I like the atmosphere and gameplay more about this game. it does feel a lot scarier but it still feels like a lot of walking.
8/10 improvement from the first but idk why i gave up on it
8/10 improvement from the first but idk why i gave up on it
Bendy and the Kino Revival
Okay but actually, it was better than the first game but overall, still a very meh game
Okay but actually, it was better than the first game but overall, still a very meh game
Many told me that this game was much better than the first, and well, it undoubtedly has more content than the first and a deeper story. But it's also MUCH more boring than the first. The maps in this game are too large, and your character is too slow. All the areas have the same brownish color palettes, making them all look too similar. While playing, I never felt like I was progressing to a new area; it just felt like I was going from one identical area to another, and combined with the darker tone, it's quite tiresome on the eyes in the long run. Many times I felt frustrated playing because I couldn't progress; I'd wander around the map aimlessly for hours until I found the way. Due to the maps in this game being much larger than the previous one, there's room to explore, but they're bland and identical, often leaving you confused and frustrated. The story is silly, and that's very sad. The new villain is dull and poorly developed. Most of the questions left unanswered in the first game, I think only one was addressed. I was very disappointed with this sequel. I would undoubtedly recommend the original over this because even though the original is generic and cliché, at least its maps were more coherent and didn't make you nauseous from staring at the same color tone. Not to mention, it had more interesting characters, like Boris, who despite not saying anything throughout the game, I found him more charismatic than the little Bendy you follow during the game.
This review contains spoilers
incredible followup to an incredible game.
also that city area is one of the coolest areas ive ever seen in any game
also that city area is one of the coolest areas ive ever seen in any game
bendy and the ink machine wooahaowahaowha
İlk oyunu bilmeden oynamama rağmen zorluk yaşamadım, güzel bir hikaye ve akışı vardı. Mekanikleri hoşuma gitti genel olarak bulmacalarla geçiyoruz bölümleri, bazı bölümler sıkıcı geldi ama güzeldi. Beğendim.
This review contains spoilers
This is an extremely spoiler heavy review, because every spoiler is what makes me absolutely love this game. ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… Wilson is the dumbest antagonist I have ever had the pleasure of defeating. I really thought there was going to be some twist about him, there is absolutely no way that the cartoonishly evil old man is the actual villain right? Joey Drew is going to be revealed to be “Mr Bendy and the Ink Machine” himself? No, I waited several years to get a game where my role as the daughter of Joey Drew, is to sacrifice my soul into a character Fnaf style and take down ink satan with the power of OCs. I love this game so much.
(Self Disclaimer: Played on Steam Deck)
I liked the horror game, much better then mid breach
I liked the horror game, much better then mid breach
C'est une merde INFAME.
TOUT EST IGNOBLE. le game design est CATASTROPHIQUE je sais pas ce qui s'est passé. en stream on se MOQUAIT DU JEU.
l'histoire PUE, tout PUE, les retournements de SITUATIONS PUENT.
l'horreur est la pire tentative de faire peur que j'ai vu dans un jeu. les jumpscare ne faisaient plus peur, c'était juste chiant, les chase sont catastrophique, et bordel dans l'histoire, y'avait un potentiel de fou, completement RATE.
Les enigmes ne sont pas des enigmes, c'est "trouve le papier où il y a la réponse et entre le code" tout le long du jeu.
On dirait une copie de bioshock, sans ce qui fait que Bioshock est bien.
N'y jouez pas.
TOUT EST IGNOBLE. le game design est CATASTROPHIQUE je sais pas ce qui s'est passé. en stream on se MOQUAIT DU JEU.
l'histoire PUE, tout PUE, les retournements de SITUATIONS PUENT.
l'horreur est la pire tentative de faire peur que j'ai vu dans un jeu. les jumpscare ne faisaient plus peur, c'était juste chiant, les chase sont catastrophique, et bordel dans l'histoire, y'avait un potentiel de fou, completement RATE.
Les enigmes ne sont pas des enigmes, c'est "trouve le papier où il y a la réponse et entre le code" tout le long du jeu.
On dirait une copie de bioshock, sans ce qui fait que Bioshock est bien.
N'y jouez pas.
