An overall improvement over the first game in every sense, almost as if they had more budget (who woulda thunk!!!)
We have Jason and Eve back, continuing right after the first game ended, but there's also other pilots and characters that add a lot to the overall personality and plot of the game. In this sense, the first game ends up feeling more arcadey meanwhile this one feels more serious.

Something I loved about the first game is how every boss and enemy had a "best weapon to use against", to the point where you could turn a very difficult fight into a cakewalk. While gimmicky, it made experiencing every weapon really rewarding but the game didn't need you to do that, as the final weapon was always the best in almost every scenario. In here they nerfed it a little so it's less reliable and it's a welcomed change, honestly, but the bosses and areas benefit a lot less from using different weapons which is honestly a shame. The focus in this game is more around the subweapons being able to counter different scenarios and boss attacks, sometimes even unlocking a more agressive version of the boss in reward of your knowledge and skill.

The game is more clear with it's requirement for the true ending and also much much nicer when it comes to letting you know the point of no return, which is also welcomed.

The pixel art is absolutely gorgeous with the art department really trying their best to show off as much as they can.

Unlike the first game where everything fit really tightly, BMZ2 feels a lot more light in its mechanics, allowing you to use what you want and how you want rather than being forced to do it a certain way.

All in all, I really enjoyed my time with this one and I'm looking forward for BMZ3