Introduction
Basic information
- Developer Name: Mazen Games
- Full Name: Atmasphere 2
- Release Date: August 3, 2024
- Released on: PC
- Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
I received this key from Keymailer, having previously played Atmasphere 1. I was excited to see if they had improved the game. The original had some charm, a solid atmosphere, and fun level endings, so I was hopeful for an upgrade. Unfortunately, Atmasphere 2 doesn’t live up to expectations and feels like a step backward in many ways.
Story and setting
Plot overview
Atmasphere 2 doesn’t really have a compelling story to speak of. You roll through levels, dodge obstacles, and… that’s about it. There’s no real narrative driving the game forward, and as a result, it lacks a sense of purpose or progression.
World building and immersion
The world-building in this game is minimal. You’re essentially rolling through snow-covered levels that all blend together. It’s challenging to stay immersed when everything feels so repetitive. Compared to the first game, there’s a severe lack of personality and variation in the environments.
Character development
Nonexistent. There’s no character to develop, just a ball you roll around. Unlike Atmasphere 1, which at least tried to give the game some personality, this sequel doesn’t even attempt to make the experience engaging from a character perspective.
Emotional impact
The game lacks any emotional impact. It’s hard to care about anything happening on screen when the gameplay and world feel so generic.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 2.
Why did they scrap the female ball at the end of the level?
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
The gameplay is overly simplistic: you roll a ball, dodge obstacles, and try to reach the end of the level. The biggest issue here is that Atmasphere 2 tries to include coin collecting, which feels pointless and causes performance issues. The sheer number of coins scattered across the levels leads to lag and long load times. And although this game seems designed for speed, the coins just get in the way.
Difficulty and balance
The difficulty feels inconsistent. Some levels are mindlessly easy, while others are challenging for all the wrong reasons, such as unresponsive controls or sudden lag spikes that disrupt the flow of the game.
Pacing of the game
The pacing is poor. Long load times and laggy gameplay destroy any momentum the game might build. It often feels like you spend more time waiting than actually playing.
Innovation and uniqueness
There’s nothing innovative or unique about Atmasphere 2. It feels like a rehash of countless other rolling ball games but without any of the charm or polish those games offer.
Controls and user interface
The controls are clunky and unresponsive, especially when you’re trying to make precise movements. The UI is basic but functional, though it does little to enhance the experience.
Microtransactions
Thankfully, there are no microtransactions in the game, but that’s a small consolation given the other issues.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 3.5.
They should not have released an Atmasphere 2 but instead focused on improving Atmasphere 1.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The graphics are one of the most disappointing aspects of Atmasphere 2. All the levels seem to take place in a snow biome, making them feel repetitive and uninspired. There are some unlockable skins for your rolling ball, but they don’t do enough to break up the monotony.
Technical performances
The game suffers from long load times and frequent lag spikes, which makes an already dull experience even more frustrating.
Environment and design uniqueness
There’s no uniqueness to the design. Each level feels like a copy-paste of the previous one, with no variety in biomes or level structure.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 3
The long loading times and lag spikes are horrid for a game as this.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack is minimal and, frankly, boring. There’s no sense of excitement or tension, and the music loops quickly become repetitive. The sound effects are poorly synchronized, which further detracts from the experience.
Sound effects quality
The sound effects are out of sync with the gameplay, and when they do work, they’re underwhelming. Since you will only be hearing the coins.
Voice Acting
There’s no voice acting in the game, which would have been fine if the rest of the audio wasn’t so lacking.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 2.5
I believe there is only one soundtrack loop.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
There’s little reason to replay Atmasphere 2 once you’ve finished the game. The levels are forgettable, and while you can collect skins or try to beat your time, it’s hard to find the motivation to do so. The game is relatively short, which is both a blessing and a curse. While it doesn’t overstay its welcome, it also doesn’t leave a lasting impression.
Extra Content
There are some unlockable skins for your ball, but they add little value to the overall experience.
Replay value
Very low. Unless you’re a completionist, you won’t find much reason to go back and replay levels.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Atmasphere 2 with a 4
There is not as much rolling in this game as you would like!
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
- Vary the environments to avoid the repetitive snow biomes.
- Improve loading times and optimize performance to avoid lag.
- Add more depth to the gameplay beyond just rolling and dodging.
- Bring back the personality and charm that the first Atmasphere had.