A great sequel! Finally the studio learned that dividing the game in chapter was not a good idea and released a full game that feels finished. The combat is slow and need some fixing, but it works. The story is complete, but it has some question that has been left unanswered!
This review contains spoilers
This game is better than the first one. The Story is that an animator "Audrey" gets taken by Wilson into The Ink Machine so he can get her to help him with a plan he has to stop The Ink Demon from the first game, while you try to find a way to survive, this is an interesting idea for the next chapter in the series, the twists and turns are also good, minus a few dumb things like, Why didn't Evil Alice kill you earlier if she was going to do it anyway? Why was Wilson so slow when it came to capturing you, causing you to get away? and why was only The Ink Demon stopped, but not Audrey who was inside it? The Characters are good, Audrey is decent, nothing special about her, Joey Drew when he was younger is interesting to see, Wilson has an obviously evil persona, so it's no surprise when he does what he does, Betty is nothing impressive, little Bendy is adorable, and I want to raise him, and the characters from The Ink Machine are the same as before, only Alice is given more depth, and Evil Alice is given more time to shine.
The Graphics are improved from the first game, they look like if the first game has a much bigger budget for detail, and the atmosphere feel like an upgrade from the first game too. The Gameplay has you sneak, collect, hide, and attack like in The Ink Machine, although one disappointing change is how they handled hiding from The Ink Demon, now you go to hide when the game tells you, and you aren't told when it's safe to come out, because this time they don't show The Ink Demon or his shadow get closer or show at all when these happen, and the gameplay overall is better than the first one, but not much more, and I noticed a few annoyances while playing, there are no subtitles on the logs, some enemies teleported positions when I played, 1 time the Ink Demon chased after me in an area I couldn't find a hiding spot in, the enemies can get you even when you are about to finish climbing a ladder, and why do the creatures try to kill you after you defeat their ruler, and they are supposed to serve you? The Music is improved, and adds more creative atmospheric moods when you hear them. Bendy and the Dark Revival shows helps the franchise to grow slowly, but grow none the less.
The Graphics are improved from the first game, they look like if the first game has a much bigger budget for detail, and the atmosphere feel like an upgrade from the first game too. The Gameplay has you sneak, collect, hide, and attack like in The Ink Machine, although one disappointing change is how they handled hiding from The Ink Demon, now you go to hide when the game tells you, and you aren't told when it's safe to come out, because this time they don't show The Ink Demon or his shadow get closer or show at all when these happen, and the gameplay overall is better than the first one, but not much more, and I noticed a few annoyances while playing, there are no subtitles on the logs, some enemies teleported positions when I played, 1 time the Ink Demon chased after me in an area I couldn't find a hiding spot in, the enemies can get you even when you are about to finish climbing a ladder, and why do the creatures try to kill you after you defeat their ruler, and they are supposed to serve you? The Music is improved, and adds more creative atmospheric moods when you hear them. Bendy and the Dark Revival shows helps the franchise to grow slowly, but grow none the less.
In terms of crafting an immersive and unique world that looks and feels like a sleep-paralysis-induced hallucination of Steamboat Willie, this is genuinely leaps and bounds better than I expected from a developer of this scale. The art style is stunning, the atmosphere is top notch, and the way it grounds everything in cartoon logic while maintaining its sinister tone is impressive.
Annoyingly, everything within that world is much less inspired. Although its stealth sections aren't the worst in the world, the majority of the game focuses on nonsensical combat with no block or dodge mechanic despite enemies attacking relentlessly, puzzles that require little imagination to solve and mechanics that are never fully fleshed out enough to meet their potential.
I never played the first game, but from what I do know about the IP, the pivot to a more Bioshocky format is a smart fit for Bendy. I just can't help but think focusing purely on stealth gameplay would've been a smarter option considering its style of combat is counterintuitive to the atmosphere of the experience. I'd rather sneak around creepy ink demons than spend 30 seconds trading clunky melee blows with them until either they die or I crumple and respawn down the hallway with zero lost progress.
Annoyingly, everything within that world is much less inspired. Although its stealth sections aren't the worst in the world, the majority of the game focuses on nonsensical combat with no block or dodge mechanic despite enemies attacking relentlessly, puzzles that require little imagination to solve and mechanics that are never fully fleshed out enough to meet their potential.
