GONNER2 is a fast, strange, and relentlessly energetic action platformer that takes the roguelite formula and wraps it in a psychedelic world of darkness, explosive color, and deliberately unpredictable encounters. Developed by Art in Heart and published by Raw Fury, it follows Ikk as he returns for another bizarre adventure, this time answering Death's request for help after a mysterious presence invades her lair. The narrative is intentionally lightweight, serving mainly as an excuse to enter increasingly surreal environments where survival depends on movement, quick reactions, and learning how to function when the screen becomes wonderfully chaotic.
At its core, the game combines 2D platforming with rapid shooting and procedural level generation. Each attempt presents changing layouts and encounters, so progression depends less on memorizing an exact sequence and more on understanding movement, enemy behavior, weapons, and positioning. The controls encourage constant motion, and combat becomes especially satisfying when jumping, firing, avoiding attacks, and chaining encounters begin to feel like one continuous sequence. It is not a forgiving game, however. Death can arrive quickly, and inexperienced players may initially struggle to understand what is happening during particularly crowded battles.
One of the more distinctive systems involves combining different heads, guns, and upgrades. These are more than cosmetic curiosities because different combinations can alter how a run feels and encourage experimentation. Finding equipment that complements a preferred playstyle provides a satisfying sense of discovery, while less successful combinations become part of learning the game's systems. There are also secrets and mysteries scattered throughout the experience, giving curious players reasons to explore instead of treating every level as a simple sprint toward the exit.
Procedural generation keeps repeated attempts unpredictable, although it also creates one of the game's weaknesses. Some generated sequences feel naturally paced and provide excellent combinations of platforming and combat, while others can seem less balanced or more confusing. The nonlinear structure further reinforces the feeling that each journey is somewhat different. Rather than following a rigid campaign where every encounter is identical, players are expected to adapt. This works particularly well for anyone who enjoys replaying short, challenging runs, but players who prefer carefully scripted stages may find the randomness less appealing.
Boss battles push the game's mechanics toward their most demanding extremes. These encounters combine aggressive attack patterns with the need for precise positioning and consistent damage output. They can be intimidating when paired with the game's already hectic visual presentation, but defeating them creates some of its strongest moments. Progress feels earned because improvement comes from understanding the controls and combat rhythm rather than simply acquiring overwhelmingly powerful equipment.
The visual design is arguably the game's most immediately recognizable quality. Dark backgrounds provide a canvas for sudden bursts of intense color, unusual creatures, projectiles, environmental effects, and abstract shapes. The result feels like an interactive piece of surreal artwork that happens to contain an action game. Animation and effects give combat considerable personality, although readability sometimes suffers. During especially hectic moments, enemies and hazards can become difficult to distinguish from the visual spectacle. This confusion contributes to the intended chaos, but it can also cause frustrating deaths.
Multiplayer adds another dimension through local party cooperative play. Bringing additional players into an already unpredictable environment makes the action even more ridiculous, and that is largely part of its charm. Cooperative sessions are less about achieving perfect tactical coordination and more about surviving the spectacle together. Full controller support also suits the platforming and shooting mechanics particularly well, making gamepad play feel like a natural choice.
Steam Deck compatibility is a notable advantage. GONNER2 is Steam Deck Verified, with its functionality accessible through the default controller configuration, appropriate controller icons, readable interface text, and graphics settings that perform appropriately on the handheld. It also runs successfully on SteamOS. One minor consideration is that external Bluetooth or USB controllers may require manually changing the active controller through the Deck's Quick Access Menu. For ordinary handheld play using the Deck's integrated controls, it is particularly well suited to portable sessions because individual runs can be tackled without committing to an enormous campaign.
The experience ultimately depends on how comfortable the player is with repetition and uncertainty. Frequent failure is fundamental to the design, and procedural generation means that restarting does not simply produce an identical challenge. This can create an addictive cycle of experimentation, improvement, and another attempt, but it can equally frustrate anyone expecting steady conventional progression. The relatively minimalist storytelling also means that players seeking elaborate dialogue, character development, or a narrative-heavy campaign will not find those elements at the center of the experience.
As a sequel, GONNER2 successfully retains the eccentric character of its predecessor while increasing the amount of color, movement, equipment experimentation, and general chaos. Its strongest qualities are the responsive action, unmistakable artistic direction, procedural replayability, equipment combinations, challenging bosses, and entertaining cooperative mode. Its main drawbacks come from occasional visual clutter, unevenness inherent in randomly generated environments, and a difficulty curve that can be discouraging before the mechanics begin to click.
Overall, GONNER2 is an inventive roguelite platformer that values speed, improvisation, and personality over conventional structure. It can be messy and occasionally frustrating, but those qualities are intertwined with what makes it memorable. Players who enjoy difficult action games, repeated runs, strange visual design, and discovering effective combinations of weapons and upgrades should find plenty to appreciate. Its Steam Deck Verified status also makes it an appealing portable roguelite for players who want intense action in relatively compact sessions.
Rating: 8/10
