Online multiplayer will not be available in the launched last week to rave reviews, proving that the core gameplay of the beloved original is still just as appealing as it was 12 years ago.
Multiplayer has been one of the most highly touted features in Spelunky 2, as it is a brand new element that was not present in the original game. The developer has also added the abilities to interact with a larger cast of NPC characters discovered by exploring the game's eponymous caves and for players to be able to ride turkeys. Additionally, there is a greater variety in of items and environments, which is truly saying something considering the original roguelite's ambitious arsenal and general breadth.
While PS4 players can go spelunking with friends right now, Spelunky 2 won't have multiplayer when it launches next week on Steam. The game's director, Derek Yu, has revealed on Twitter that the game will ship without online co-op enabled as the Mossmouth and Blitworks teams continue to improve the overall experience. According to the developer, this means that the studios "can improve [the game] without delaying the release," all while still responding to and iterating upon the feature using the from PS4 players. On the upside, Yu announced that when multiplayer is added to the PC edition of Spelunky 2, it will crossplay with the PS4, giving players on either platform more potential friends to go exploring (and dying) with.
The desire to release Spelunky 2 as soon as possible on PC probably comes because of the numerous delays the game has experienced. In fact, the title was originally meant to launch in 2019 and unveiled way back in 2017. Unfortunately, the title missed that deadline by a significant window, but it's always better late than never. Even better, Derek Yu and the rest of the developers used this extra development period to finetune the experience and upgrade the visuals to make the final product more fun and fluid to play.
Launching Spelunky 2 without multiplayer on PC seems like a good compromise that other single-player-focused developers shouldn't be afraid to emulate, as it means that players can still get to play the main part of the game as soon as possible. The alternative would mean delaying the sequel once again while the online co-op was being fixed; instead, with the game already available on PS4, Derek Yu and co. have ensured that PC players will not have to wait too much longer to get their hands on the full offerings of Spelunky 2.
Spelunky 2 is available now on PS4 and will launch on PC on September 29, 2020.
Source: Derek Yu