Comparisons
Compared to Atmasphere 1, this game feels like a huge downgrade. The first game had atmosphere and a sense of fun, while this one feels like a rushed, uninspired sequel. It also doesn’t compare well to other rolling games like Super Monkey Ball, which have more engaging gameplay and level variety.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
I was genuinely excited to play Atmasphere 2 after enjoying the first one, but this game was a massive letdown. Atmasphere 1 had personality and tried to make the rolling mechanics fun by adding a bit of flair. Unfortunately, Atmasphere 2 strips away anything that made the first game interesting, leaving behind a boring, generic experience.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Atmasphere 2, I give it a personal rating of 2,5
Roll through the snow!
Last words
Pros
- No microtransactions
- A few unlockable skins
Cons
- Repetitive, snow-covered levels
- Long loading times and lag spikes
- Boring, minimal soundtrack
- Uninspired gameplay with no innovation
- Coins cause unnecessary lag and slow down the game
- Poorly optimized for performance
- Clunky and unresponsive controls
- No real story or emotional engagement
- Graphics are mediocre at best
- Low replay value
- Lacks the personality that made the first game fun
- Sound effects are poorly synchronized
If you’re looking for an engaging rolling ball game, you’re better off playing Atmasphere 1 or other games in the genre. Atmasphere 2 feels like a rushed sequel with none of the charm or fun that the first game offered. It’s a bland, uninspired experience that’s hard to recommend. Even though Atmasphere 1 was not perfect and mediocre, it was plenty of times better than its sequel.
Final Rating
3.5
Please let me know what you think of Atmasphere 2 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
If you liked reading this review, maybe you would like to share this review with your friends.
Myr
I'd love to see a ball physics game with a story and some character development. But the ball has to remain silent! xD The Pros on this game are quite short ^^.
supersven
Not a lot of pros.
Myr
What kind of skins can you unlock in such a game?
supersven
Not anything very good.
HassanTheCobra
I'm not gonna lie, this game doesn't look that good, and it's copying the game Ballance. You should try Ballance, it's way better, and was a big part of my childhood.
supersven
What kind of game is it?
Ilan Vertone
Yeah, I saw the youtube video, and the game definetely looked pretty rough! Great review as always!
supersven
I am glad you liked the review.
fano23
Idea of a platformer with a ball is good, but they made everything wrong. I remember trying something similar that was better
supersven
Yeah, they made everything wrong.
FranckCastle
"Rolling motion not included"... 😂
Yeah, the game's quality level is of a mobile game. There are plenty of games that revolve around rolling a ball, both on mobile and PC/Console.
I remember playing a game called "GyroSphere Trials" on Android many, many years ago, if you'd like to try! There's also Polyball on Steam; a paid game, I got it during a -100% promo a couple years ago but I didn't play it yet.
supersven
The game is indeed of low quality.
Twigas_Hobbes
I can recommend Neverball 🙂
it's open source. Quite old but I liked it and I had no porblems with clunky controls
supersven
What kind of game is it?
Alamar
Game seemed not interesting to me and review has confirmed this. What is "female ball"?
Delicious Bacon
There was a pink "female ball" that would greet you at the end of the level in Atmasphere (1). It would shoot hearts in a firework fashion which suggested the two balls were in love. XD
At least it added some personality to the game.
supersven
Indeed! It added some personality!
Silentrets
Generally i don't play if their game's banner so basic. I judge game's quality from game's banner. So i see i am right again.
fLuke
i don't like atmasphere 2, unfortunately.
supersven
True, the banner is their calling card.
ellemby
I was thinking about checking it out, but your breakdown of the repetitive gameplay and lackluster story has me reconsidering. definitely saved me some time and frustration with this one!
supersven
I am glad I could save you some time!
Blink
Never heard of this game before. Doesn't look like a good game
supersven
It is not a good game, sadly.
Vibe
Expectations can often be crushing 😉
supersven
True!
emperoru
This game is new but looks old. I would play it only for easy achievements but there kinda quite a lot of hardcore one.
supersven
Some hardcore achievements are in most games.
Nicole
That is so strange that the first game had varied environments to go through and this one only has one snow theme 😮 The idea of a rolling-ball platformer sounds cool (since I absolutely loved Super Monkey Ball) but this one definitely needed some more love put into it!
supersven
Time to go back to Atmasphere 1!
Vitalikboykiller
This rewiew is good. I love puzzles where you have to puzzle over the solution.
supersven
I am glad you liked the review!