Grime 2 offers a surreal evolution of the soulsvania genre with deep mold combat systems challenging boss fights and striking art despite map navigation hurdles and console performance issues
Finding a truly unique Metroidvania in an oversaturated market is rare. Grime 2, the sequel to Clover Bite’s 2021 cult hit, offers just that. It presents a bizarre, organic, and unsettling world, blending deliberate Soulslike combat with detailed platforming and mysterious lore. Whether you’re returning or trying it for the first time, Grime 2 shows a strong creative vision—even if it sometimes trips over its mechanical complexity.
The story in Grime 2 is as cryptic as its fleshy, surreal world. You play as the Formless, a mimic like creature born from an egg in a strange dimension full of primordial slime, floating hands, and twisted structures. Driven by a deep hunger to consume, you explore a world that seems dangerously alive.
The narrative touches on themes like artistic integrity and obsession, with a sense that nothing is ever enough. You gather lore by talking to disturbed NPCs and examining the striking, stylized environment. The visual style feels like a mix of H.R. Giger and Silent Hill, managing to be both repulsive and strangely beautiful.
Where Grime 2 really stands out is in its combat. The game starts you off unarmed, pushing you to learn how to parry attacks with your body. The parry window is surprisingly forgiving, so even players unfamiliar with deflection mechanics will find success early on.
Combat uses three main resources Force (stamina for attacks and dashes), Breath (charges for healing), and Paint (mana). The highlight is the Mold system. By stunning certain enemies and dashing into them, you absorb their Mold, letting you steal their unique attacks. You can equip up to three Mold abilities at once, enabling powerful combos, like pushing foes into hazards using stolen skills.
There are over 30 weapons, from heavy axes to throwing daggers, and armor sets with different stats, encouraging a lot of build variety. You level up at Surrogates, the save points, putting points into RPG style stats. The ability to respec later encourages experimentation.
The Soulslike influence shines brightest in the bosses. They feel like challenging puzzles at first, but their clear attack patterns make each death a chance to learn. By the end, fights turn into precise, rewarding battles.
Death is handled gently here you don’t lose your currency. Instead, the enemy that killed you is marked on your map. When you return and perform a counter attack on them, you recover a floating copy of your past death that heals a large part of your health.
Exploring Grime 2’s strange biomes is fun but often frustrating. You unlock many traversal skills—grappling, air dashing, wall climbing, ceiling sliding, and charged jumps. Platforming gets much harder later on, requiring sharp reflexes. Some hitboxes on spikes can feel inconsistent, but clearing these segments is very satisfying overall.
The map system, however, can be a pain. To unlock maps and fast travel in new areas, you have to find two hidden Seals. Before you find them, you explore without a map, which can make side paths risky since leaving without the seal means a long walk back.
The map’s fog of war is strict, so it’s hard to know if you cleared a room. There are no automatic markers for collectibles, so completionists must rely on manual pins, which can get overwhelming.
The art direction is outstanding, bringing disturbing creatures and environments to life with detailed designs. Small details, like a tiny green hand that hints at secrets, add personality to the world. The soundtrack balances bombastic battle music with calm piano pieces very well.
On the technical side, the game runs smoothly on high end PCs, but console versions, including the PS5, and the Steam Deck have noticeable frame rate drops, stutters, and sometimes lower quality textures. The game could use more optimization to run flawlessly.
Clover Bite offers two difficulty modes Standard and Story Mode, which lets players adjust damage dealt and taken. This accessibility option opens the game up for casual players without losing the challenge for hardcore fans. With around 30 hours of gameplay, plus extras to complete everything, it offers good value.
Grime 2 is a strong example of creative, tight combat design with a grotesque style. Although technical issues and map design flaws hold it back a little, its boss fights, traversal, and unique art make it a must play for fans of the genre.
Pros
- Unique, disturbing, and striking art style
- The Mold system adds creative combat depth
- Forgiving parry timing rewards defensive play
- Challenging, fair, and well designed boss fights
- Excellent musical score
- Difficulty settings accommodate all player types
Cons
- The Seal system makes exploring new areas slow and discourages blind exploration
- Strict fog of war and no auto markers make collectible hunting tedious
- Performance problems and stuttering on consoles and Steam Deck
- Late game platforming has some awkward hitboxes and sliding mechanics
Grime 2 pushes the Metroidvania genre forward with its bold, challenging design, despite some technical and navigation issues. It’s a rewarding experience for players who enjoy dark, tactical action and creative world building.
Pc, Steam Deck & Ps5 (Demo) Version Tested.
Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from Devs
