Dyna Bomb 2 Switch Review – Blow This Game Up, Please

Dyna Bomb 2 is an indie game sequel that did not seem like it was highly demanded, but we got it anyway. What we have here is a relatively simple action platformer idea, but it is not without its problems.

So is Dyna Bomb 2 the sequel you have been longing for? Or did you never hear about the original, lone enough the sequel, and do not really care? Let’s find out!

Dyna Bomb 2 follows Jack and Ela, and apparently after a grueling experience in the first title, the pair have treated themselves to a lovely vacation on a tropical island… while still wearing their combat gear. Go figure their vacation is ruined by some baddies, and some guy named Dr. Brutus is here to cause pain and chaos.

This is fine and all, but I honestly did not find myself caring about anything, and it did not seem like Jack or Ela cared all that much either. It seems like trouble follows these two, and I guess they have to fight their way through ridiculous areas as they attempt to put a stop to this self-proclaimed evil doctor. It is what it is.

The gameplay is almost like a mobile title in regards to its expectations. You are tasked with collecting diamonds to purchase temporary upgrades, beach balls to receive permanent upgrades, and finishing the stage quickly while also taking out all the enemies. There’s no real reward for “perfecting” a stage, but you can receive some extra costumes for the two heroes.

Areas are set up with a certain amount of stages that conclude with a boss fight. Pretty standard stuff, but the gameplay is handicapped a bit by some of the decisions. Jack and Ela have limited gas for their jetpacks, no way to refill their life naturally, and figuring out to do, because the tutorials aren’t as helpful as they should be, especially before boss fights.

Speaking of bosses, they are not fun, at all. There is some bad RNG here at times, and the bosses are the worst of the bunch. Frankly, the gameplay, in general, is quite clunky, and aiming the bombs, which are also limited to chest openings, is a pain in the butt. Normal enemies, for the most part, are minimal-moving and non-problematic, but the bosses shake up the combat formula so much that it just doesn’t feel right at all. Thankfully, there are multiple difficulties to mix things up here, but even on Easy, things are not so easy.

The overall visual and sound design in Dyna Bomb 2 is rather lackluster. The artwork is simply not good, and there are multiple times where stages or parts of stages are just an eyesore and hurts to even look at. The music is fine and fits for the most part, but the fact that Jack and Ela sound like chickens when they get hit is strange beyond measure. There are a lot of questionable decisions in this one, and it was a chore playing through it.

Dyna Bomb 2 is not a sequel that needed to be made. If this is anything like the first game, which I assume it is, this series needs to blow itself up. It is not fun, the story and the characters are near-impossible to understand and connect with, and the gameplay, particularly the boss fights, is infuriating.

It simply doesn’t have any major redeeming qualities, and that hurts. The fact that Dyna Bomb 2 is $15 is even more shocking, because there are some brilliant indie games out there charging the same price.

I cannot for the life of me recommend Dyna Bomb 2. It is a boring game with a lot of nagging issues, and it would be wiser to spend your money elsewhere.

Dyna Bomb 2 Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: 7 Raven Studios
Release Date: August 18th, 2022
Price: $14.99, £13.49, €14,99
Game Size: 447 MB