For fans of retro gaming and titles that have simply been made with a vintage spirit, the last generation or so has provided plenty to be happy about. While normally what’s most exciting in the space is the latest remake, remaster, or straight-up port, I’ve also been quite pleased with a number of titles that are brand new, but have been made in the classic mold. Granted, there are some that perhaps go a little too far with that concept, bringing forward what I’d consider less appealing remnants of gaming days gone by (I’m looking at you, knockback), but it’s an exciting time to be a retro fan.

The original Aggelos was one such title, rocking a throwback look, retro sounds, and plenty of classically-styled gameplay, just with a bit of modern polish. Perhaps it isn’t a surprise then that this follow-up continues to tread that same path, trying to thread the needle of gameplay and stage designs that feel more old-school, but not doing so in a way that is likely to alienate players looking for some modern sensibilities, especially with regards to the overall difficulty. With a degree of challenge that more often than not feels like it could be called “tough but fair”, this is by no means a cakewalk, but at the same time it has the sense to incorporate periodic save points, the ability to fast travel in some spots, and just mechanically feel like a more modern title.

All that said, if you’re not a fan of some vintage gaming stage design concepts, you may find it to be aggravating. What you’ll pretty quickly discover is that even in order to make simple progress getting out of a certain area you’ve found yourself in, you’re going to need to do some thinking. While there are sections with more simplistic and linear designs, where you’ll need to simply keep going right until you get to something, you’ll also be expected to work some things out at times as well. Especially once you have your wings, you’ll be expected to make smart use of them, taking a leap of faith and floating as far as you can with the assumption that there’ll be a place to land. Once you come to understand this, things tend to feel a little more sensible, but I’ll admit that until that thought popped into my head I had begun to feel stuck. The thing is, consistent with games from yesteryear, it isn’t one to hold your hand too much, so you can expect to be tested in a way more modern games don’t tend to do anymore. As long as you’re on board for that experience, this can be a pretty good time.