There’s no doubt that I tend to enjoy games that would be called “quirky” more often than not, though admittedly that doesn’t always make them score very high either. The challenge with them is always whether or not the underlying gameplay or concept is compelling enough to overcome any hesitation more mainstream audiences may have, bewildered by either odd story beats or a non-traditional structure. Much like its predecessor, Everhood 2 sort of hits every possible branch while falling out of the quirkiness tree, making for an experience you’re likely to either adore or dread, with not much likely wiggle room in between.

Trying to describe the story is a bit impossible honestly, I’d say it’s best just to say you should simply buckle up and be ready to get confused quite a bit as this is an experience far more focused on the journey than the destination. You’ll meet all manner of unusual critters, normally inanimate objects that are somehow characters, and beings that I simply can’t find words to adequately describe… other than it all being just a little trippy and consistently odd.

Also in common with the original is the game’s chosen method of combat, and that’s some generally intense rhythm-based battles that absolutely have a learning curve to them. While in the original the focus was more on mere survival, working to jump or dodge incoming notes flying at you, this time around you’ll need to also learn how to fight back. With a properly-timed button press (which I swear sometimes felt like its timing would get off during intense passages), you’ll be able to absorb most attacks, building up power that you’ll then be able to counter-attack with. The challenge is the fact that if you get hit or accidentally absorb an attack of a different color you’ll lose whatever power you’ve stored. But in order to land stronger counters you’ll need to be patient and absorb multiple attacks, with ones tied to held notes being the most valuable to you. The pity is I’d say the combat is a double-edged sword, probably starting out a little too challenging at times, but then often being easier as you move along. Worse, since many enemies are repeated quite a lot, it can start to feel stale as you keep doing the same thing over and over again.

Taking all of this in, it makes for an experience that’s absolutely unique on the system, but I’d hardly say that everyone will likely enjoy it. Whether the issue would be the combat, which works reasonably well but could probably use better balancing and overall work, or the very unusual story beats and narrative that can be so odd that people could just give up on it, this game is a poster child for the phrase “an acquired taste”. Still, if you’re willing to stick with it, and revel in games from the more bizarre side of the tracks, this will still likely be a nice diversion from the norm.