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Monument Valley 2

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Monument Valley 2
Developer(s)Ustwo Games
Publisher(s)Ustwo Games
EngineUnity
Platform(s)iOS, Android, Windows
ReleaseiOS
  • WW: June 5, 2017 (2017-06-05)
Android
  • WW: November 6, 2017 (2017-11-06)
Windows
  • WW: July 12, 2022 (2022-07-12)
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Monument Valley 2 (stylized as Monument Valley II) is an indie puzzle game developed and published by Ustwo Games. It is the sequel to the 2014 game Monument Valley. It was released for iOS in June 2017, and released for Android in November 2017. A new chapter called The Lost Forest was freely added in October 2021. Monument Valley 2+, an Apple Arcade exclusive, was released on March 11, 2022. The PC version of the game, Monument Valley 2: Panoramic Edition, released on Steam in July 2022. A sequel, Monument Valley 3, is set to be released in December 2024.[1]

Gameplay

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Monument Valley 2 is presented in an isometric view. The goal is to guide Ro and her child through mazes that include elements of optical illusions and impossible objects. The player can tap on the screen to move either Ro or her child (depending on the chapter) or to trigger changes in the architecture of the level to complete the puzzle.[2]

Development

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Monument Valley was a critically successful game, achieving more than 30 million downloads by June 2017, which led to growth within Ustwo Games. While their next title, Land's End switched to virtual reality, and the lead developer of Monument Valley, Ken Wong, had left to form his own studio, many of the new talent hired into Ustwo were eager to work on a new Monument Valley title, leading to the studio to start on Monument Valley 2's development.[3]

The sequel became more story-driven than the first, featuring a mother and her daughter. This partially was in response to player feedback from the first game. Ustwo studio head Dan Gray said that they found people found affinity for story elements that they had not purposely placed at the forefront, leading them to shift direction in the sequel.[3] The change was also inspired by the fact many of the developers from the first game had become parents in the intervening years, and the characters resonated with them more. This subsequently inspired some of the art-shifts in the game away from the M.C. Escher-styled roots as to reflect moods associated with the puzzles, such as one stage where the mother and daughter are separated, presented in a grey, Brutalist structure to reflect the emotional toil of the separation.[3] Further, the development team recognized that playable mother-and-daughter characters are not a frequent aspect of video games; Gray said that most games introduce the mother character to simply provide knowledge, whereas they wanted the mother to be "very influential and powerful" within the sequel.[3] Level designs also came from various imagery that the team's artists had carried with them, and ranged from a number of sources, including abstract and modern art, locations they had visited, and even modern popular icons such as Kim Chi and Nicki Minaj.[4]

Monument Valley 2 for iOS was first revealed at the 2017 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, 2017, and was made available that same day.[5][6]

A version for Android was released on November 6, 2017.[7] In addition, Ustwo worked with Tencent to prepare special version of Monument Valley 2 in China with optional localized storyline and social features.[8]

As of September 2019, Ustwo Games was hiring a team to work on Monument Valley 3.[9]

A new chapter to Monument Valley 2 called The Lost Forest was freely added in October 2021. The chapter was developed as part of the UN Playing for the Planet's Green Game Jam intended to help promote forest conservation.[10] The DLC is also included in the rereleases.

Reception

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Monument Valley 2 received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, which assigns a score based on the average scores of other critics, the game received a score of 83 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11] Polygon gave the game a score of 8 out of 10, calling it an "accomplished, charming game, though it stops just short of greatness" and saying it "successfully replicates the original's charm and vibrancy".[13] Destructoid gave the game a score of 8 out of 10, praising the game for its improvements from its predecessor, noting "the puzzle design is two-steps above from the previous title."[12] Gamezebo gave the game a score of 4.5 stars out of 5 praising the game's "phenomenally expressive storytelling with visuals and audio meshing seamlessly", the game's "new mechanics and old ones freshened up with dual protagonists" and that the game invites the player to explore and pays it off".[16] However, like the game's predecessor, the main criticism Monument Valley 2 faced was the game's short length.[12][13][16]

Within a year, the game sold nearly 3.5 million copies, with total revenues over US$10.4 million. Due primarily to its "free to start" release in China, the game had been downloaded more than 30 million times.[17] Total downloads of both Monument Valley and its sequel were over 80 million as of September 2019.[9]

