Everhood 2 has the unfortunate curse of having to live under the shadow of its predecessor.

If the first one did not exist, the many flaws in Everhood 2's narrative would not be as noticeable or complained about by most players. This sequel improves on almost all of the aspects that the original one excelled at: the gameplay, the number of enemies you fight, the charming cast of characters. I could go on, because this game truly is amazing.

The biggest issue Everhood 2 has is that the narrative is not rewarding enough for fans who have played and fallen in love with the first game. You finish the game and you almost feel "robbed" because of how "empty" it seems. Whilst 100% completing the game, I thought about the story the game has and the underlying message. Although what I previously said is true, I have come to understand that, because life is random and, in the end, nothing really makes sense or actually matters, it is all about the journey. And this game takes you on so many journeys. THAT is the beauty of it. I think I now understand what the developers wanted to do, and I totally get it.

The other controversial topic, which I think hinders the experience, is the implementation of an EXP system and random encounters. I understand the idea of the game being more of an RPG, but forcing repeated encounters on the player becomes tedious really quickly.

In short, if the original Everhood is a masterfully handcrafted experience, Everhood 2 is more of that, but like an "arcade" version of it. The focus on the sequel lies more on the gameplay than in the story and, while I prefer the original one, I loved my experience with this game and I definitely recommend it.

Everhood 2.

All is vanity.

Now, I for one completely understand the story and the message behind it and I agree. The payoff... is kinda... bad(?)... BUT THAT’S THE POINT. As other reviews might have mentioned "It's about the journey" and yeah, it is.... but that's NOT the underlying message. In fact. It was all spelt out and said already in EH1.

The story was Everhood 1. If you played it and got the "genocide” ending it alludes to letting go and moving on. You didn't. Hence you continued in Everhood 2 and that the cannon ending was yellow. Because you refused to let go and the game anticipated this, you instead want to keep being entertained, the game knows you're just a human, an outside force. A god. Do you want more Everhood? Sure. Here is the entertainment you wanted and an improved game, more arcadey, we already gave you the story, but if you love the game so much, then the shade will entertain you. Because it never ends in Everhood... As long the player wants more. It's just entertainment for a god refusing to move on, and I suspect that the people are playing along for your entertainment. Why? Remember the statement that keeps repeating "All is vanity" which means: "Everything is meaningless (“vanity”) without a proper focus on God."... Now who is god in this instance? It's you. You give these people meaning, by being the focus. Obviously, the game isn't going to give you a meaningful story, it's about having a fun time and being entertained, hence the ending was so silly.

People think a third game would hopefully explain the game... But a third game is not needed for that. The game is explained, but lore would be great, a third game going into the time police and the other planes of existence would be fantastic.

But as for this game. Yeah, it's not Everhood 1. Because it's not supposed to be, it's not lazy writing, it's an extension of EV1 of you not moving on.

If you don't agree. That's fine. clearly you missed the message... But I do hope that the people who played it have enjoyed their journey and are satisfied with the gameplay.

I would recommend this game to everybody, it's still an amazing game. Just... Play Everhood 1 first (twice).
Otherwise, this game might be "even worse"

Edit: Fixed more horrible English.

Wow, what a ride! I have been looking forward to playing this game for a long time. Now that it has been released, was it worth the wait? Absolutely! This entry in the franchise is more bizarre and absurd than ever. Here are my thoughts after completing the game while livestreaming it on Twitch. Skip to the end for a concise TLDR.

Everhood 2 can best be described as an audio and visual spectacle. The soundtrack is, in typical Everhood fashion, once more absolutely fantastic and better than ever before, and the best thing is that this time, we have over 5 hours of absolute bangers to enjoy. The OST is jam-packed with catchy melodies and silly tunes and I will come back to it many times, just like I did with EH1’s OST. As a huge fan of reccurring leitmotifs, such as the one from "Euthanasia Rollercoaster", hearing this melody repeatedly throughout the story was an absolute joy. The psychedelic visuals and aesthetics are unlike anything I have ever experienced in a video game. In some instances, some of the 3D character models felt jarring and out of place, but they didn't detract from the overall experience.

Different elements from classic RPGs have been added. The combat has been expanded upon, introducing a risk / reward dynamic as you fight, an EXP system as well as equippable trinkets and weapons. While the RPG elements do not add much to my overall enjoyment of the combat system, I still found them to be welcome changes, albeit a bit redundant. Apart from that, the fights are as enjoyable and funky as ever and there are some truly fantastic and memorable battles. Unfortunately, the typical RPG-type repeat battles can get a bit tedious. My biggest gripe are the “fend off enemy waves” battles. Having to go through the Boatman battle a 3rd time, fighting the same enemies repeatedly felt almost mind numbing and made me want to put the game down for a while, if it wasn’t for the incredible music that was playing throughout this section.

The characters are charming and fun. I felt myself getting attached to the main cast pretty fast. That being said, there is not much depth to the characters, and the motives behind their actions feel hazy at best. I want to spend all eternity playing farm simulator with the Shade though.

Time to address the elephant in the room. The story.

The ending of the game left me feeling puzzled, but at the same time strangely satisfied. I can’t really put into words what I felt after popping our beloved party member Riley, who has gone mad with power, like a balloon, seeing as my character turns around dancing, the absurdity of it all and to top it off, the credits spelling “Foregin Gnomos” as I feel the urge to dance to the music. I loved the throwback to EH1 as you venture through the world once more and continue the story of the “Yellow Doll” ending, a clever way to connect both games without interfering with the first game’s narrative but expanding upon it. Green Mage waving their maracas while doing a silly dance is the best thing ever.

Overall, the story feels like it’s devoid of any red thread, any sort of narrative structure or intent as you progress through it, but it is in no way less thematically rich than the first game, despite its ambiguity. It is best compared to a psychedelic trip, where you go on adventures that are disconnected from each other, not knowing where you are headed or what’s going on, but you sure as heck are having a good time, and I think the devs perfectly captured that experience. An average LSD trip lasts about 8-12 hours, similar to the amount of time it takes to beat the game. There are numerous references to drugs and drug abuse. While, at first glance, the narrative doesn’t feel as rewarding as the first game’s, I am excited to see what theories and interpretations the community will come up with as time passes.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore the first game, but it is by no means flawless, and I personally think that the execution of the first game’s ambitious story is one of its weaker aspects compared to the innovative combat and music. I wouldn’t want another game with the exact same narrative structure, and I appreciate the devs trying to do something different with this entry. That being said, I understand why people are upset, can’t connect to the story and feel like their expectations were betrayed.

TLDR:

GOOD
- fantastic 5h soundtrack
- fun combat and fights
- unique aesthetic and visuals, quirky humor
- thematically rich
- more polished than its predecessor
- Mami

BAD
- repeat battles and WAVE ENCOUNTERS
- ending portion feels a bit lengthy, “is it over yet?”
- [story is confusing and ambiguous, not a con for me personally]
- many grammatical errors / spelling mistakes (hope this will be fixed soon)

So much love and passion has been put into every detail of the game. Despite its flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Thank you for this experience. Would trip again.