by NikaDaMartian
Are you deathly afraid of spiders? Are you looking to conquer that fear? Are spiders scarier in space? If you answered yes to any of these questions, look into Kill it With Fire 2! This game is a follow up to Kill it With Fire (2020). This sequel is bigger and better than its predecessor, adding brand new back drops to the levels, unique weapons, and two brand new game modes.
Kill it With Fire 2 is an action adventure game centered on the prospect of killing spiders across the multiverse. Kill spiders on your own or work as a team to take on these other-wordly arachnids.
Right off the bat, the music transports you into this world of action. It’s upbeat and serious, as if you’re on your way to a top secret mission. Which makes sense, that’s what you’re mainly doing. Sound is ultra-important in this game. You have to listen closely to hear the sounds of spiders because they're hiding from you. The spiders will let out noises akin to squeaks throughout your environment – use that to track them. Aside from spider noises, the environment sfx change depending on the level. During the level with a spaceship, there are small beeps, humming of machinery, and the noises of the computers.
Kill it With Fire 2 reminds of a storybook come to life. The 3D bodies and pointy sides graphics remind me of origami. They fit well with the placed shadows, the colors to help differentiate between species of spiders, and the effects when using weapons or other in-game items.
There are multiple levels throughout the games. Some levels are darker in color. Others are spacious with a lighter color palette. Like the desert level, there are green cacti, red spiders, and tan sandy land. The developers took a lot of care in the quality of the graphics.
Kill it With Fire 2 is just as fun as it looks. The opening menu has two options, “Campaign” and “Spider Hunt”. Spider Hunt is an online multiplayer mode. During “Spider Hunt”, you can either host a room or load into a server. Once you’re ready, you’ll load in as either the spider or the hunter. As a spider, your job is to survive for 3 minutes. Your options are, hiding or running away from hunters. Spiders have the option to use their web to obstruct hunters’ view to run away.
If you're a hunter, your job is to find the spiders hidden around and eliminate them all before the timer runs out. You can have weapons such as guns, bombs, and throwing stars. This game mode can be especially fun with friends for friendly competition.
Speaking of friends, there is a new campaign mode. If you decide you want a more intentional gameplay, the campaign allows you to follow a simple storyline of finding and eliminating spiders across the multiverse. You can choose to go solo or partner up with friends in online co-op with up-to four players.
I didn’t see any customization options during solo play. I don’t think it’s particularly important unless playing with others. Online co-op provides players with different color suits to prevent confusion.
Campaign mode drops you into a bedroom, starting the tutorial. Press E to interact with objects. Click the left mouse button to spin them around. Use your standard keyboard WASD to go forward, backward, and strafe from left to right to move around. During the tutorial in the bedroom, the spiders aren’t spiders – they're sticky notes. After the tutorial, you’re briefly transported into a fiery hell-escape with spiders crawling all around you and piling up by your feet. It’s short lived before opening the door to go out into the living room where your game truly begins.
There are multiple types of weapons, different species of spiders, and more adventure than you’d believe! I had a blast playing this game, even with my fear of spiders.
There are many different objectives and plenty of achievements to acquire. Kill it With Fire 2 is a bountiful step up from the original. The game modes are fun, the story isn’t confusing or overwhelming, and it’s a great way to close out your day with some quick fun.
I was initially skeptical because of my fear of spiders, but I believe this will be a game that I continue to revisit on my own and with friends. Kill it With Fire 2 is currently available on Steam for $14.99.