A Tale of Two Dimensions

It is often said that sequels must innovate to succeed, taking the foundation laid by their predecessor and building something new, something grander, something more compelling. Grand Emprise 2: Portals Apart attempts just that, stepping away from the time-travel narrative of the original and instead plunging players into a whirlwind of fast-paced, portal-hopping survival. It promises a tightly curated, one-time-only adventure through a collection of wildly distinct fantasy worlds, designed to be a high-octane ride rather than a slow-burn sandbox experience. But in its bid for a unique and linear survival journey, does it deliver on its ambitious vision or does the game’s rapid-fire design leave it feeling unpolished and disjointed? Read on to find out!

A Journey Through Interlinked Realities

Unlike its predecessor, Grand Emprise 2: Portals Apart offers a more linear and guided experience, focusing on a single, one-time adventure. As the title implies, the core gameplay loop revolves around using magical portals to traverse a variety of fantastical worlds, which is no surprise. You start in a medieval landscape before being dropped into an array of bizarre and different environments, from withered worlds that require oxygenation to floating sky islands.

Progression is driven by a tech tree that you will access frequently, which allows you to craft tools and weapons. While the game does offer some guidance via yellow exclamation marks, much of the exploration is left to the player, meaning that if you want your hand to be held, think again! The narrative is minimal, focusing more on the journey itself rather than a deep, character-driven story. This is a survival crafting game that prioritises a rapid pace and a sense of constant adventure.

The Tools of the Trade

The mechanics in Grand Emprise 2: Portals Apart are a mix of clever ideas and rough execution. At its heart, it is a survival crafting game, requiring you to gather resources like wood, stone, and plants to craft tools and build crafting stations. You will need to manage hunger and oxygen levels, with oxygen-producing plants being a crucial part of the gameplay loop in certain worlds. So far, so good. Weapons are, of course, essential for combat, as you will encounter a variety of fantasy-inspired enemies, as well as boss fights.

However, the combat unfortunately feels simple and repetitive, verging on tedious after a short time. The user interface also feels unpolished, with menus sometimes overlapping and unnecessary button presses required to dismiss pop-ups. Crafting is basic, with no ability to deconstruct items once placed, and most stations are limited to one of each type, which can force you to wait for crafting cycles to complete. Naturally, these issues cause the immersion to be immediately broken as they all take away from the game and story at hand.

A Visually Varied but Unpolished Canvas

The visuals are a highlight, with colourful and imaginative worlds that are intentionally distinct and jarringly varied. Environments like the sky islands are particularly breathtaking, and genuinely pleasant to encounter for the first time. However, the graphics, in general, feel dated, with a lack of depth and stiff animations. The audio is okay, but not particularly memorable, which is a shame. The music in general is mellow and sets the mood, but the sound effects are frequently recycled, with actions like chopping wood with your fists sounding identical to using an axe!

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure?

Replay value is limited by Grand Emprise 2’s one-time, linear design. Unlike a sandbox title, Grand Emprise 2 appears to be designed to be a single-use experience, as such.

Conclusion

Grand Emprise 2: Portals Apart is an ambitious title that attempts to subvert the survival genre by offering a linear, high-paced adventure. It succeeds in creating a series of distinct and varied worlds, but that’s where the interesting parts end, unfortunately. Its ambition is hampered by a lack of polish, and generally poor execution. The core survival loop is functional, but incredibly basic, and the combat is underwhelming from the onset. While the visuals are imaginative, they are often let down by technical shortcomings and dated animations. Ultimately, the game feels like a fascinating experiment with great ideas that falls short of its potential. It is a journey worth experiencing for those who can overlook its rough edges, but it is not a triumphant leap forward for the genre and is in dire need of more work!

Grade: 4/10 – Disappointing