I never played the first game, but from what I do know about the IP, the pivot to a more Bioshocky format is a smart fit for Bendy. I just can't help but think focusing purely on stealth gameplay would've been a smarter option considering its style of combat is counterintuitive to the atmosphere of the experience. I'd rather sneak around creepy ink demons than spend 30 seconds trading clunky melee blows with them until either they die or I crumple and respawn down the hallway with zero lost progress.
This game shouldn't have been made lmao. It feels so rushed together to make something more out of the shocking success of the first game. It's gameplay is agonizing and boring, with these awful hiding sequences that if randomly popping up where you have no hiding spots, will outright kill you. The story is non sensical, with a new main character I dont care about, fleshing out a world I already had 0 interest in. It also relies way too much on loud noises and jumpscares to make up for its lack of atmosphere, and speaking of loud noises, the audio mixing is horrendous. I had the game volume low for a reason, and the game had sound effects that still played at full volume.
3 stars solely for little Bendy carrying the team here. I liked pieces of Ink Machine better then Dark Revival, but DR has some shining moments as well
There's so much here for me to love, but I don't.
This review contains spoilers
I can confidently say that it stands out as one of the best horror survival games, comparable to the likes of Bioshock and Resident Evil. The art style is incredibly unique, creating a world that is both captivating and immersive. The game's ability to draw you into its world is commendable, making it a true treat to experience.
The sound design and background music also deserve praise, as they effectively set the mood and add to the overall atmosphere of the game. Combined with the art style, these elements create a truly immersive experience.
However, the game is not without its issues. One of the most glaring issues is its similarity to Bioshock, which may make it feel like a copy at times. Additionally, the difficulty level, especially on normal mode, leaves much to be desired. As a first-time player in the series, I found the game to be relatively easy, with only three deaths throughout my playthrough.
Another drawback is the use of random jump scares with unkillable enemies, which can disrupt the immersion and feel more like cheap thrills than genuine scares. The final segment, where Audrey becomes the ink demon, could have been more engaging, perhaps as a cutscene rather than a gameplay section that involves simply navigating through doors.
Overall, it's a great game for a one-time playthrough, offering a unique art style, good sound design, and an engaging story.
The sound design and background music also deserve praise, as they effectively set the mood and add to the overall atmosphere of the game. Combined with the art style, these elements create a truly immersive experience.
However, the game is not without its issues. One of the most glaring issues is its similarity to Bioshock, which may make it feel like a copy at times. Additionally, the difficulty level, especially on normal mode, leaves much to be desired. As a first-time player in the series, I found the game to be relatively easy, with only three deaths throughout my playthrough.
Another drawback is the use of random jump scares with unkillable enemies, which can disrupt the immersion and feel more like cheap thrills than genuine scares. The final segment, where Audrey becomes the ink demon, could have been more engaging, perhaps as a cutscene rather than a gameplay section that involves simply navigating through doors.
Overall, it's a great game for a one-time playthrough, offering a unique art style, good sound design, and an engaging story.
Bendy and The Dark Revival is the sequel to the ever popular mascot horror, Bendy and The Ink Machine. In this game you play as Audrey, an animator at Arch Gate Studios who thanks to the creepy janitor Wilson, finds herself sucked into the inky abyss players will be familiar with.
This game is an absolute improvement over the first game in every single way and I mean it. There is nothing about this game that I believe is worse than the original.
This game keeps the same style as the original, but also enhances it, which is to be expected by a newer release. The style was the only part of the original that I liked, so seeing it return and be even better than before was comforting.
The gameplay in this game, while still simple, is more fun to do. Alongside just hitting things, players now have access to stealth mechanics such as sneaking and stealth kills. Plays now have access to this warp dash ability that helps that cross large gaps which is important in some puzzles and accessing certain areas. Players also have the ability to upgrade these abilities as they see fit.
From the very beginning, the story of this game felt a lot more direct and important than it did in the first game and I'm happy with that because I felt noticeably more interested in the events of this game than I did with the first one.
The voice work in this game is better in my opinion, my favourites being Erin Lehn as Audrey and Sean Crisden as The Ink Demon.
This formula still has some polish left to go, but I'm excited to see what Joey Drew Studios have planned for Bendy 3.
This game is an absolute improvement over the first game in every single way and I mean it. There is nothing about this game that I believe is worse than the original.
