it's not as good on a replay as it was the first time through... there are a lot of choices that feel interesting on a first play (the size of the 3d overworlds, the sorta-rhythm-game segments, the obvious lampshaded padding in the second half, the metacommentary) but wear off later on.

BUT! this is probably the most gamey analgesic game (at least until angeline era gets released) and i think it benefits from that. by gamey i mean that it feels super in love with and engaged with the nonsense language of video games; where even the ocean and sephonie really stretch for real world thematic resonance, and the original anodyne is sort of unformed and messy, this one feels like it has a complete and coherent point of view within itself, because of the way its different gameplay styles and aesthetics are stitched together. and that lets it access all kinds of emotional complexities and weird little grace notes. (desertnpc/no such scene is the obvious one, but i was struck this time by a missable npc in pastel horizon who you basically steal life force from. and the overall warmth and sweetness of the new theeland area.)

it's a super imperfect game. but those imperfections also give it a very human quality, and i don't think i would change anything about it.