Generally with a sequel to an established game, you expect more of the same, but perhaps on a larger scale. It’s why the number of total creatures goes up in every Pokemon game and the map sizes or number of activities go up. There’s some of that with Slime Rancher 2 compared to the original, but for the most part there’s a shift in focus that sets it apart. Rather than exploring a colorful world and leisurely capturing slimes, it’s more focused on hitting material quotas so you can create new equipment or pens and then get more slimes and areas so you can meet ever increasing demands. At the same time, I feel like the game starts with the assumption that we’re familiar with Beatrix LeBeau and her mission in a way that makes it a little less accessible than the original.
Beatrix LeBeau is called to the Far Far Range to once again manage a ranch of slimes following unusual actions at Rainbow Island. There’s an odd energy there and new species of slimes! But said energy is actually causing some sort of agitation. So in addition to creating and maintaining a conservatory for research and plort-collecting purposes, we’re also exploring Rainbow Island and its Grey Labyrinth to figure out what’s going on and use all of the skills Beatrix is known for to ensure everything is peaceful and slimes can live happily.
Right from the outset, I felt like Slime Rancher 2 assumed I knew of the original game and played it. Which is understandable, but it does mean I felt there wasn’t the same degree of handholding and introductions that were present in the initial entry. We are expected to know who Beatrix is. We’re expected to know what a Rancher is. We’re expected to know who her friends and associates are. We’re expected to know the general routine of head out into the wilds to collect resources, return to spend them and tend to our Slimes, then head back out. I’m a little surprised this didn’t come up in early access, as it seems odd we need to invest so many in-game days before certain elements and mechanics are really explained. Especially since the focus is on collecting X number of Y materials to create things.
For those unfamiliar, mechanics are fairly simple. When Beatrix heads out into the world, we use her Vacpack to suck up items and shoot them back out again. (Water can also be acquired and expelled.) Getting past certain large slimes involves feeding them their food of choice (such as meat or certain veggies). We’ll also need to collect items in our inventory to create gadgets, pen upgrades for slimes, sell, and care for characters. It can also be a means of creating hybrid slimes via plort exposure.
Speaking of which, inventory management is more of an issue in Slime Rancher 2. I found that odd, considering this is a game so focused on using the Vacpack to constantly suck up slimes, their plorts, food, and materials to constantly check off ever increasing lists of items to create or unlock access to things. For example, even getting into the Grey Labyrinth means getting 50 pieces of meat, 30 nectar, 20 Lava Dust, 20 Silky Sand, 40 Boom plorts, 40 Hunter plorts, and 2,000 Newbucks money, which is a lot! Especially considering we only can have up to six Vac Tanks, which translates to six inventory spaces, and you can’t even get that sixth one until getting to Ember Valley and need to upgrade all Tank inventories to even hold 30 of one item. That maxes out at 100 items per slot, from what I’ve seen.
Slimes remain a major focus. They are great, and Slime Rancher 2 delivers on offering a wide array of over 20, not counting the hybrids. The new ones are quite cute, such as the Angler Slime and Cotton Slime, and they fit in well alongside returning species. I appreciate the distinction in behaviors when it comes to toys they like and foods they enjoy, though, as well as the unique conditions that can arise with situations such as the Yolky Slime. They remain colorful and cute, and I found myself enjoying collecting and caring for them. So much so that I would have loved to see even more. I also feel there’s a good balance between possible threats, like the Tarr that can occur from overfeeding slimes, feral variants, and ones that can just be dangerous via existing like Boom Slimes.
I also appreciated how large the Rainbow Island region is here. It’s a big map with a lot to unlock! For those familiar with the original, I would say it is more complex to navigate and I found it took me longer to find my bearings than the original game. At times I appreciated that, as it made things seem more realistic and like Beatrix really ended up doing more exploring and investigating. However, since this is a more grind-heavy game about collecting resources so you can feed Gordos, create gadgets, access new areas, and even prepare some Quantum Drones for acquistion automations, it could get frustrating when I needed to complete certain tasks and hadn’t set up teleporters.
Slime Rancher 2 is an entertaining game and does offer a lot to do, but I enjoyed the more relaxed original entry more. The best comparison I can offer is that the first game felt like exploring a cozy area and taking my time collecting slimes. With the second, I feel more beholden to the inventory limitations and as though I’m playing to constantly collect resources to tick boxes. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of grind, and some folks might appreciate that increase in intensity. I do think it changes the general atmosphere and ambiance from the original experience in a way that might not make upgrading worthwhile for those who really loved the first title.
Slime Rancher 2 is available on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Slime Rancher 2
Slime Rancher 2 is an entertaining game and does offer a lot to do, but I enjoyed the more relaxed original entry more.