This game keeps the same style as the original, but also enhances it, which is to be expected by a newer release. The style was the only part of the original that I liked, so seeing it return and be even better than before was comforting.
The gameplay in this game, while still simple, is more fun to do. Alongside just hitting things, players now have access to stealth mechanics such as sneaking and stealth kills. Plays now have access to this warp dash ability that helps that cross large gaps which is important in some puzzles and accessing certain areas. Players also have the ability to upgrade these abilities as they see fit.
From the very beginning, the story of this game felt a lot more direct and important than it did in the first game and I'm happy with that because I felt noticeably more interested in the events of this game than I did with the first one.
The voice work in this game is better in my opinion, my favourites being Erin Lehn as Audrey and Sean Crisden as The Ink Demon.
This formula still has some polish left to go, but I'm excited to see what Joey Drew Studios have planned for Bendy 3.
it's so much better than the original, however the story is goofy as fuck and the objectives are REALLY unclear most of the time, and you often have no idea how to proceed. i really wanted to give this a higher rating but the objective thing really ruined it for me
BIG improvement from the previous game!
The best mascot horror has to offer
An excellent sequel
Well I'll be damned, they made a genuinely really solid Bendy game.
Considering this games roots, the fact it turned out this good is quite the accomplishment. It manages to be an engaging couple hours with a pretty good story to boot. Colour me impressed.
It's not scary at all, but uh.
Considering this games roots, the fact it turned out this good is quite the accomplishment. It manages to be an engaging couple hours with a pretty good story to boot. Colour me impressed.
It's not scary at all, but uh.
This review contains spoilers
Bendy And The Dark Revival é provavelmente um dos melhores jogos de terror que eu conheço.
O jogo é uma melhora ABSURDA do Ink Machine e honestamente não tem comparação.
O jogo ganha ponto pelos gráficos LINDOS com a direção de arte belíssima, passando uma atmosfera incrível.
O combate é ótimo mas tem problemas justamente por ser simples demais fazendo pra mim a parte mais fraca do jogo.
A história diferente do Ink Machine que foi se construindo ao longo dos lançamentos de capítulos, aqui ela é totalmente escrita e elaborada - criando uma história FANTÁSTICA.
Comparado ao Ink Machine, esse jogo definitivamente te dá medo, principalmente com uma inimiga específica do jogo.
Além dos desings fantásticos tenho que dar destaque aos redesings que praticamente todos os personagens de BATIM sofreram - eles ficaram PERFEITOS, principalmente o Bendy e o Ink Demon.
Falando em Bendy, obrigado por colocarem ele no jogo, eu amo meu bebê.
9.8/10. BATDR é incrivelmente bom e espero que no futuro melhorem mais nos próximos jogos!
O jogo é uma melhora ABSURDA do Ink Machine e honestamente não tem comparação.
O jogo ganha ponto pelos gráficos LINDOS com a direção de arte belíssima, passando uma atmosfera incrível.
O combate é ótimo mas tem problemas justamente por ser simples demais fazendo pra mim a parte mais fraca do jogo.
A história diferente do Ink Machine que foi se construindo ao longo dos lançamentos de capítulos, aqui ela é totalmente escrita e elaborada - criando uma história FANTÁSTICA.
Comparado ao Ink Machine, esse jogo definitivamente te dá medo, principalmente com uma inimiga específica do jogo.
Além dos desings fantásticos tenho que dar destaque aos redesings que praticamente todos os personagens de BATIM sofreram - eles ficaram PERFEITOS, principalmente o Bendy e o Ink Demon.
Falando em Bendy, obrigado por colocarem ele no jogo, eu amo meu bebê.
9.8/10. BATDR é incrivelmente bom e espero que no futuro melhorem mais nos próximos jogos!
"Bioshock de terror"
Adorei o jogo, é uma ótima sequência! Não é o jogo mais assustador do mundo, mas a ambientação simplesmente me prende demais, é tudo desenhado e coberto de tinta. Ele é mais sombrio e complexo que o primeiro em todos os sentidos, e isso é ótimo (o primeiro ainda tem seu charme por causa da simplicidade).
