With the release of Bit.Trip Complete and Bit.Trip Saga, one might assume Gaijin Games is ready to move on from the series that's defined them so far. That's partially true, as it turns out. Gaijin Games announced a sequel to Bit.Trip Runner at Indie Cade this weekend, this one titled Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien.
Dropping the Bit.Trip tag isn't just about changing up the name, either; the whole aesthetic's shifting, adopting a much more cartoonish stylization that's just as trippy and weird, simply in a new direction.
Runner 2's coming next year for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and will feature Commander Video once again, this time with over 10 new abilities. That's quite an expansion against the original game, where Commander Video could only jump, kick, and duck. In a very Super Meat Boy fashion, Commander Video will also be just one of many you'll be able to play as.
The biggest relief, however, may come in the form of checkpoints. Yes, Runner's stages weren't nearly as long as some of the areas in other Bit.Trip games, but I'd argue the hardest parts of Runner were exponentially more difficult than anything in the other games. It's also why it was the most satisfying.