It's been five years since the original Slime Rancher made its full debut, and the game is still worth revisiting today. Its mechanics may be a little simple, but its bright color pallette, straightforward objectives, and addictive gameplay loop makes it the perfect game for relaxation. Players can just sit back, build a ranch, wrangle some Slimes, and listen to some music. While the first game still holds up, fans won't need to boot up their Xbox Ones much longer, as Slime Rancher 2 is set for release later this year.
Announced this time last year, during Microsoft's E3 conference, Slime Rancher 2 is set to continue the adventures of ranching protagonist Beatrix LeBeau as she journeys to a brand-new location, the Rainbow Island. Here, the player will start an even bigger and better farm, with more upgrade opportunities and unlockable buildings than in Slime Rancher. Of course, players will also encounter a range of new Slimes, each with their own distinct personality and traits. While not much has been officially revealed so far, fans do have confirmation on a handful of new Slimes that'll be appearing in the sequel.
Every New Slime Revealed So Far
Fans can expect to see a plethora of adorable new Slimes when Slime Rancher 2 releases at some point this year, but for now, they'll have to be satisfied with the five confirmed Slimes that have been revealed so far. The first new Slime to take the spotlight is the Cotton Slime.
Taking the appearance of a bubbly yellow Slime with bunny ears and whiskers, the Cotton Slime appears to be one of the starter Slimes in the game, being the vegetarian of the starting line-up. Being a starter Slime, the Cotton Slime will likely be pretty docile, with a simple behavior pattern that never really changes over the course of the game.
The Flutter Slime is up next, and as its name suggests, this Slime is based on the appearance of a butterfly. The Flutter Slime emanates a warm orange-pink glow, and has both a set of antennae and wings. The Flutter Slime's particular personality and traits haven't been revealed just yet, though it'll likely be one of the game's more energetic and friendly creatures.
Based on the angler fish of the same name, the Angler Slime is a water-dwelling Slime that radiates a blue light from its circular body. Much like its namesake, the Angler Slime also has a set of fins, and a bioluminescent limb designed to attract other creatures.
One of the more ominous-looking addition to Slime Rancher 2, the Batty Slime closely resembles a dark blue bat, with a stumpy set of wings, and pointy ears. What sets the Batty Slime apart from its prey is its glowing orange eyes, and its ability to take flight, which should still be no match for Beatrix's trusty Vacpack.
The last Slime confirmed so far, the Ringtail Slime bears a close resemblance to the ring-tailed cat species of raccoon. Unlike the majority of the Slimes confirmed so far, the Ringtail Slime seems a little more mischievous. Players can expect to spend quite some time wrangling these little critters as they dart around the colorful environment.
The final release of Slime Rancher 2 is sure to feature plenty more new Slimes, along with some returning favorites. Right now, 20 Slimes from the original game have been confirmed to appear in the sequel, including classics like the Tabby Slime, Pink Slime, and Rock Slime, giving fans plenty of cute creatures to capture.
Slime Rancher 2 is set to be released in 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.