A step up in quality and choice from the first game, though still behind the general CoG standard. I actually really liked the reality TV show angle this one went for; participating in the competition was fun, unravelling the conspiracy at the heart of it was interesting, and meeting a broader cast of characters, both new and returning, was great.

The Hero Project also introduces a new major romance option in the form of Lucky, and allows you to begin to feel out a relationship with Jenny, though the two most interesting options still don't come into play until the third game.

However! This one does have the infamous "LGBTQ+ exposition/debate dump" midway through, which I always thought people were exaggerating about, but no, it genuinely is that bad. As an LGBTQ+ man who LOVES inclusivity and diversity in my games and has absolutely zero patience for anyone who refers to that as 'pandering' or 'forced', trust me when I say this isn't the typical "baaah gayness exists in my game get it away from me". It's, like, three pages of a completely out-of-place argument between every character present about the correct terminology to use and fighting about which LGBTQ+ stereotype is more damaging and which of them has it worse. Relatedly, Sergei (the author) seems to think having his stereotypically attractive cis white gay man respond to every criticism from any other character he offends with "Oh yeah? Well I'm pretty and that's hard for me too! Didn't think about that did you!" is some kind of slam dunk gotcha every time. That exact conversation happens twice in this book and makes the same point each time and it always ends with this guy getting the last word. I don't know why you're trying to get me to side with the guy who refers to a trans woman character as "just a gay man trapped in a woman's body", but it's not working, my dude.