I am writing this at 3:17 AM hot off the heels of dropping the game so I may be a bit more heated than usual on this one but this game thoroughly pissed me off. Let’s get this out of the way, the first game is a super simple super cute mobile platformer and this game retains a lot of the same DNA. The gameplay is not the issue (for the most part), the story is tonally a mess but it’s mostly inoffensive, no this is a structural issue. At the end of each world progression is gated by collectables found in each level. The problem with this is twofold: one, these requirements are fucking STEEP especially early on. This wouldn’t be much of a problem if it weren’t for, two, the FUCKING ITEM SYSTEM which genuinely ruins the game in my eyes. So, you have a set of items you can buy with the coins you collect in each level. The first half or so of items you can get are cool gameplay enhancers that help to collect the occasional secret but on the whole help with quality of life. The issue arises with the other half of the items you can get, almost ALL of which are entirely context-sensitive and, oh joy, are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. I played the “premium” version of the game which removes ads as well as cutting item prices by 25%, but even then the later items cost 2000 coins which you simply will not acquire naturally. Ok, fine, whatever it’s just for some extra secrets right? No. At multiple points in the game it is REQUIRED to buy some of the super expensive super specific items just to progress. The worst example (the point where I dropped the game) is where you need a 2000 coin dictionary which exists entirely to progress the story, it is never used at any point before this point in the story. But at that point, I was completely broke from the last time I needed an item to progress, and like I said before, getting that kind of money naturally is not realistic, so what do you do? Grind of course! In a fucking platformer! This meant going through the same level over and over again for 20 minutes just so I had enough for the dictionary. And then, one level later, you need ANOTHER 2000 coin item to progress, meaning I would need to spend ANOTHER 20 minutes in the same goddamn level doing the same segments hearing the same music and at that point I decided I was done. The worst part? On the dev’s channel is a video about what the best level to grind money is, meaning they not only know the scarcity of money is an issue, it was likely intentional so that you can spend $2.99 right now to get that 2000 coins instantly! Music is nice though.