From its opening moments, Kill It With Fire 2 makes no attempt to disguise what it is: a gleefully exaggerated spree of spider extermination that hops across dimensions with the subtlety of a rocket launcher. tinyBuild and Casey Donnellan Games return to the premise that made the original a cult curiosity, but expand its scope into a PlayStation 5 outing that channels slapstick destruction through haunted manors, cyberspace realms and even full-scale kaiju showdowns. It’s an instantly readable setup, and they lean into it with enough confidence that the absurdity becomes part of the charm rather than a distraction.
As a power fantasy, the game often delivers on the promise of outlandish tools and unpredictable scenarios. Its arsenal of flamethrowers, energy weapons, explosives and more mundane household objects encourages improvisation, and moment-to-moment chaos frequently fuels the experience. Each world pushes a different theme – one has you toppling structures as a towering creature, another asks you to root around a twisted digital landscape – and that thematic variety helps keep the early hours lively. Playing with friends in co-op amplifies everything further, transforming ordinary rooms or city blocks into playgrounds for chain reactions and frantic pest-hunting.
Underneath that spectacle, though, the campaign structure can lean too heavily on repeated patterns. Many missions require gathering items or completing mandatory side tasks before progression opens, and those loops gradually make the action feel more prescribed than the concept suggests. Instead of purely reacting to spiders and environments, players often end up chasing objectives that feel disconnected from the thrill of destruction, which slows the pacing and adds a layer of routine where spontaneity would be more welcome.
Some mechanical rough edges further complicate the rhythm. Weapon switching on PS5 relies on step-through inputs, which interrupts frantic encounters when rapid improvisation would be ideal. Movement also lacks precision, making jumps and quick dodges less satisfying than they need to be. Physics interactions, while central to the fun, can behave inconsistently – grabbing or tossing objects sometimes feels imprecise, and spiders don’t always respond convincingly when targeted. These quirks don’t break the game, but they can chip away at the sense of control during busier fights.
Visually, Kill It With Fire 2 embraces a stylised aesthetic that suits its tone. Its caricatured environments and exaggerated effects make the action readable and contribute to the comedic edge, while explosions, fire trails and collapsing props create frequent moments of spectacle. Audio design supports this energy with impactful weapon sounds and suitably chaotic feedback as rooms erupt in debris. It’s not an especially polished presentation, but the emphasis on clarity and humor works in its favor, and the broader scope compared to the first game suggests a more fully realised approach to its own premise.
Over time, however, the core loop proves resistant to change. Even with dimensional jumps and a generous set of tools, the fundamental task rarely evolves beyond locating spiders, breaking open spaces to find more, and repeating the cycle. For players content to revel in the chaos – especially in multiplayer – this foundation will be enough. But those hoping for deeper progression, more varied objectives or a campaign that builds tension rather than recycling patterns may find the momentum tapering off in solo play.
Yet despite these limitations, Kill It With Fire 2 never loses sight of its identity. It’s a louder, broader and more mischievous successor that thrives on exaggerated violence and the shared laughter that erupts when a simple room-clearing exercise spirals into total, unplanned demolition. While the repetition and mechanical quirks prevent it from rising above its niche, the game consistently embraces a kind of wild-eyed enthusiasm that makes its high points resonate. For players eager to dive into a dimension-hopping spree of creative spider disposal – ideally with friends – it offers exactly the brand of chaos they’re looking for.
Score: 7.2/10
Press Play Media 