Hylics 2 is out on Steam and I can’t look away

Long live the new flesh

After countless fever-dream gifs and a few strange trailers, it’s finally out. Hylics 2 is a real video game and it’s playable today for $13.49 on Steam and itch.io if you’re in the mood for an otherworldly RPG.

I once called it “3:00 a.m. in video game form.” I stand by that.

There’s a lot to dig into. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Hylics 2 makes great use of freaky clay models and stop-motion animation to create a world all its own, and that’s mostly what I’m into.

Combat is turn-based, which is fine. It fits. When you aren’t fighting, you’ll explore 3D spaces – “air-dashing, rolling, and gliding to find hidden treasures or evade enemies” – and there’s even a first-person dungeon-crawler segment. Early user reviews point to less-than-ideal platforming and drawn-out brawls, but if you can handle that sort of mechanical unevenness, it’s overflowing with style.

Do you need to play the first game? According to creator Mason Lindroth, the sequel “uses motifs from its predecessor, but players unfamiliar with Hylics may still fully enjoy Hylics 2.” That said, it’s $3.

I don’t want to play this so much as I want to study every frame.