Lovely Planet 2: April Skies

Lovely Planet 2: April Skies is – for lack of a better word – lovely. Everything about it is cute, simple and a nice change of pace from all the overly violent games I’ve been playing recently. It feels great to play and it can get challenging towards the end, but nothing that had me scratching my head or annoyed with difficulty. I loved pastel colours for the visual style and happy inducing music because it puts me in a relaxing place, and for that reason, it’s a game I may return to in the future.

Despite no attempts to evolve the series beyond its simple roots, Lovely Planet 2 is still just that; lovely. Jumping and shooting your way into the high scores is fun and challenging, and the art style has plenty of charm, accompanied by a wonderfully quirky set of tunes. There are one hundred new levels to take on and two additional modes for those seeking more once the credits roll. While Lovely Planet 2 may not blow away existing fans of the series, it will likely win over many new ones and keep those existing ones thoroughly entertained.

Although it does a decent job at providing a few new mechanics, in the end Lovely Planet 2: April Skies doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor and comes with a lot less content. More of a tutorial than a sequel.

Lovely Planet 2: April Skies is a sequel to cute gun ballet with simple gameplay mechanics and cool music. This game has over 100 levels, but sadly they don't offer many challenges.

For better or worse, it’s almost identical to its five-year-old predecessor. If you enjoyed that, great – this is more of the same. Otherwise, there’s not a lot to draw you in here.