SPOILERS #1 issue: basically no incentive whatsoever to play a melee build. I'm not saying nerf ranged; I'm saying buff the ever living stuffing out of melee to where it's worth going 1 on 1 with the final boss and not expecting to die instantly. The rate at which ranged scales and their success rates are immensely better with no downsides at all. Not to mention fork, pierce, and bounce are all bonkers powerful with no melee equivalent at all besides what? Alacrity? Have fun spending the entire game gambling to see if you get the right build. Otherwise you are up a creek with spitball damage and the downside of facing your enemies in close quarters expecting to not get hit :/ All while spending a large amount more time on the run. I think you get the point. I've only just scratched the surface of this one, and I've got to say that it seems very promising! However, if you have put some time into the first Undermine and come into this one expecting a direct translation, you will be very surprised. Most of the systems are either changed, revamped significantly, or completely new. It took me many hours to finally decide that if you look at it being an improvement on the first, it becomes more enjoyable (though there are some things that need balancing. But this is EA, so we've got time). It seems more difficult that the first, albeit more rewarding in terms of resources. The references back to the first installment are everywhere and I loved seeing so many returning scenarios, items, maps, and characters. It seems to me that the devs have learned a lot from Enter the Gungeon and Hades's influence is prominent (which is a great thing). There are also a few Dota 2 references, which is awesome! Things I love: -Fast travel. Holy guacamole thank Gaben you guys added this. #1 most desired feature in the 1st installment. -Graphics are incredible. Serious upgrade here and cudos to the art team for crushing everything and still staying true to the original vision of the game. -Sound design impeccable as always. Such a fantastic vibe throughout. Seriously talented artists work on these games and it shows in the soundtracks. Somehow better than the first in my opinion, which is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Music isn't overwhelming and does a great job being a part of the experience, not THE experience such as Mechanicus or Darktide (hmmm 40k being dramatic? no....). -Controls are tight and just right. You can definitely tell this is Undermine just off the movement. Love this so much! I do struggle sometimes getting the thrown directions to go where I want them to, but that may be a me thing. -Story and character design are somehow an improvement on what was already fantastic. You guys are so good at making a lovable world with just the right amount of serious while not taking itself TOO seriously and still cracking jokes and implementing funny instances. -Difficulty is still alive and well, though the jump from the first boss to the second is significant. Trifle has been nerfed (thank goodness) and the difficulty curve is exceptional. I will say, though, that Trifle is still a bit of a damper. I have had several great builds fall to Trifle, which is only the second boss. There is just so much going on on the screen at once in the mid to end fight and, with no where to hide, this boss is a bit of a doozy. I believe balancing may be in order. -Arcana is a new feature and a lot of fun to work with. Also gives a reason to clear detritus! I enjoy the flexibility it gives players. We are no longer sucked into building damage exclusively for the pickaxe :D -Increased room sizing coupled with more complex enemies makes for much more strategic fights. Hidden areas and doodads galore! -Additional in-game options (pilfer aggro, UI tweaks, etc.) are a lovely treat. Player customizability is always a great feature, so thank you. -Enemy design is fantastic and most of the more annoying fights have been cleaned up significantly (bats, flies, etc. are much improved). -Holes don't tend to suck you in as much as the first game. -Itemization has been reworked and I can say I'm a big fan of what seems to be much more thought out items. -The Hades "Heat" mechanic is a great change that keeps end games fresh and, with all the options available to modify your run, there's tons of play time for the more dedicated folks. Things I don't: -Ground clutter seems to be significantly increased. This makes for a less "flowy" experience. However, fast travel is a huge improvement and somewhat alleviates this issue. Time fighting vs clearing the room is about 50/50. Gold doesn't seem to "explode" away from sites as much, which is a plus. -The backpack jiggly animation when you jump is a little distracting. Toggle option, maybe? -No permanent upgrades (even if they're character-specific) is a big detractor in my opinion and a major indicator of progress that has been lost. I like the stat-based character system, but I feel as if integrated in this manner makes for a difficult progression system. There was so much satisfaction in getting those major damage upgrades and slowly progressing deeper and deeper into the dungeon whilst simultaneously getting better at the game. With this system, it just feels like starting over from square 1 every single run instead of being able to focus on the more mid game stuff and dialing in your build. -Items suffer a bit as the first one did as there are only a few stats that really matter. Having a wide selection of build options sounds promising, but realistically there are only so many viable things you can do with and really have a crusher build, especially now that each character has stats they tend to be weighted on. -Rabbit is a bit overpowered to the point there's really only one direction her builds can go. -I'd love to see scrapping / selling items. -Character sheet screen is a bit difficult to navigate and seems cluttered, especially on controller. The one aspect of the UI I don't care for. -I truly love this game, series, and developers. But man, I can't help but feel as if this is Hades with a re-skin. The step rearward in permanent upgrades really makes the progress feel nearly nonexistent besides the story and every run feels like a roll of the dice as to if you'll make it through with a slow, unfulfilling build, or an absolute beast of a build that 1 shots bosses. -The holy and unholy avatar's offerings are mostly not worth. I'd suggest tweaking them to make them more worth the sacrifices (blessings & curses respectively). More times than not I pass on them (90%). I am so glad that the developer has maintained their level of consistency and made such steady improvements on this wonderful game. I came back after ~1 year of playing, and man, what an improvement. I am very glad that this game is fleshing out to be just as fun and deeper (pun?) as the first installment. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND WE LOVE YOU DEVS <3