Critics generally recommend GRIME II, praising its striking art, demanding combat and imaginative world while flagging friction in navigation, platforming, progression and storytelling. Metacritic’s PC snapshot was 80/100 from 14 critic reviews—11 positive, three mixed and none negative—when accessed on October 8, 2026. That points to a well-regarded, not universally loved, Metroidvania sequel.
What is GRIME II?
GRIME II is a Metroidvania sequel by developer Clover Bite and publisher Kwalee. Metacritic lists its initial release as March 31, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. You play as a “Formless,” an art mimic that absorbs creatures and summons molds in their shapes; those abilities feed into both combat and exploration. Metacritic’s listing and the Steam page describe the game and its platforms.
What do critics agree on?
Combat and challenge
Combat is one of the clearest strengths in the reviews, with critics highlighting its challenge and depth. Game8 called the sequel a direct improvement on its predecessor, pointing to combat alongside its aesthetic and exploration. DayOne described it as a strong Metroidvania for players with patience. The praise comes with a qualification: SteamDeckHQ criticized encounters involving multiple enemies, so the challenge may feel less satisfying when fights become crowded. Metacritic’s critic page collects these publication-attributed assessments.
Art and atmosphere
The game’s strange visual identity and expressive world are recurring points of praise. Its creature-absorbing premise gives those visuals a gameplay role, too: the forms you acquire become summons. Review excerpts from Game8 and SteamDeckHQ both praise the world, though SteamDeckHQ’s appreciation does not extend to every part of navigating it.
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- Molds - Absorb defeated enemies, shaping them into molds which can then be used for special attacks. Use molds to throw enemies, fire projectiles, stun, and even turn into summons.
- Environmental Combat - Wherever you go, the environment provides ample opportunities to damage enemies nearby or from a distance. Be wary, for they can do the same to you!
- Parry and Grasp - Send hand-tendrils to either parry enemy attacks or grasp and absorb them, drawing you closer to learning their shape.
- A Lived-in World - Discover incredible locations made of painted nails and giant vases, each with its own unique civilization, culture, and deep characters to converse with.
- Customise your playstyle with over 30 weapons, 60 armours and 12 abilities.
Exploration and navigation
World design attracts praise, but moving through the world is a more divisive part of the experience. COGconnected called out frustrating platforming, while SteamDeckHQ criticized navigation. Noisy Pixel praised the world design but questioned the exploration loop. In practice, a compelling setting does not guarantee that every route or traversal challenge feels clear or rewarding.
Narrative and progression
Critics also raise concerns about how the game tells its story and rewards exploration. COGconnected described the narrative as still impenetrable; Noisy Pixel criticized progression rewards. These are publication-specific reactions, not a consensus that the story or progression will fail for every player, but they are relevant if readable storytelling or a steady sense of reward matters most to you.
Rank #2
- Molds - Absorb defeated enemies, shaping them into molds which can then be used for special attacks. Use molds to throw enemies, fire projectiles, stun, and even turn into summons.
- Environmental Combat - Wherever you go, the environment provides ample opportunities to damage enemies nearby or from a distance. Be wary, for they can do the same to you!
- Parry and Grasp - Send hand-tendrils to either parry enemy attacks or grasp and absorb them, drawing you closer to learning their shape.
- A Lived-in World - Discover incredible locations made of painted nails and giant vases, each with its own unique civilization, culture, and deep characters to converse with.
- Customise your playstyle with over 30 weapons, 60 armours and 12 abilities.
How strong is the review consensus?
Metacritic’s PC critic score was 80/100 from 14 reviews on October 8, 2026. Its classification was “Generally Favorable,” with 11 positive reviews (79%), three mixed (21%) and zero negative. The aggregate summarizes a favorable reception, while the excerpts show why it is not an unqualified endorsement.
Metacritic’s all-platform listing also showed an 80 from 14 critic reviews, alongside a 7.2/10 user score from 36 ratings. Those are different measures and should not be treated as interchangeable. The listing’s platform breakdown reported 83 from 10 reviews for one platform grouping and 80 from 14 reviews for PC; the review totals and platform groupings differ, so those scores are not a like-for-like comparison. These figures are snapshots and can change. See Metacritic’s listing for its current figures.
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- Contents of the definitive edition:
- Reversible cover
- 4 Boss Cards
- Poster
Steam showed 86% positive from 1,871 customer reviews in the accessed snapshot. That is a separate storefront audience measure, not another critic score, and both its percentage and review count can change. Check Steam for the current customer-review figures.
Is GRIME II worth playing?
The reviews make GRIME II a good fit to consider if you want a visually distinctive Metroidvania centered on challenging, varied combat and are comfortable with some friction in traversal and navigation. Be more cautious if you need a plainly told story, consistently clear routes or exploration rewards that always feel worthwhile. The critic consensus supports calling it well-regarded, but the mixed points make personal priorities matter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What one critic said
DayOne’s March 30, 2026, review excerpt on Metacritic reads: “Grime II is a phenomenal video game.” That is the publication’s review wording, not a quote attributed to a named individual. Read the critic excerpts on Metacritic.
Quick Recap
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