O combate desse jogo ficou muito melhor, com a presença de poderes,power ups e inimigos mais difíceis. Me lembrou muito Bioshock. Pensando bem, o jogo aparenta muito ser um Bioshock de terror...e isso é muito bom, já que ele possui uma gameplay semelhante (apesar de simplificada) e uma ambientação maravilhosa.
Não jogue no difícil!!! O jogo foi feito para ser experienciado no normal e o modo difícil desse jogo é, realmente, difícil. Imagino que a função dele seja mais oferecer um desafio a mais para quem vai rejogar do que pra quem vai jogar pela primeira vez. Eu comecei no difícil mas acabei não gostando pq eu estava passando mais tempo matando os inimigos simples do que explorando a história do jogo, então tive que abrir a pasta do jogo e alterar a dificuldade para "normal" manualmente (não, o jogo não te dá essa opção no menu).
Adorei o jogo, é uma ótima sequência! Não é o jogo mais assustador do mundo, mas a ambientação simplesmente me prende demais, é tudo desenhado e coberto de tinta. Ele é mais sombrio e complexo que o primeiro em todos os sentidos, e isso é ótimo (o primeiro ainda tem seu charme por causa da simplicidade).
O combate desse jogo ficou muito melhor, com a presença de poderes,power ups e inimigos mais difíceis. Me lembrou muito Bioshock. Pensando bem, o jogo aparenta muito ser um Bioshock de terror...e isso é muito bom, já que ele possui uma gameplay semelhante (apesar de simplificada) e uma ambientação maravilhosa.
Não jogue no difícil!!! O jogo foi feito para ser experienciado no normal e o modo difícil desse jogo é, realmente, difícil. Imagino que a função dele seja mais oferecer um desafio a mais para quem vai rejogar do que pra quem vai jogar pela primeira vez. Eu comecei no difícil mas acabei não gostando pq eu estava passando mais tempo matando os inimigos simples do que explorando a história do jogo, então tive que abrir a pasta do jogo e alterar a dificuldade para "normal" manualmente (não, o jogo não te dá essa opção no menu).
Melhor que o outro, sem discussão
Techniquement mieux mais toujours trop de bullshit et les combats sont toujours autant à CHIER
Def better than the original but still mid
This review contains spoilers
I don't know what to think about Bendy... pretty much nothing here is mediocre, every aspect of Bendy is either great or terrible, and so playing through it was an absolute rollercoaster. But unfortunately, I think the bad does outweigh the good here, and my takeaway tl;dr review would be 'unrealised potential' (and yes, this review is definitely 'tl').
I think it's important to state there are some things I really did like about this game though. In general, the art direction is very strong. The 'pencil-drawn' sepia-tinted monochrome aesthetic of the game is genuinely very good. I also particularly like how they subvert this near the end by introducing colour into the world just before the final boss. The world is very derivative of Bioshock's Rapture at times, but this art direction does give it enough of a character to stand out somewhat. The game is also pretty good at conveying both a dark atmosphere and a sense of adventure. The level design is generally pretty good and, while the level theming is pretty scattershot and abruptly changing at times, it does all contribute to the pretty decent worldbuilding. At times parts of the world of Bendy feel almost Lewis Carroll-esque, and these were where the game shined the most; I wish they had leaned into this side of things more and taken themselves a little less seriously.
But Bendy also has a strong tendency to set up interesting-sounding ideas, concepts or enemies, but then seemingly not know what to do with them. The aforementioned use of colour that I really appreciated in the moment just... abruptly ends two rooms later and is never mentioned again. The same goes for things like Searcher enemies or the Pit; things constantly referenced and bigged up in NPC dialogue, only to appear only very fleetingly or not at all. But there's also a fair bit of the opposite problem too. Plenty of set-pieces, and plot reveals happen with seemingly no explanation or reason I could see (e.g. when you get kidnapped from Wilson's Retreat by a character you've never seen before for like 5 minutes and then just end up back where you were before without anything being changed). I'm going to assume a lot of this is callbacks to Bendy and the Ink Machine, which I have not played: there's no problem having a touch of fan service in your game, especially if you are a sequel, but there really is a lot of this kind of thing in Bendy and it just comes off as incredibly underdeveloped.
