Rafael Silva
Content Creator
Grime II takes things to the next level
Five years after their first game, developer Clover Bite is back with a sequel that takes what made the first game special and improves on it tenfold. Grime II is a return to its bizarre, unsettling world, where exploring unfamiliar surroundings, discovering new paths, and facing off against grotesque creatures are all part of this Metroidvania experience. After playing Grime II, I can say that Clover Bite has done a lot right with this sequel, even if some of its design choices can make exploring its world more frustrating than it should be.
A strange world worth returning to
Grime II's surreal world design
In Grime II, you play as a Formless, a being that can absorb creatures and take on their forms. Throughout your journey, you encounter artists and their creations, learning more about this strange world and the people who inhabit it. There is a surprisingly interesting premise here that touches on some fascinating ideas, even if the narrative never explores them as deeply as I would have liked. Still, it provides enough context for your journey and gives you a reason to keep going.
Like its predecessor, this game follows the familiar Metroidvania formula, with interconnected areas and ability-gated progression that encourages you to revisit earlier locations and discover paths you could not reach before. This sense of gradually uncovering the map works well, but some optional areas and secrets feel too disconnected from the main path, forcing you to wander aimlessly in search of every little secret.
Thankfully, this backtracking never stopped me from enjoying the world itself, largely thanks to the game's stellar art direction and incredible sound design, which in some areas made me put the controller down and take a moment to enjoy the scenery and background music. The surreal environments, bizarre creatures with their unusual shapes, and ambient noises all contribute to an unsettling atmosphere that makes the world worth exploring.
Room to experiment
Grime II's build and Mold systems
Grime II has quite a few systems to play around with when it comes to building your character. You have different weapons, all with their own movesets and stat scaling, a Mold mechanic that lets you use abilities taken from the creatures you encounter, passive Traits, and various pieces of armour with different bonuses. But the funny thing is that, despite how much there is to learn, you can ignore most of it and simply stick with the starting weapon to get through the game just fine. In one sense, this is a good thing. It gives players who enjoy experimenting plenty to tinker with, while those who would rather focus on combat and exploration can do so without worrying about optimising every aspect of their character.
However, I cannot help but feel that something is being wasted here. When a game introduces so many systems, it creates the expectation that learning how they work together will make a meaningful difference to how you play. Yet, when you can largely ignore them and still get by without much trouble, all that complexity starts to feel unnecessary. Personally, I would have preferred fewer systems with a greater impact on combat.
A lesson in patience
Boss fights demand precision and patience
To no one's surprise, combat is where Grime II truly shines. The controls feel great, and the different mechanics work together to make fights engaging without overcomplicating things. Parrying is a big part of this, but you also have a dash to avoid incoming attacks, a Force meter that increases your damage the fuller it is, and a grapple-like ability that lets you pull parts off enemies or launch yourself towards them. Regardless of which weapons or abilities you use, knowing how to read your opponent remains essential.
This is most evident in the boss fights, which are easily the highlight of the game. Each boss has its own moveset, and figuring out how to deal with it is part of the challenge. You can't just throw yourself at them and hope something eventually works. You need to learn their attacks, work out when to parry or dodge, and recognise the openings that let you strike back. It's a tough task, but that's exactly what makes these encounters so rewarding.
Verdict
Grime II had a lot to live up to, and Clover Bite has delivered where it matters most. The combat feels fantastic, the bosses are a joy to learn, and the world has a strange beauty that kept me wanting to see more of it. Some of its systems could have used more refinement, and the story left me wanting more from the ideas it introduces. But these are relatively minor complaints in an experience that gets so much right.
Overall, Grime II is a fantastic Metroidvania, and one I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a challenging adventure with a world unlike any other.
Grime II Review
8.5/10
Grime II is another strong outing from Clover Bite. Its surreal art direction gives it a distinct identity, and the parry-focused combat makes every encounter feel like a test of skill. Exploration can be frustrating at times, and some of its RPG mechanics feel underdeveloped, but neither takes away from what makes the adventure work. If you're after a Metroidvania that asks you to learn from your mistakes and rewards your patience, Grime II is worth your time.
8.5
Pros
Parry-focused combat feels responsive and deeply satisfying
Boss fights are challenging, distinct, and genuinely rewarding
Surreal art direction gives the world a striking, unique identity
Excellent sound design that enhances the unsettling atmosphere
Strong weapon variety and ability systems for players who want to experiment
Cons
Navigation can become frustrating when hunting optional secrets
Character-building systems lack meaningful impact on how you play
Story introduces interesting ideas but rarely follows through on them
Some hitboxes feel slightly off during dense combat moments