Axiom Verge 2

Axiom Verge 2 is a platform-adventure game with exploration-driven progression and a separate story from the first game. You navigate interconnected environments, gaining new abilities that open previously blocked paths—think grappling hooks, dimension-shifting tools, and hacking mechanics that let you breach into alternate layers of each area. Combat exists but takes a backseat to navigation puzzles and secret-hunting. The map design rewards backtracking once you've acquired the right gear. You're not following the original's protagonist or plot, so playing the first game isn't required. The pace is yours to set: rush the critical path or comb every room for upgrades and lore fragments. If you want Metroidvania structure without the original's difficulty spike, this fits.