Imagine a world in which you have never playedSpelunky.
I bet many of you might’t.
For Chrsitian Donlan, it’s impossible.
Like so many of you,he’s been passionately playing the series for years.
But there are others who are more easily distracted and seem to miss everything important that comes by.
How he manages this, we don’t know, but Spelunky, to him, remains unknown.
So, asSpelunky 2arrives on Xbox Game Pass, an opportunity presents itself.
An opportunity to see something afresh through new eyes.
So to start with: what were your first impressions?
Bertie:I have heard a lot about it!
For years, Spelunky was all anyone seemed to talk about.
I think that was what put me off.
I like to be different.
A lot like Mario if that makes sense?
Responsive in that same way, tidy in that same way.
But in a different kind of way: brutal.
It’s a particularly important lesson to learn when in local co-op!
Talk abouttension- and I don’t just mean on the rope!
Have I covered it yet?
I worry I’ll get going and never stop!
Chris:I think it’s actually often harder rather than easier in co-op.
There’s so much I want to ask you!
Have you had any truly memorable disasters yet?
Bertie:Any memorable disasters?
Ha ha - how long have you got?
Shooting the shopkeepers is a good one.
“How is it I interact with them again?
I’ll just press X and oh, whoops, no!”
They’re absolute beasts.
Times when one of you has accidentally - or purposefully!
It doesn’t take long for you to go from confident to dead.
“Any memorable disasters?
Ha ha - how long have you got?”
He’s like an amped up, no-fear demonstration of how the game can be played.
Have we had a moment where we’ve glimpsed a secret?
That’s an interesting one.
I don’t know if we have.
At the moment we’re just focused on staying alive.
And those other biomes: they make the beginning one look sedate!
Chris:Ha ha!
The starter biome feels very controversial with Spelunky 2.
And what did you make of those sodding moles?
Bertie:Oh god - the gophers?
I think they’re gophers here.
They are horrible, popping up all over the place, pushing me around.
They’re like the antithesis of the positioning finesse Spelunky really deals in.
A couple of seconds later, you’re dead.
I feel like Spelunky does that a lot: shoves you.
Clearly, Spelunky doesn’t want you to do that.
Forget caution: you’ve got to get out.
Spelunky 2 doesn’t want you to settle.
And I think that’s because Spelunky 2knowsit’s default run-speed is risky, is dangerous.
It’s like it’s always there tempting you to go faster.
It’s such a tempting game.
Chris:Okay, last question I think.
What are the really big things you’ve learned so far?
I feel like Spelunky is full of things to learn - I’m still learning for sure.
I know it sounds silly but I still wouldn’t have known this had my co-Spelunker not noticed it.
I’d still be replaying from the beginning!
Like you say though, there aremanythings to learn.
It’s in how the items work or who the characters you bump into are and what they do.
Or it’s how the enemies behave and finding the safe ways to defeat them.
Ridiculous, I know, but there was a time when Ididn’tknow!
Oh and one final thing: I’m learning to be a better co-Spelunker.
There’s definitely an art to it.
Because if I don’t, my Spelunking doesn’t stand a chance.
