In this generation, there have absolutely been a great number of “retro-styled” titles, but what that can mean has tended to vary. Sure, classic pixel graphics and chip-tune soundtracks are often what people think of, but there are also games that go the extra mile to try to make the style of play and challenge in more of a classic, rather than contemporary, vein. Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is one such title, putting you up against some challenging foes and bosses in particular, but if you’re willing to weather the storm of frustrations it can throw at you, it can also be quite satisfying overall.

While there’s absolutely an old-school base art style at work here, what’s great is that there’s some value-added flair to go with it as well. Especially as you begin to upgrade your hero, your attacks will continue to look more impressive, and the fact that they’re typically well-animated is definitely a plus. The fluidity of movement is absolutely an upgrade over the older titles this is emulating overall, and that does help it establish its more modern roots nicely. Another aspect I really appreciate is the fact that there tend to be puzzles just about everywhere you look, whether easily visible or hidden, and the rewards for your diligence tend to help you upgrade more quickly, something that doesn’t take long to come in handy.

That leads right to one area that may prove to be a barrier to some, and that’s the game’s challenge level. While the typical enemies you’ll face can be troublesome at times, pretty well any boss fight you face will likely turn into a nail-biter pretty quickly. Patience and diligence tend to be the key to success, but it won’t be unusual to fall on your face a few times until you get your plan of attack and timing down. One area that doesn’t always help with this are the controls, which generally execute well, but absolutely take some getting used to in some cases. To the game’s credit, it really does try to help you out with on-screen help, but for me some basics like ledge grabs or leaps from rings you’re swinging from felt needlessly fiddly when compared to your typical title in this vein. It’s hardly crippling, but when you’re a fair distance into the game, and what feels like it should be routine platforming is slowing you down, it can be aggravating.

Even with those challenges in mind, in the end this still ends up being a solidly satisfying Metroidvania that feels like it could have been a 16-bit era contemporary perhaps. While not as polished as the top-tier titles in the space, there’s no question that the developers have done their homework here, and produced a thoroughly competent game that hits plenty of high notes that help it to stand out. If you’re willing to work through some of the pain that it brings to the table, there’s no question that it will give you a more than fair return on your investment.