This game is a wondeful tribute to Miiverse, the lost gaming social network from the Nintendo WiiU and 3DS era. Anyone who has experienced a beloved online community coming to an end will relate to the feelings presented here. I loved all the classic video game references and easter eggs/parodies.
I played through the first Metro Quester game on the Switch. Once the gameplay clicked for me, I was hooked. This sequel is literally more of the same, with the added aspect of exploring in a rowboat. Don't come to this game expecting a deep story with loads of character development. While there is an underlying storyline, it takes a back seat (or maybe is stuffed in the trunk) to the dungeon exploration, light resource management, and level grinding. The battle system is pared down significantly compared to other RPGs: Turn order is determined by values on selected actions (from highest to lowest). Enemies are automatically targeted based on weakest/lowest HP first. While this setup inherently removes a layer of strategy found in traditional RPG battle systems, the tradeoff is fights move incredibly fast- especially when you crank the turbo setting up. The estimate of 10 hours for playthrough is fair, I like to take my time exploring and maxing out levels so I got closer to 20-30 hours.
Gamplay feels like a solitaire Euro-style board game. The game is great for coffee breaks or quick sessions, but can be pretty addictive.
