Ticket to Earth - Episode 2 review
:: BETTER AND BETTERPrice: $3.99
Version: 2.0.1
App Reviewed on: iPad Air 2
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When Ticket to Earth initially released in March of 2017, I was intrigued by where its next episode was headed, despite the fact that I had a hard time liking the game at first. The game's puzzle-based combat was certainly interesting, but it only felt fair once I had leveled up my characters to get better abilities. This second episode, entitled “Crash,” picks up essentially where Ticket to Earth left off, and adds new characters, enemies, and skills to unlock. It's not a radical new addition to the game, but it's a fun continuation of an already great game.
Previously on Ticket to Earth…
Ticket to Earth's first episode ended just after your hero characters, Rose and Wolf, got a ship to chase down Zero and his crew of evil militia. Episode two picks up right from there, and let's just say that the chase doesn't quite go as intended. Rose and Wolf end up being trapped in a section of their mining colony planet that has been overrun with infected, zombie-like workers, and have no option but to fight their way out to continue the chase.
In these fights, you can expect a lot of the same, tile-based combat from the first episode, but there are a few new things to play around with this time. There is now a cover system, a new set of enemy types, and even a new character for you to take control of. There are also more specialized missions with objectives other than just “kill all enemies.”
Mismatches managed
Since this second episode of Ticket to Earth picks up where the first left off, all of the skills and abilities that you upgraded from the first part of the game carry over to this episode. This is great news, as the early parts of episode one were overly difficult because of how weak your initial characters were and how little they could affect a combat map with their abilities.
This isn't to say that Ticket to Earth's second episode is a cakewalk though. There are still plenty of challenging missions. There are even levels where enemies just keep spawning in until you complete an objective, so you have to carefully balance taking out enemies and achieving your goals.
Play it again
The only real disappointing thing about the second episode of Ticket to Earth is that it's story feels a bit like filler. The entire episode is mostly a continuation of the chase from the first, and just when you get to the part where the story truly seems like it's getting interesting, the chapter ends. I will grant that some great worldbuilding happens in episode two, but the overall plot advances very little.
After you've finished the story here though, there is still plenty to do. This episode of Ticket to Earth features the same ability to replay old missions, but also throws in a crafting system that allows players to customize their heroes' gear. This system requires that you replay levels a lot though, as the crafting requirements for each item are pretty steep.
The bottom line
Overall, Ticket to Earth's second episode stands above the first in almost every way. It doesn't have to deal with the same early game problems of the first episode while also adding in a bunch of new features and mechanics that are all pretty neat. If you were looking for an extremely intriguing continuation of the first episode's plot, you might be a tad disappointed, but otherwise, Ticket to Earth's second episode is a heck of a step in the right direction for the series.