Also on that front, the characters' visual design is... baaad. Nobody looks like they belong in the beautifully crafted world. Most standard enemy types boil down to 'Bioshock sploicer covered in glossy black slime' which never fails to look out of place in the deliberately very matte and straight-line based environments. The Ink Demon looks more goofy than scary, and Bendy himself... don't get me wrong, he's a nice character design in 2D and a great mascot for the series, but he just looks kinda dumb rendered in 3D. I wish they had had characters like Bendy and the Ink Demon just be 2D animations in the 3D world in the style of Who Framed Roger Rabbit or similar; especially because, despite Bendy being a game about a 1930s-style 2D animation studio, there is somehow no 1930s-style 2D animation in the game! Come on Bendy, if Cuphead can do it, so can you. Such a wasted opportunity!
The gameplay could be worse, but there really isn't much there to write home about. The main two options available to you in most encounters are stealth and melee combat, and neither is well-developed at all. The enemy AI and detection cones in the stealth sections are very very generous, meaning there really is almost no challenge here, especially as you can reset all enemy aggro by finding any designated hiding spot and sitting in it for 2 seconds. The combat is pretty dire; the only option you have is a wrench, with no ability to block or dodge, so every fight becomes 'whack the baddie in the face until either you or they stop moving'. This becomes especially pronounced when you realise there is no punishment for death; you just respawn in a nearby Vita-Chamber (or whatever Bendy calls them, it really isn't trying to cover up what it's stolen from Bioshock at this point).
There are two gameplay mechanics that really pissed me off though, and honestly they are the two biggest complaints I have about this game: Slicer and 'The Ink Demon is Coming'. Slicer is an enemy who likes to, at random intervals, suddenly appear in the middle of the screen with a big audio sting, whack you once for a bit of damage and then vanish. Bendy is full of cheap jumpscares that honestly I was willing to overlook, but Slicer is probably the cheapest jumpscare tactic I have ever seen in any media. And as far as I can tell it is completely random; I once had her pop up 4 times in one room in the space of about 2 minutes, and it's not scary it's just unpleasant. The Ink Demon thing is better on paper, but implemented very poorly. Every now and again, wherever you are, the screen will darken at the edges and you will get a message 'The Ink Demon is coming, Hide!' and you have a few seconds to find a hiding spot or die (you get a game over screen and everything, no Vita Chamber cheesing here). In theory, this makes you constantly on edge, advancing slowly through the world while making sure you always have a mental map back to the last hiding spot you passed. In practice it's just fucking annoying. If it pops up while you're slowly crawling in air vent (which apparently doesn't count as a hiding spot) or about to enter a combat set-piece where hiding is disabled, you just get to die and there is fuck all you can do about it. This is particularly bad when backtracking; if you aren't manually saving every couple of minutes, then these unavoidable deaths can set you back minutes because the game doesn't autosave when you're backtracking. So yeah, I guess I did 'Fear the Ink Demon', but not in the way the game wanted me to.
Basically, this review is as long as it is because I really do want to like Bendy. It really is commendable for an indie developer to tackle something of this scope, and there is strong promise peeking through some of the cracks. But the final product ends up being a Bioshock clone made by people who seem not to understand what made Bioshock great. And I think that's just a bit sad. It's not like I didn't enjoy my time playing Bendy, it was a decent enough experience on the whole and the unique world makes it quite a memorable one, but Bendy drops the ball in so many ways that I just don't feel like I can ever recommend it.
I think it's important to state there are some things I really did like about this game though. In general, the art direction is very strong. The 'pencil-drawn' sepia-tinted monochrome aesthetic of the game is genuinely very good. I also particularly like how they subvert this near the end by introducing colour into the world just before the final boss. The world is very derivative of Bioshock's Rapture at times, but this art direction does give it enough of a character to stand out somewhat. The game is also pretty good at conveying both a dark atmosphere and a sense of adventure. The level design is generally pretty good and, while the level theming is pretty scattershot and abruptly changing at times, it does all contribute to the pretty decent worldbuilding. At times parts of the world of Bendy feel almost Lewis Carroll-esque, and these were where the game shined the most; I wish they had leaned into this side of things more and taken themselves a little less seriously.
