Aggelos 2: Retro Platforming Goodness Returns, Courtesy of THQ Nordic (and Fairies?)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
THQ Nordic is publishing *Aggelos 2*, a retro-style action platformer that looks like a love letter to classic games, but with potentially darker fairy tale themes. It's a welcome reminder that not every game needs to be blockchain-based to be good.
Right, so THQ Nordic just dropped a trailer for *Aggelos 2*, and fair dinkum, it looks like they're doubling down on the retro charm. We're talking pixel-perfect platforming, sword-swinging action, and a whole lot of that '80s arcade magic that makes your thumbs ache (in a good way, mind you).
IGN South Africa originally flagged this one, and the trailer itself showcases, well, pretty much what you'd expect from an *Aggelos* sequel. Bright colours, chunky sprites, and gameplay that screams 'Nintendo Hard' but in a way that feels lovingly crafted rather than maliciously designed. But hold on a minute... "Can Fairy Tales Hurt?" the trailer asks. What's that about?
See, the original *Aggelos* was a bit of a love letter to *Wonder Boy in Monster World*, and this sequel seems to be continuing that trend, but with a slightly darker twist (if the trailer's tagline is anything to go by). We're still getting the side-scrolling action RPG goodness, but it seems like the story might be delving into some…shall we say, *complicated* fairy tale territory. Perhaps the fairies have unionized? Or maybe they're just tired of being portrayed as perpetually helpful. One can only speculate.
What's actually interesting here, beyond the obvious nostalgia bait, is that THQ Nordic clearly sees value in this kind of game. They're not exactly known for being shy about acquiring IPs, and the fact that they're backing a sequel to a relatively niche title suggests that the first *Aggelos* did pretty well for them. Which is a win for everyone who loves these old-school action-platformers.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Jeff, what about Web3? Where's the blockchain integration?" And honestly, mate, in this case, I'm kind of glad it's not there. *Aggelos 2* looks like a game built on pure, unadulterated gameplay, and sometimes that's exactly what we need. It's a reminder that not every game needs to be a revolutionary, NFT-driven extravaganza. Sometimes, you just want to jump, slash, and explore a colourful world without having to worry about gas fees.
But (and there's always a 'but', isn't there?), I'm curious to see how THQ Nordic handles the marketing. Will they try to shoehorn in some kind of 'exclusive digital collectible' down the line? Will they promise us groundbreaking metaverse integration that never materializes? Only time will tell. For now, I'm cautiously optimistic. *Aggelos 2* has the potential to be a fantastic retro experience, and I'm hoping that THQ Nordic lets it shine without any unnecessary baggage.
Keep your eyes peeled for more news, and in the meantime, maybe fire up the original *Aggelos* and get your platforming skills honed. You know, just in case those fairy tales *do* turn out to be a bit…ouch.
Tags: Aggelos 2, THQ Nordic, Retro Gaming, Platformer, Action RPG
Original article: IGN South Africa