Beyond the Ice Palace 2

“You’ll be left wondering why Beyond the Ice Palace 2 exists in the first place. You’ve absolutely played plenty of games like this before, and there’s nothing this game has that you can’t find done better elsewhere.”

“Overall then, Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is a competent entry in the modern ranks of Metroidvania-style games. The graphics and sound are a good selling point and provide atmosphere, and the boss battles are fun and generally challenging without being unfair. However, the general gameplay is all a bit slow and the traversal awkward, which prevents it from being a classic of the genre. Worth a go if you go mental for this stuff or you find it on sale, otherwise try the demo and see how you get on.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is a sequel to a game I hadn’t heard of from systems I never played. While it has traded in its weapon choice, the dark style remains intact. This sequel, 35 years in the making, may not necessarily appeal to fans of the original, but Castlevania fans should find enjoyment here.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is a game full of heart and nostalgic charm, though held back by some technical and structural limitations. If you’re a casual gamer looking for a retro distraction, or a Metroidvania fan who enjoys uncovering indie hidden gems, you’ll likely find something to enjoy despite its flaws. It’s not a masterpiece, nor a genre-defining title, but it delivers a few hours of nostalgic adventure and plays nicely on the Steam Deck. It’s not perfect—but it’s sincere, and sometimes, that’s exactly what we look for in a game.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is not an easy game to love. Its stiff controls and punishing level design will turn away many players. But for those willing to push through its flaws, it offers a rewarding, nostalgia-driven challenge. In many ways, it captures the essence of old-school action platformers, tough, cryptic, and requiring patience to master. It’s not for everyone, but retro gaming fans may appreciate the icy gem buried beneath its rough exterior. I, for one, dug it.”

“There are good times to be had in Beyond the Ice Palace 2 but those moments will be among much frustration and clunkiness. 🧊”

“Storybird Studio invites us to save the kingdom from a demon invasion in Beyond the Ice Palace 2, a sequel that took more than 35 years to arrive. It can be an exciting and fun experience for those willing to overlook technical issues and accept some artificial difficulty, such as the lack of a checkpoint in certain sections of the game. Undoubtedly, with a little more polish, it could become a great Castlevania-like game.”

“It’s fine. A short description of a game set 30 plus years after its predecessor is really how I’m feeling. It’s not bad but it’s not … for me. In my opinion Beyond the Ice Palace II keeps its retro hardness alive in this installment (which I’m not knocking) but in 2025 I want smoothness to my platformers. This one really takes me back to SNES days where a game was hard because it meant you had to put the time in to master it and I’m just not into that in this day and age which I realize isn’t necessarily the opinion of all gamers. I know some metroidvania fans who would love this one so if that’s you, at least give Beyond the Ice Palace II a double take.”

“Beyond The Ice Palace 2 isn't perfect, but it definitely has much to say about time and the gaming world as well as how things progress or regress while still staying a fun, nostalgic game with easy-to-grasp gameplay and great graphics alongside impressive world-building.”

“Although Beyond the Ice Palace 2 pays homage to the challenging and visually appealing spirit of the 1988 classic, it is a step up from the original game. It is distinguished by a stamp of its own, with a better setting and a much more ambitious narrative than the original.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is unashamedly retro and blatantly derivative, but it's also quite enjoyable to play if you like a stiff challenge.”

“Beyond The Ice Palace 2 exceeds expectations as a follow-up to a forgotten gem from gaming's silver age. This might be one of the most unexpected indie game announcements in recent memory, as this sequel is vastly different from the original in almost every way.”

“While mechanically not perfect, this Metroidvania mixes a classic feel with an abundance of smart puzzles and works well”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 has nearly all the makings of a great action-platformer. It’s got gorgeous pixel art, satisfying combat, and music that sets up a brooding dark-fantasy tone. Some frustrating platforming sections and somewhat unresponsive controls hinder the game from attaining greatness. A quick refinement of these will make a 50-year-old somewhere very, very happy.”

“Beyond The Ice Palace 2 is a fun-if-very-challenging linear-style 2D action platformer that may be plodding and methodical for some, but still enthralling for many of us who need their Castlevania jollies sated. For the rest of the world, it's going to make you break your controllers, especially in the latter half where checkpoints are very sparse.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is a good choice for fans of the metroidvania genre, especially those who want something closer to the platform and action side of the old games.”

“Beyond the Ice Castle 2 brings back a simple game from the 1980's in a new edition with much more substance. For better or worse, it goes back to the old elements of Castlevania with linear stages, a great dark fantasy atmosphere, slow and heavy movement, and high difficulty that's reinforced by the not so generous healing system and the long distances in between the save points. This makes death a stage repetition that can be frustrating and repel the public that isn't keen to facing this kind of retro punishing experience.”

“Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is the sequel no one expected—35 years frozen in time, now reborn with nostalgia and a heart of ice. Its stiff controls feel straight out of the ‘80s, but beneath the frost lies gothic charm, slick chain combat, and rewarding exploration.”