But Bendy also has a strong tendency to set up interesting-sounding ideas, concepts or enemies, but then seemingly not know what to do with them. The aforementioned use of colour that I really appreciated in the moment just... abruptly ends two rooms later and is never mentioned again. The same goes for things like Searcher enemies or the Pit; things constantly referenced and bigged up in NPC dialogue, only to appear only very fleetingly or not at all. But there's also a fair bit of the opposite problem too. Plenty of set-pieces, and plot reveals happen with seemingly no explanation or reason I could see (e.g. when you get kidnapped from Wilson's Retreat by a character you've never seen before for like 5 minutes and then just end up back where you were before without anything being changed). I'm going to assume a lot of this is callbacks to Bendy and the Ink Machine, which I have not played: there's no problem having a touch of fan service in your game, especially if you are a sequel, but there really is a lot of this kind of thing in Bendy and it just comes off as incredibly underdeveloped.
Also on that front, the characters' visual design is... baaad. Nobody looks like they belong in the beautifully crafted world. Most standard enemy types boil down to 'Bioshock sploicer covered in glossy black slime' which never fails to look out of place in the deliberately very matte and straight-line based environments. The Ink Demon looks more goofy than scary, and Bendy himself... don't get me wrong, he's a nice character design in 2D and a great mascot for the series, but he just looks kinda dumb rendered in 3D. I wish they had had characters like Bendy and the Ink Demon just be 2D animations in the 3D world in the style of Who Framed Roger Rabbit or similar; especially because, despite Bendy being a game about a 1930s-style 2D animation studio, there is somehow no 1930s-style 2D animation in the game! Come on Bendy, if Cuphead can do it, so can you. Such a wasted opportunity!
The gameplay could be worse, but there really isn't much there to write home about. The main two options available to you in most encounters are stealth and melee combat, and neither is well-developed at all. The enemy AI and detection cones in the stealth sections are very very generous, meaning there really is almost no challenge here, especially as you can reset all enemy aggro by finding any designated hiding spot and sitting in it for 2 seconds. The combat is pretty dire; the only option you have is a wrench, with no ability to block or dodge, so every fight becomes 'whack the baddie in the face until either you or they stop moving'. This becomes especially pronounced when you realise there is no punishment for death; you just respawn in a nearby Vita-Chamber (or whatever Bendy calls them, it really isn't trying to cover up what it's stolen from Bioshock at this point).
There are two gameplay mechanics that really pissed me off though, and honestly they are the two biggest complaints I have about this game: Slicer and 'The Ink Demon is Coming'. Slicer is an enemy who likes to, at random intervals, suddenly appear in the middle of the screen with a big audio sting, whack you once for a bit of damage and then vanish. Bendy is full of cheap jumpscares that honestly I was willing to overlook, but Slicer is probably the cheapest jumpscare tactic I have ever seen in any media. And as far as I can tell it is completely random; I once had her pop up 4 times in one room in the space of about 2 minutes, and it's not scary it's just unpleasant. The Ink Demon thing is better on paper, but implemented very poorly. Every now and again, wherever you are, the screen will darken at the edges and you will get a message 'The Ink Demon is coming, Hide!' and you have a few seconds to find a hiding spot or die (you get a game over screen and everything, no Vita Chamber cheesing here). In theory, this makes you constantly on edge, advancing slowly through the world while making sure you always have a mental map back to the last hiding spot you passed. In practice it's just fucking annoying. If it pops up while you're slowly crawling in air vent (which apparently doesn't count as a hiding spot) or about to enter a combat set-piece where hiding is disabled, you just get to die and there is fuck all you can do about it. This is particularly bad when backtracking; if you aren't manually saving every couple of minutes, then these unavoidable deaths can set you back minutes because the game doesn't autosave when you're backtracking. So yeah, I guess I did 'Fear the Ink Demon', but not in the way the game wanted me to.
Basically, this review is as long as it is because I really do want to like Bendy. It really is commendable for an indie developer to tackle something of this scope, and there is strong promise peeking through some of the cracks. But the final product ends up being a Bioshock clone made by people who seem not to understand what made Bioshock great. And I think that's just a bit sad. It's not like I didn't enjoy my time playing Bendy, it was a decent enough experience on the whole and the unique world makes it quite a memorable one, but Bendy drops the ball in so many ways that I just don't feel like I can ever recommend it.
I thought this game was fire until I played it.
The Ink Demon could slice my stomach open and I would say "thank you"