Developer: Nippon Ichi Software

Publisher: NIS America

Reviewed For: Nintendo Switch

Also Available On: PlayStation 4

Void Terrarium 2 is the latest installment of the Void Terrarium series by Nippon Ichi Software. This sci-fi dungeon crawler follows a robot, Robbie, as he constructs a terrarium for the last remaining human, Toriko. He traverses through the wastelands to find items that will help Toriko to live in the terrarium. The story takes place several hundred years after a toxic outbreak eliminated the human race. Robbie finds the lone girl, Toriko, somewhere in the wastelands. Together with factoryAI, an AI that formerly allowed humans to construct shelters to protect themselves from toxicity, they build a terrarium that will protect Toriko.

The game starts off with Robbie finding a chip to reincarnate factoryAI, who was apparently destroyed in the first game. After constructing a terrarium for Toriko to live in, Toriko’s arms fall off! Fortunately, our robot is able to craft an item to put her arms back. Robbie and factoryAI discover that Toriko is slowly contracting a disease, and they make it their mission to find a cure for Toriko’s mysterious illness.

I have not played the first Void Terrarium game, so I didn’t know what to expect coming into Void Terrarium 2. It seems that the story unfolds slowly and more of it is revealed after each dungeon-crawling episode. To make the terrarium more inhabitable for Toriko, you can craft items to decorate the interior. The resources for crafting are found in the wastelands which are filled with menacing robots and murderous rodents. The combat isn’t too difficult as you just need to smash the A button to attack the enemy until you destroy it. The map of the area isn’t revealed at first; the further you go, the more you see. Each area has several floors which you reach through portals that you have to locate through exploration of the area.

The gameplay is fairly repetitive and I typically played the game in short bursts. Something happens to Toriko and you need to heal/ help her by going into the wastelands, finding the resources, and bringing them back to factoryAI, who gives you the crafting recipes. This is pretty much what happens in the first several hours of gameplay. However, the story does get more interesting so you will be rewarded for grinding through the beginning. Even if you are not a dungeon-crawler fan, Void Terrarium 2 has a rich narrative that makes the genre more enjoyable.