[1] Ana must navigate deadly caves filled with hostile enemies and traps to collect treasures.

Like the first game, the story and aesthetics draw inspiration from several ancient cultures, featuring mythological figures like Olmec, Kali, Osiris, Lamassu, Tiamat, and Hundun.

Yu needed to outsource the game's development to BlitWorks because of the sequel's larger scope.

[6] Yu strived to create a game world that feels like a "living, breathing place" in order to keep new players engaged.

The story, which focuses on the themes of family and kinship, is mostly delivered through journal articles in the game's world and the Base Camp where Ana can interact with the characters she has encountered during her adventure.

[32] Chris Plante, in his review for Polygon, praised the game as an improvement on its predecessor and said "everything is just a little different, another stroke that proves perfection is imperfect".

[33] Mitchell Saltzman of IGN called the game "a masterpiece that improves upon its predecessor in ways I never even would have imagined".