Indra, the protagonist, can be outfitted in many different ways according to how the player would like to navigate their way through the storyline and the sprawling world. Players will need to build their protagonist carefully if they want to find all the Apocalypse Flasks, which are scattered throughout the world and are required to unlock and upgrade her assets. Indra has access to four specific skill trees, each correlating to a different aspect of her character. It is essential to unlock and upgrade their skills as the game progresses. However, what skills should the player focus on first and foremost to make Indra strong and bring her back from the verge of dying?
4 Combat
Unlike the first game, Axiom Verge 2 has a different learning curve when it comes to engaging in combat. This skill tree has four main aspects:
Melee damage: Increases the amount of damage dealt with a melee weapon. Melee speed: Increases Indra’s speed when attacking with melee weapons. Ranged damage: Increases the projectile weapon’s damage. Projectile speed: Projectile weapons are thrown at a faster rate.
Where players were used to having a load out filled with guns and other long-range weapons, the arsenal is centered around more close-quarters fighting than on the latter, except for the boomerang. However, there is a far greater emphasis placed on stealth throughout the game, as not all enemies are worth fighting.
RELATED: Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting Axiom Verge 2
Smaller foes do not drop anything useful, and melee combat should only be reserved for the bosses who can award the player with skill points. It’s worth putting a few points into combat; however, this should be the last thing a player does, as there are more important and useful skills on offer.
3 Physiology
Physiology or the skills related to Indra’s physical form are very useful and can help to make a heartier character who can venture more easily throughout the Metroidvania-like world. In this skill tree there are two main aspects:
Health: A self-explanatory skill to unlock. Increasing this will add 50 points to Indra’s health pool with each subsequent level that the player invests. Nanite cloud speed: When playing through the game, players will unlock a nanite cloud form for Indra. This will make the level easier to traverse by allowing her to ascend to greater heights (previously unreachable platforms), or through certain obstacles such as grates littered around the maps.
Both of these skills are incredibly helpful, and players can invest skill points at their own leisure into each one according to how they prefer to play.
RELATED: Great 3D Metroidvanias
2 Drone
Once a player traverses to a certain point within the game they will meet an arm (Axiom Verge 2’s special beings that grant Indra abilities). This arm is named Damu, and he’s a young boy who gives Indra a drone, a helpful robotic companion to use while she is exploring. The drone can be very useful and has a skill tree all to itself that includes:
Drone melee damage: Increases the drone’s damage output. Drone melee speed: Increases how fast the drone can attack. Imdug Bir charge time: The Imdug Bir is another arm that outfits the drone with a slingshot. Increasing this skill will decrease the amount of time it requires for the attack to charge.
RELATED: Most Underrated Metroidvania Games
With combat being primarily melee, it can be difficult to take down enemies who have access to long-range attacks in their arsenals. The drone is a well-rounded strategy to take on such enemies and defeat them all together, or to allow players to close the distance with Indra, so she can finish them off.
1 Infection
Infection is the name given to hacking in Axiom Verge 2. Hacking is a vital ability in Indra’s repertoire and one of the crucial ways she can interact with the world. It shares the same energy resource as the Gud An-Na and the Nanite Cloud Speed, so players have to be mindful of using it. However, it can be very powerful and incredibly useful. The infection skill tree includes:
Infection level: The higher the level, the stronger the enemies that Indra can infect. Nano points: Each level adds 50 nano points. Infection speed: Increase infection expansion speed. Infection range: Increases the infection radius by 1 meter.
The infection works in an interesting way. There is a field that surrounds Indra, and within that field, she can use the nano to hack enemies, turning them into allies or making them generally complacent. The skills within this tree augment that field, making it larger, faster to apply, and stronger against different types of enemies. Note that the infection does not work against all foes; however, a significant number can be affected.
Apart from infecting other creatures, players will want to use infection to access closed-off areas. It is vital to have a high level of infection to get past some of the stronger gates within the game to complete the map and find hidden items or secrets on particular levels.
Axiom Verge 2 is out now on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Linux.
MORE: Best Games To Play If You Love Pixel Art (December 2022)
