Honestly, banger. An upgrade on the first game in absolutely every way. The gameplay is fantastic, combat is diverse and there's so many different ways to tackle it. I settled on a combination of abilities but I think a completely different play-style would've been 100% viable. An incredible upgrade on the first game where the combat was one of my biggest gripes. The platforming was also fantastic, it felt precise, and consistently evolving with new abilities. Finally the story, goodness, it had no right to be as gut wrenching as it did. Full of emotional moments and triumph, it really did set a new bar for me for metroidvania storytelling. Fantastic game, highly recommend.