The game was nominated for "Best Mobile Game" in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017.[18] It won the award for the same category in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards,[19] whereas its other nominations were for "Best Puzzle Game" and "Best Art Direction".[20][21] The game came in second place for "Best Puzzle Game" in Game Informer's Reader's Choice Best of 2017 Awards.[22] The Verge named it as one of their 15 Best Games of 2017.[23]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Awards Category Result Ref.
2017 Golden Joystick Awards Handheld/Mobile Game of the Year Nominated [24]
Ultimate Game of the Year Nominated
The Game Awards 2017 Best Mobile Game Won [25]
British Academy Children's Awards 2017 Game Nominated [26]
2018 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Mobile Game of the Year Nominated [27]
National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards Art Direction, Contemporary Nominated [28][29]
Game, Puzzle Nominated
Italian Video Game Awards Best Mobile Game Won [30]
SXSW Gaming Awards Mobile Game of the Year Nominated [31][32]
Game Developers Choice Awards Best Mobile Game Nominated [33][34]
16th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards Best Game Audio Article, Publication or Broadcast Nominated [35]
Best Sound Design for an Indie Game Nominated
14th British Academy Games Awards British Game Nominated [36][37]
Family Nominated
Mobile Game Nominated
2018 Webby Awards Best Art Direction Nominated [38]
Best Game Design Nominated
Best User Experience Nominated
Best Visual Design Nominated
Puzzle Won
Develop Awards Visual Design Nominated [39]
Music Design Nominated
Sound Design (ustwo Games) Nominated
The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards Best Audio Design Nominated [40][41]
Best Puzzle Game Nominated
Visual Design Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Morris, Iwan (August 21, 2024). "Monument Valley 3 announced and now open for pre-registration". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (June 6, 2017). "Surprise! Monument Valley 2 is out now". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Webster, Andrew (June 5, 2017). "MONUMENT VALLEY JUST GOT A SURPRISE SEQUEL". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  4. ^ Campbell, Ollie (September 5, 2018). "The Surprising Inspiration Behind Monument Valley's Most Beautiful Levels". Milanote. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  5. ^ Sulleyman, Aatif (June 5, 2017). "Monument Valley 2 has just been revealed". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 21, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  6. ^ Kim, Matt (June 5, 2017). "Surprise! Monument Valley 2 is Available on iOS Devices Right Now". USGamer. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Webster, Andrew (October 18, 2017). "Monument Valley 2 is coming to Android in November". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  8. ^ Webster, Andrew (November 6, 2017). "Monument Valley 2's surprise launch was a big success". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Mark (September 23, 2019). "The creators of 'Monument Valley' are back with a game no one expected". Fast Company. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Gerblick, Jordan (October 15, 2021). "Monument Valley 2 adds new chapter to promote forest conservation". GamesRadar. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Monument Valley 2 for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Andriessen, CJ (June 10, 2017). "Review: Monument Valley 2". Destructoid. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c Campbell, Colin (June 8, 2017). "Monument Valley 2 review". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  14. ^ Slater, Harry (June 6, 2017). "Monument Valley 2 review - A sequel that stands on its own two feet". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  15. ^ Dotson, Carter (June 12, 2017). "'Monument Valley 2' Review – Mother and Child Reunited". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Tylwalk, Nick (June 6, 2017). "Monument Valley 2 Review: So Great, So Short". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  17. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (June 26, 2018). "Monument Valley 2 sold almost 3.5 million copies in its first year". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. ^ Andriessen, CJ (December 12, 2017). "Nominees for Destructoid's Best Mobile Game of 2017". Destructoid. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Mobile Game". IGN. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  20. ^ "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Puzzle Game". IGN. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  21. ^ "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Art Direction". IGN. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  22. ^ Cork, Jeff (January 4, 2018). "Reader's Choice Best Of 2017 Awards (Page 3)". Game Informer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  23. ^ Verge staff (December 15, 2017). "The 15 best games of 2017". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  24. ^ Gaito, Eri (November 13, 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best In Slot. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  25. ^ Makuch, Eddie (December 8, 2017). "The Game Awards 2017 Winners Headlined By Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Game Of The Year". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  26. ^ "Children's in 2017". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Makuch, Eddie (January 14, 2018). "Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  28. ^ "Nominee List for 2017". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  29. ^ "Horizon wins 7; Mario GOTY". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  30. ^ "Italian Video Game Nominees and Winners 2018". Italian Video Game Awards. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  31. ^ McNeill, Andrew (January 31, 2018). "Here Are Your 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Finalists!". SXSW. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  32. ^ IGN Studios (March 17, 2018). "2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  33. ^ Gamasutra staff (January 5, 2018). "Breath of the Wild & Horizon Zero Dawn lead GDC 2018 Choice Awards nominees!". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  34. ^ Makuch, Eddie (March 22, 2018). "Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Wins Another Game Of The Year Award". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  35. ^ "2018 Awards". Game Audio Network Guild. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  36. ^ deAlessandri, Marie (March 15, 2018). "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice at forefront of BAFTA Games Awards nominations". MCV. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  37. ^ Makedonski, Brett (April 12, 2018). "BAFTA names What Remains of Edith Finch its best game of 2017". Destructoid. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  38. ^ "2018 Winners". The Webby Awards. April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  39. ^ MCV staff (May 21, 2018). "Announcing the Develop Awards 2018 nominations shortlist". MCV. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  40. ^ Stephenson, Suzi (September 19, 2018). "TIGA Announces Games Industry Awards 2018 Finalists". The Independent Game Developers' Association. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  41. ^ "2018 Winners". The Independent Game Developers' Association. November 1, 2018. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
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