent fourteen days inside it, between one exploration and another. How do you measure time, in Slime Rancher 2?



There is a day and night cycle, there is the possibility of running time forward and there is also a subplot hidden; in fact, we can chat remotely with different characters who, in addition to informing us about what to do, inform us what is happening on Earth and tell us how to approach the planet in an adequate way. Even if they are far away, they try to be close to us in the best possible way. Sometimes doing everything to not make us feel alone and listened to. On the other hand, it is difficult to be isolated, away from the world we know. The spirit of adventure, however, is far more important than one's fear. These are the elements on which the history of mankind is based: discovery, innovation, hope and dreams. Each of them can be summarized in one word, strong and indomitable for anyone who wants to discover new sides of themselves and the world: ambition.

What to expect from Slime Rancher 2?

We spoke vaguely. of the context, the plot and the new journey of Elizabeth, who this time finds herself having to face an island that is waiting to be explored in its entirety. As fun as it is, the product does not appear innovative, because it incorporates many of the mechanics of its predecessor and recalls some of the most important productions on the scene such as Animal Crossing, although the approach is different, certainly more mature and attentive.

First we brought out Journey to the Savage Planet, an indie video game that, over the past few years, has nevertheless been talked about a lot for its complex puzzles and magnificent art direction. This, however, is not enough: because, as interesting as it is, Slime Rancher 2 still needs work and editing to refine some features. Before us, however, we find ourselves a worthy successor to the first. The amount of things to do, build and fix is ​​many, much more than we would have expected. All that remains is to wait.