As part of its first major content update, Song of the Sabers, Slime Rancher 2 is adding a new area off the coast of Ember Valley. This frozen, prehistoric location is called Powderfall Bluffs, a mysterious glacial island that was brought up from the bottom of the Slime Sea. This new Slime Rancher 2 area is surrounded is a melting, icy mountain, and while fans will be able to explore it in all its glory, Game ZXC was told that its rise out of the sea is all part of a mystery that will unfold in future content updates.
Game ZXC recently checked out a "Let's Play" of Slime Rancher 2's Powderfall Bluffs ahead of the update's release, accompanied by production director Erin Anderson, and walked away excited about the new content. The Slime Rancher franchise has always thrived on its cutesy, fun, and sometimes silly additions, and this update brings all of that to Powderfall Bluffs.
One of the first things players will realize is that there is more verticality to Powderfall Bluffs than other areas in the game. There are multiple islands surrounding the Bluffs that Slime Rancher 2 players will want to use their Jetpack to reach, plenty of caves that take players through various shortcuts, heights, and spelunking adventures, and at the top is a beautiful vista where Powderfall Bluffs can be taken in. The skybox is simply enticing at every point of the day, the snowfall is fun and crunchy in all the right ways, and there is plenty of variety between hot springs, caves, snow-covered mountains, and the Aurora Forest.
During the day, players will see aurora lights scattered across the sky and will even see trees and other environmental objects made of the same light. However, these are more important than players may realize at first. When the sun sets on Powderfall Bluffs, the aurora lights solidify in the sky as a "rainbow bridge" of sorts akin to Rainbow Road in Mario Kart, and this opens up even more areas for players to explore. The night sky is even more beautiful than the daytime, but all in all, exploration of Powderfall Bluffs is a visual treat.
Whether it's night or day, the snow-covered zone is a beautiful environment as well. Slime Rancher 2 developer Monomi Park added a feature called real-time snow deformation, which means as Slimes roll or jump around, their indentations are left in the snow. But more than that, the bottoms of these Slimes are equally covered in snow. It adds a cute aesthetic to any Slime found here in Slime Rancher 2, but it's worth noting that the update does add a new type of Slime - the Saber Slime.
Meat eaters, these Walrus-faced Slimes like to act ferocious and can let loose a roar that scares nearby creatures. They like to jump around a lot, meaning fans will need to keep this in mind when bringing them back to the conservatory, and their ferociousness is only equal to how adorable they are. They're about as threatening as a kitten, which makes them all the more endearing.
Just like other Slimes, there are Largo versions of these, and seeing a Cotton Largo Saber is the epitome of adorable. It has the fangs of the Saber Slime, the ears of the Cotton Slime, and combined with a snow-covered bottom in Powderfall Bluffs, these new critters could easily become fan favorites. This is especially true when combined with the snowball fights that are possible in this area.
Players can find piles of snowballs or dispensers around Powderfall Bluffs and throw them at any Slimes they encounter; this will result in an all-out snowball war between players and Slimes, which covers both them and the player in snow. It's a fun little feature, one designed with nothing but pure fun in mind. Seeing Slimes throw snowballs back and forth, getting involved, and all of that adds life to this update, something very fitting for the world.
Of course, snowball fights are far from the only feature introduced in this new Slime Rancher 2 update. Players will be able to find new resources like perfect snowflakes, slime fossils, and more; meat like Thundercluck hens, which appear to be raptor-like chickens; new trophies that can be placed around Powderfall Bluffs, as well as plenty of cool gadgets; and players can find a Snow Globe that depicts the Slime Rancher 2 conservatory, all while playing a song that can be summarized best as a genuine vibe for the mystery and beauty of the location.
Slime Rancher 2: Song of the Sabers Feature List
- Explore a New Biome: Powderfall Bluffs, a prehistoric frozen island that has mysteriously emerged from the Slime Sea.
- Wrangle New Slimes: Saber Slimes are a ferocious blast from the past! Thought to be long extinct, these prehistoric predators now stalk Thundercluck chickens among snowdrifts of Powderfall Bluffs.
- Snowball Fights: Slimes love to play in the snow and won’t hesitate to start a snowball fight with you and other slimes!
- Discover Auroral Anomalies: Phantom-like flora gleam through the landscape and nightfall illuminates bridges that allow you to reach new heights along the icy mountains of Powderfall Bluffs, but act fast before they vanish with the dawn.
- Build New Gadgets: Start an icy dust-up anywhere with the Snowball Machine or capture the spirit of winter with a giant snow globe. Powderfall Bluffs offers many new rewards for those that can collect precious resources from its frigid peaks.
Song of the Sabers is the first major content for Slime Rancher 2 since it entered Early Access in September 2022, with it being previously stated it would remain as such for roughly 18 months. That means there's not only plenty more to come, but that the Song of the Sabers update sets a high bar for future updates. The relaxing Slime-raising gameplay, the mystery of the new location, the beautiful vistas players will encounter, and the pure fun to be had in Powderfall Bluffs embody everything that Slime Rancher 2 has ever offered fans.
Slime Rancher 2 is available in Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S.