Publisher Kwalee and developer Clover Bite are expanding the reach of GRIME II with newly confirmed console versions, bringing the dark, stylish metroidvania sequel to more players. Alongside the previously announced Windows PC release, GRIME II is now set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on March 31.
GRIME II follows up on the original 2021 action-adventure hit with an even stranger, more compelling journey through its surreal universe. You play as a Formless, an art mimic with a distinctive power: you can absorb creatures, learn their shapes, and summon molds that replicate their forms. That signature mechanic isn’t just a combat gimmick. It’s the center of how you fight, explore, and build a playstyle that feels personal as you push deeper into a world packed with secrets.
The sequel invites you into a new and mysterious land within the GRIME setting, where every area promises both danger and wonder. Exploration remains a major draw for metroidvania fans, and GRIME II leans into that with a world designed to reward curiosity. As you move through its interconnected regions, you’ll encounter diverse cultures, striking characters, and locations that feel as imaginative as they are unsettling, including places built from painted nails and massive vases, each carrying its own identity and inhabitants.
Combat aims to be just as flexible as exploration. GRIME II encourages players to experiment with different weapons, abilities, and mold summons to develop their own approach to encounters. By absorbing defeated enemies and shaping them into molds, you unlock special attacks and tactical options that can shift the flow of a battle. Molds can be used in multiple ways, from throwing enemies and firing projectiles to stunning threats or turning a learned form into a summon that fights alongside you.
One of the sequel’s standout ideas is how it weaves the environment directly into fights. Instead of treating arenas as static backdrops, GRIME II makes surroundings part of your toolkit. The world can provide opportunities to damage enemies up close or from a distance, but it cuts both ways, forcing you to stay alert because enemies can also use the terrain against you.
Defensive and skill-based play is supported through mechanics like parry and grasp. You can send hand-tendrils to parry incoming attacks or grasp and absorb enemies, pulling yourself closer to fully learning their shape. It’s a system that blends precision timing with the game’s core identity of theft, transformation, and adaptation.
With GRIME II arriving on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 31, metroidvania fans looking for challenging action, inventive progression systems, and an eerie, lived-in world will have a new journey to sink into.
