Sludge Life 2 Review: Big Mud is a Big Mood

Has this ever happened to you? You, a locally-renown tagger, wake up in a hotel bathtub, groggy and forgetful as to how you got there in the first place. After hurling your laptop at the faucet, you decide to emerge from the tiny room, only to find all the furniture askew and partially blocking your exit. Luckily, you can crouch through, but getting into the main room in the suite yields no answers; luckily, a dude hanging out on the balcony does. He informs you of the previous night’s epic bender but bears some bad news: your buddy, Big Mud, has mysteriously disappeared, which is bad news considering he has a live performance, like… now. And now you have to be the one to find him! Don’t you hate it when this happens?

If you can relate, then don’t stress out too much, as finding Big Mud is actually really fun in Sludge Life 2. Developed by Terri Vellmann and Doseone with publishing being handled by Devolver Digital, Sludge Life 2 snuck in this year as a surprise sequel to the delightfully deranged original, Sludge Life. Its Steam page invites players to “explore a huger, weirder, gnarlier open world loaded with secrets, weirdos, jokes, and, of course, plenty of spots to tag,” and if that sounds even remotely exciting to you, then just do yourself a favor and grab this insanely fun (and, honestly, insane) title now.

Like the first game, Sludge Life 2 has players taking on the role of GHOST as he tags his way through the town; however, the lackadaisical vandalism of the first game is only one of several focuses in Sludge Life 2, the main one being finding your big bud, Big Mud. Although the goal may be crystal clear, the path forward is as clear as mud — literally. No one remembers the events that transpired the night before, and no one has heard from the rapper that rose from the grimiest of Glug’s gutters to the loftiest of Ciggy City’s lofts. Will you be able to find him before it’s time to go live?

Sludge Life 2 touts itself as “Sludge Life but more”. More tagging spots, more vandalism, more nooks and crannies, more items, more weirdos, more… more. And that’s all true — Sludge Life 2 is far bigger than its predecessor, filled with more to explore in a new-yet-familiar world. As the game unfolds, it’s also apparent that the themes from the first game are ever more present and even more evolved; where the first game depicted a disgusting world laid waste to unfettered capitalism desperately vying for what little power they could by way of a city-wide strike, Sludge Life 2 showcases returning characters exerting this newfound control of their destinies either by chasing individual gains or boosting the collective.

To be clear, Sludge Life 2’s underlying message isn’t on the nose, but its humor certainly is. The cat with the two buttholes makes a reappearance amongst newcomers like “boy who left a very long shit streak down the slide,” “horny flies,” “teddy bear with murderous intent,” and “guy who has been stuck on a rooftop for years and wants only for a cigarette.” There are what feels like an unlimited amount of gags — visual, verbal, and otherwise — that fill every last pixel in this game, that it’s a joy to try to discover every last one and a delight when they are referenced elsewhere in this muck-filled metropolis.

Rating Sludge Life 2 against Sludge Life felt a bit like rating Kingdom Hearts 2 against Kingdom Hearts. Sludge Life 2 has far better gameplay between the two, implementing not only improved level designs but more mechanics (including a sorely needed double jump). With that being said, Sludge Life 2’s story didn’t have the same impact as the original — but not for lack of trying. In Sludge Life, being an aimless tagger with no prospects nor direction made the vandalism mechanics make sense; in Sludge Life 2, those mechanics are fun and desirable, but lost a little ludonarrative harmony when the game’s stated objective is to quickly find Big Mud.

As both games are fairly short (4 – 5 hours each), I played both back to back and came to the determination that, while both Sludge Life and Sludge Life 2 are must-play titles in my book, Sludge Life 2 was more fun gameplay-wise and built upon everything that made the original great mechanically, while Sludge Life benefitted from a better story, world-building, character motivation, and its initial novelty. Simply put, Sludge Life 2 is more fun to play, but Sludge Life is more fun to experience.

I want to end this Sludge Life 2 review on an objectively positive note by describing its aesthetics. Sludge Life 2 brings back the glorious grittiness of the first game, colorful contraptions scattered across a sea of slime, vying for dominance against the greasy gray grime. This use of color serves to highlight class difference as well, as those who can afford to live in the pristine Ciggy City Suites enjoy clean, colorful surrounds, while those more economically challenged finds themselves stuck in the squalor and slime. Coupled with some amazing new tracks by the big man, Big Mud himself, Sludge Life 2 is never dull visually or audibly (and, of course, mechanically and narratively!).

Sludge Life 2 is another gaming triumph given to us by the delightfully deranged team behind the first iteration. Everything about Sludge Life 2 builds upon the amazing original, its wacky humor and over the top narrative pushing new boundaries while staying totally on brand. Sludge Life 2 had some big, muddy shoes to full, but it did so with cleverness and competence. If you want a uniquely unhinged gaming experience, Sludge Life 2 is ripe for tagging.

Final Verdict: 4/5

Available on: PC (Reviewed); Publisher: Devolver Digital; Developer: Terri Vellmann, Doseone; Players: 1; Released: June 27, 2023; MSRP: $14.99

Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Sludge Life 2 provided by the publisher.