# Heave Ho 2, Fading Echo and The Alters: Last Variable review roundup

**August 19, 2026 · Perthro**

Mid-July 2026 brought two very different co-op-friendly releases and a sizeable DLC. Heave Ho 2 is the easy recommendation if you have friends to play with. Fading Echo is a stylish, uneven elemental adventure. The Alters: Last Variable gives fans of 11 bit studios' sci-fi survival game another 20 hours with Jan. Here's what critics said about each.

## Heave Ho 2 review scores

![Two Heave Ho 2 players swinging across a gap in a cooperative physics level](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/779981d016c18723.jpg)

Heave Ho 2, from Le Cartel Studio and Devolver Digital, launched on July 16, 2026 for Switch 2, Switch and PC. It's a physics co-op platformer built on the same premise as the first game: little round bodies, grabby hands and friends who let go at the worst moment. [OpenCritic](https://opencritic.com/game/20999/heave-ho-2) showed an 87 average in launch week; by mid-August it had settled at 83 from 26 critics, with 81% recommending it.

[Game Informer](https://gameinformer.com/review/heave-ho-2/silly-and-smart-go-hand-in-hand) scored the Switch 2 version 8.25/10 and summed up the appeal in one line: "I enjoy dying in Heave Ho 2." Deaths are quick and funny, and usually someone's fault, which is how a session turns into a story. The review liked the eight worlds, the roughly 60 campaign levels and the way objectives change from plain traversal to keys, ski lifts, gondolas and zero-gravity ships. It found the Chef's Orders and Medieval Travels worlds frustrating, and the Showdown mode thin.

COGconnected gave it 85/100 and called it "silly, funny and brilliant," crediting simple controls, fast respawns and consistent physics for holding the chaos together. Loot Level Chill went to 9/10. [TheSixthAxis](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/07/29/heave-ho-2-review/) praised the new settings and said it works with one friend or four, online or in the same room, and [WayTooManyGames](https://waytoomany.games/2026/07/16/review-heave-ho-2/) called online multiplayer the meaningful addition.

The one recurring caveat, flagged in Uagna's review, is that the sequel gives up on solo play. If you enjoyed the first game alone, this one isn't aimed at you. With two to four people who don't mind being terrible together, the score sounds about right.

## Fading Echo review scores

![Fading Echo's desert world, where the hero One manipulates water](https://perthro.io/assets/blog/0999961052f1aff0.jpg)

Fading Echo, developed by Emetria and published by New Tales, released on July 21, 2026. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2467880/Fading_Echo/) lists PC, and Portal do Nerd also lists PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. You play One, a young Legend trying to save a desert world from Paradox Corruption, and the signature trick is turning into water and changing state by touching other elements: steam for traversal, water tunnels, acid jumps.

There isn't a dependable aggregate score yet, but the reviews have a clear shape. Critics like the movement and elemental combat and are cooler on the story. Loot Level Chill gave it 7.5 and said it "undeniably has some issues, but most of them didn't really detract from my enjoyment." CGMagazine was "immediately captivated" by its style and combat, while noting it's simpler than expected. Gamereactor called it "a super strong adventure game" and warned that the RPG label sets the wrong expectations. [Console Creatures](https://www.consolecreatures.com/fading-echo-review/) enjoyed the water powers but found them spread across too few puzzle and enemy types. [SpaceMoney](https://www.spacemoney.com.br/tecnologia/fading-echo-dublagem-brasileira-indie-aquatico/) praised the Brazilian Portuguese dub and flagged confusing exploration and technical problems. WayTooManyGames struggled with the characters and called some of the writing "new age cringey."

It sounds like a game where moving through the world is the reward and the plot is there to get you moving. If that's enough for you, the 7-to-8 range makes sense. If you need strong writing to keep going, wait for a sale.

## The Alters: Last Variable review scores

The Alters: Last Variable is the first major DLC for 11 bit studios' The Alters, released July 13 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. Reviews on OpenCritic run from 7 to 8.6.

TechRaptor (7.5) said it "builds on the base game with new mechanics, a new story, and more, but it doesn't always make the most of its innovations." CGMagazine (7/10) called it "a mostly positive return for the Jan clan" that adds gameplay complexity but "removes depth and character from the story." GamingBolt (8/10) liked Jan Scientist, his specialized Alters and the cryo-sleep twist on long-term decisions. PressAttack went to 8.6, and Playday said it kept them hooked for nearly 20 hours. Sector's 8/10 was the most blunt: "It isn't an essential DLC; it doesn't bring anything fundamental to the universe."

If the base game's production loops and alternate selves worked for you, the reviews support the download. None of them suggest it will convert anyone who bounced off The Alters.

## Which one to play

Heave Ho 2 if you have a group, Fading Echo if you want a bright world to move through and can forgive the script, and Last Variable if you finished The Alters and weren't done with Jan. If you're keeping track of which friends are up for Heave Ho, [Perthro](https://apps.apple.com/app/perthro/id6764673686) lets you see what they're playing and put it on a shared list.

### Sources

- [Steam: Fading Echo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2467880/Fading_Echo/)
- [Console Creatures: Fading Echo review](https://www.consolecreatures.com/fading-echo-review/)
- [SpaceMoney: Fading Echo](https://www.spacemoney.com.br/tecnologia/fading-echo-dublagem-brasileira-indie-aquatico/)
- [Steam: Heave Ho 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2802740/Heave_Ho_2/)
- [OpenCritic: Heave Ho 2](https://opencritic.com/game/20999/heave-ho-2)
- [Game Informer: Heave Ho 2 review](https://gameinformer.com/review/heave-ho-2/silly-and-smart-go-hand-in-hand)
- [TheSixthAxis: Heave Ho 2 review](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2026/07/29/heave-ho-2-review/)
- [WayTooManyGames: Heave Ho 2 review](https://waytoomany.games/2026/07/16/review-heave-ho-2/)