ActRaiser 2 ditches the city-building stuff from the first game and goes all-in on action platforming. You play as this winged god-like figure (cool, right?) who swoops down to fight evil in two acts—first some minor demon, then one of the seven deadly sins wrecking the land. The platforming’s solid, with horizontal and vertical scrolling, but the real twist is the magic system. Hold down the button, and depending on your position, you’ll unleash different spells. Just don’t go nuts—scrolls are limited, though at least you’ve got options this time.

Flying’s fun until you realize you’re basically a giant floating target. Enemies love smacking those wings, and dodging feels impossible sometimes. If you were hoping for more of that sim-style break between action bits, this ain’t it. But if you’re down for a challenging, magic-heavy platformer with a weird prequel vibe, give it a shot.