8-Bit Adventures 2 is a game that could have come straight out of the early SNES era of RPGs.

Callum Berry.

Spoiler-Free Review.

(c) Critical Games 2026

Developed by Josh Hallaran, Jerram Fahey, Sebastian Cruz, and Sufyan Noor and released in 2024, this RPG sees an eclectic cast of characters take up arms to stop the Glitch, a tragic villain set on destroying the world.

I have always been a J-RPG guy, and I had 8-Bit Adventures 2 on my list for some time, but as all gamers know the backlog is a mighty beast and it takes time to get through it…

I began playing the game right after a play through of Chrono Trigger (a topic for another day, but truthfully I hate the non-linear story mechanic), and Hallaran’s love-letter to the 8-bit era was just what I needed.

Even though the game is two years old, I’m not going to get into the story more than I have to because I believe players should go in as blind as possible, but it’s important to note that this game is (obviously) a sequel. I played it on a steam-deck and it worked great. The original I had some trouble with on my deck, but that’s okay because 8-Bit Adventures 2 works as a stand-alone game as well, with Critical Games giving you everything you need to know as the subject-matter comes up.

The story is wonderfully linear in that the player always knows where to get, even when the world opens up as the team gets their hands on an airship. The world design and pixel-art are beautiful and wonderfully designed, combined with the narrative we get something that lives between Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV. The narrative itself is entirely original, with unique locations and story-beats I have never seen before (like the very impactful, if not slightly frustrating music-puzzle and the bot-town murder mystery). The game does incorporate classic J-RPG stuff like dwarves, ship-graveyards and the like, but everything that could be seen as ‘cliche’ comes off as a loving homage instead.

The dialogue is very well crafted, with characters feeling sincere and each feeling distinct. At no point did I feel that the developers’ personalities and opinions bleeding into the game’s story or characters (actually a huge problem across the entire games industry, not just the indies!). This is a testament to the planning and thought that went into the game.

The combat is great and styled similarly to Final Fantasy X where each character has a special ability unique to them. The combat isn’t too difficult and feels rewarding, with characters able to team up to enact combos.

The music is as good as it can be for the limitations the team impose on the game, with the music being in the vein of a NES soundtrack, but it works very well – especially in the more dramatic moments of the game.

I love this game, and it’s one that I’ll end up coming back to down the line.

I’m very excited to see what’s coming next for Critical Games.

10/10. Amazing.