Hello and welcome back to The Backlog, the weekly column where I review video games based on a certain genre each month. We are continuing our reviews on “cute” video games. In today’s edition, we’re looking into a game that hasn’t fully released yet but has been anticipated by gamers: “Slime Rancher 2.”
“Slime Rancher 2” was initially released in 2022 for early-access and is a direct sequel to its predecessor “Slime Rancher” in 2017. Developers Monomi Park haven’t revealed the date of its full launch but are continuing to update and add to the current version.
In this first-person experience, we continue the story of Beatrix LeBeau: the protagonist of the first game, as she sets out to new lands to start her new ranch. After her story in the Far, Far Range ends, Beatrix receives a letter beckoning her to a place called Rainbow Island. There she finds an abandoned conservatory and begins her new journey.
The gameplay of “Slime Rancher 2” is the same as the first, where players find and collect adorable slimes to breed them and have them produce resources for us to use and sell. Slimes are living, gelatinous creatures that can easily be turned into marketable plushies. Beatrix’s job is to use her vacpack (a vacuum gun) to collect slimes and anything they produce to expand the conservatory.
The open-world sandbox style of gameplay draws in many gamers. Rainbow Island is a brand-new world to explore with secrets hidden throughout. As Beatrix does what she does best and ranches, players come across various pieces of ancient technology, cuter slimes and new resources.
Although “Slime Rancher 2” retains the cute aesthetic of the first, it adds upon it with an intricate weather system which slimes will reach to. The weather players will have to deal with include rain, snow, thunderstorms, wind and pollen. Each one comes with its own benefits and setbacks. Rain can make crops grow faster and keep the Tarr Slimes at bay. Thunderstorms don’t have a direct impact on slimes unless they progress into lightning strikes, which can hurt Beatrix, scare slimes or leave materials like storm glass and lightning motes.
Of course, it wouldn’t be “Slime Rancher 2” without the slimes. Players can still find familiar slimes like the Tabby Slime and Pink Slime. But there are new ones like the bouncy Cotton Slimes, Ringtail Slimes and the Angler Slimes. My personal favorite is the Yolky slime, which spawn chicken nests and provide a buff to any chicken coups you have.
“Slime Rancher 2” is continuously being updated and will hopefully be fully released soon. The most recent large update is Into the Labyrinth, which expands upon the lore of Rainbow Island, has new slimes and introduces upgrades for your vacpack and Beatrix in general. The update came out last December and subsequent patch fixes have been released since then.
Although it requires patience, ranching slimes is a fun and profitable venture for players. I adore farming games and “Slime Rancher 2” is, in essence, a farm life simulator with a cute and squishy twist.
While unfinished, “Slime Rancher 2” is already shaping up to become a fan-favorite just as the first was. As with many sandbox games, there is no linear path for players to take. It’s up to your own choices, play style and pace to explore Rainbow Island and ranch any slimes you wish. It’s hard to resist the call of such a cute game. Even the enemies are adorable!
Rating: 4.5/5
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