I always spend my Christmas holiday catching up on a big game that I didn't have time for earlier in the year. Against all odds, I've already beaten Baldur's Gate 3, so that's done and dusted. But the question is no longer what I'm going to play but what else, because I am absolutely playing TEVI, a new bullet hell Metroidvania from the makers of 2016 cult hit Rabi-Ribi. I tried the demo earlier this year and left it encouraged, and having dipped my toes into the full game – but not yet beaten it – you can officially put me down as impressed. TEVI already feels like one of the best Metroidvania games of 2023, and it's definitely one of the biggest upgrades I've ever seen from a sequel, spiritual or otherwise.
Rabi-Ribi is a cute and straightforward 2D Metroidvania about a bunny girl and her fairy friend lasering and hammering their way through screens of projectiles. It's a little basic, but it holds up well to this day and offers a lot of post-game depth. TEVI feels like a more ambitious and involved reading of Rabi-Ribi's playbook, right down to the bunny girl protagonist (whose ears are fake this time). It looks, sounds, and feels better in almost every way, though I can see how diehard fans of Rabi-Ribi may be put off by some of the changes. But as someone who liked but didn't quite love the first game, I'm happily embracing the new. It's not Rabi-Ribi 2, but rather Rabi-Ribi: More My Speed.
