Axiom Verge is a well-crafted Metroidvania experience, but it’s so much more than that. The indie darling features a complicated and mysterious story, and it ended with plenty of unanswered questions. Developer Tom Happ has indicated in the past that the game was just one small part of a greater universe he was writing. Today, we finally got a taste of that larger universe. Today’s Indie World showcase featured a reveal trailer for Axiom Verge 2. The trailer was short, but sweet, and left me craving more. Thankfully, Happ just launched a new website with tons of new info! There are hints at a central plot, an alternate Earth, and much more!

Axiom Verge 2 introduces the central plot

Nintendo of America tweeted out that this game features the “origins of the Axiom Verge universe,” and the website goes into more detail. According to Happ, the first game was the introductory act and more of a side story. Axiom Verge 2 will focus on a character more central to the plot:

In the beginning – I mean around 2010 or so when I started thinking about what I wanted to make – I began outlining a story that went back thousands of years with multiple characters, each of which was meant to be the protagonist of their own life. Trace’s part, awakening bewildered in a strange world, was designed as the introductory act. For the sequel, wanted to pick a more central character and time period that covered the most essential events providing the impetus for the overall story. Thus, Indra.

Indra and the alternate Earth

Instead of Trace, Axiom Verge 2 stars Indra. She’s a mysterious billionaire who controls a worldwide conglomerate known as Globe 3. The game kicks off when she stumbles upon what appears to be an ancient, alternate Earth. Sudra, the world of the first game, also fits this description. However, the website describes this setting as a new game world. The website also introduces several items and game mechanics, including:

Urns: If you break open one of these you’ll gain new powers and abilities from the entities trapped inside. But at what cost?

Compass: This lapis lazuli pendant sparkles with light. As you draw nearer to an urn, the light coalesces to point in its general direction.

Drones: These mechanical foes attack you on sight. But like anything with a computer at its core, they can be hacked, each for varying effects.

Save Shrines: Every time you stop at one of these, a tiny piece of you is left behind. This allows you to be reborn if you take too much damage to continue.

Like the first game, Axiom Verge 2 also lets you explore with a remote drone. The Speedrun Mode feature will also return. It seems that the glitch mechanic from the first game is gone, but it has been replaced with a hacking mechanic. The website also teases another, secret feature waiting to be discovered.

[Source]