Very fun, would not recommend.
i could marry this game fr
but also there's some bullshit in there
but also there's some bullshit in there
I'mma choose to be the MOST annoying Marina fan-girl out there
miro's fascinatingly gorgeous art style accompanied by brutally distinct systems make this game so incredibly interesting to experience, especially as someone as enamored with rpgmaker titles as i am . . . there's a surprising amount of meat on the game's bones and i was very shocked to see that my first (successful) playthrough had racked up around 14 hours of time alone !! i think once we get another content update or two and see what else miro has in store in terms of lore and the other contestants this game will be an easy 5 stars
Only play this game if you're capable of digesting its grim subject matter, which is used to buildup an intense atmosphere.
What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss? Most likely very little if anything at all. However in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina; which I am going to simply refer to as 'Termina' from now on, this is a fundamental gameplay mechanic. The difference between life and death can be as simple as picking between heads or tails.
Termina differs from other RPGs by giving the player unchecked freedom to do whatever they want and progress by figuring out things themselves. You don't have to figure out everything yourself but a lot of the game is taught from reloading your last save after dying. Death lurks at every corner and it is your job to figure out how to avoid or overpower the challenges ahead.
This can lead to occasional halts in progress during your first playthrough if you don't actively try different routes or decisions throughout the same areas. You shouldn't think of dying or losing progress as a detriment. Learning by making mistakes is heavily rewarded as if you don't try different routes or strategies you wont get very far.
There is no level up mechanic but every character has base stats which you can upgrade by putting on gear and applying status effects. The only stat you level up in Termia is your own understanding of the game as each time you learn something new the game becomes easier.
This leads to the game feeling very grounded and forces you to play with the cards given to you, every character in the game can become extremely powerful if you know how to use their skills properly.
The skill tree leaves little to be desired, but obtaining the resource required to unlock skills, to me i felt could've been extremely difficult to figure out if i didn't already have it in my inventory.
The game is structured in a way that I want to replay it over and over again until I've done everything there is to do, having to play the game in an entirely different way with another character makes the game feel fresh and exciting.
The final boss to one of the endings felt extremely boring however, I've never been a fan of endurance checks (as I like to call it) where i have to stay alive for several or so of minutes with little to no challenge presented. Compared to the other bosses it was extremely linear and simple.
Even as I give this game a near perfect score, it is still getting updates and there will be more content for me to discover. Thank you Miro Haverinen for the incredible experience.
What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss? Most likely very little if anything at all. However in Fear & Hunger 2: Termina; which I am going to simply refer to as 'Termina' from now on, this is a fundamental gameplay mechanic. The difference between life and death can be as simple as picking between heads or tails.
Termina differs from other RPGs by giving the player unchecked freedom to do whatever they want and progress by figuring out things themselves. You don't have to figure out everything yourself but a lot of the game is taught from reloading your last save after dying. Death lurks at every corner and it is your job to figure out how to avoid or overpower the challenges ahead.
This can lead to occasional halts in progress during your first playthrough if you don't actively try different routes or decisions throughout the same areas. You shouldn't think of dying or losing progress as a detriment. Learning by making mistakes is heavily rewarded as if you don't try different routes or strategies you wont get very far.
There is no level up mechanic but every character has base stats which you can upgrade by putting on gear and applying status effects. The only stat you level up in Termia is your own understanding of the game as each time you learn something new the game becomes easier.
This leads to the game feeling very grounded and forces you to play with the cards given to you, every character in the game can become extremely powerful if you know how to use their skills properly.
The skill tree leaves little to be desired, but obtaining the resource required to unlock skills, to me i felt could've been extremely difficult to figure out if i didn't already have it in my inventory.
The game is structured in a way that I want to replay it over and over again until I've done everything there is to do, having to play the game in an entirely different way with another character makes the game feel fresh and exciting.
The final boss to one of the endings felt extremely boring however, I've never been a fan of endurance checks (as I like to call it) where i have to stay alive for several or so of minutes with little to no challenge presented. Compared to the other bosses it was extremely linear and simple.
Even as I give this game a near perfect score, it is still getting updates and there will be more content for me to discover. Thank you Miro Haverinen for the incredible experience.
actually the best game ever. will not be recommending this one to my friends
Amazing game, my favourite out of the two FaH games. It’s a bit more on the easier side since limb loss isn’t as big a deal as it was in the first game, you have a better start than you would have back in the first. Game expands more on the lord the first game had, brought back a pivotal character from the first game (iykyk). Only has 3 endings, compared to the 8 endings? the first game had, it’s also much easier to achieve the endings in the second one, just a bit more time consuming. Awesome sound design, I hate the background music whenever I’m exploring the overworld since I mostly play at night. Interesting characters and really good enemies. I love the design for the Ending A boss and the two phases it has. And to top all of this off there will be more characters added in the future and possibly more endings and more areas as well. Can’t wait to see how this game unfolds and what Mirio has planned for Termina. 10/0
Majora's Mask mixed with Silent Hill and Pathologic. Absolute masterpiece of survival horror. The first game was a bit too edgy at times, but this title masterfully mixes awful nudity with body horror and nearly every enemy is better than 90% of Silent Hill monsters.
It seems I have gotten the best ending, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't seen half the secrets.
The decision to spread out the saves was genious and made for a tense gameplay that I've never seen before. At one point I needed to quit the game because I legit got too scared to continue on my current run. The location mixed with tense uncertainty of whether you'll be alive next second is sublime.
Can't wait to learn more about this amazing title and try harder difficulty as well as more playable characters.
Honestly, if this game came out a month later it would've been a 2023 GOTY for me. It's great to see a title so anopologetically evil and so unashamed of current weird notions that human body is somehow bad. There's a masturbation skill for communicating with one of the gods and, like, fine? We've recently gotten a AAA game where nearly every enemy's head explodes, why should the idea of sex be worse? God knows this game isn't horny.
And if this game turns you on, more power to you, you crazy asshole
It seems I have gotten the best ending, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't seen half the secrets.
The decision to spread out the saves was genious and made for a tense gameplay that I've never seen before. At one point I needed to quit the game because I legit got too scared to continue on my current run. The location mixed with tense uncertainty of whether you'll be alive next second is sublime.
Can't wait to learn more about this amazing title and try harder difficulty as well as more playable characters.
Honestly, if this game came out a month later it would've been a 2023 GOTY for me. It's great to see a title so anopologetically evil and so unashamed of current weird notions that human body is somehow bad. There's a masturbation skill for communicating with one of the gods and, like, fine? We've recently gotten a AAA game where nearly every enemy's head explodes, why should the idea of sex be worse? God knows this game isn't horny.
And if this game turns you on, more power to you, you crazy asshole
A random boxer's fists are stronger than most weapons in the game
Its like a Silent Hill, Pathologic, Dark Souls synthesis. Definately give it a try
Improves on the first in basically every aspect. The game still hates you, but it wants you to play it at the very least.
It’s like Miro took every element of F&H 1 and fleshed it out tenfold. There’s a level of soul-crushing “sorrow” the game makes me feel that’s never been replicated in me before (though, I play little horror). Been enjoying it a lot!
Finished the Game: upped my rating. In love with Miro’s work; a must play to me
Finished the Game: upped my rating. In love with Miro’s work; a must play to me
EE0P
I hate this game with my entire heart, but I also love it so, so much. It's unapologetically evil and that is a wonderful thing.
Genuinely one of the most captivating and haunting worlds and atmospheres and just stories in general I've seen in a video game, especially in recent memory. There are countless references, nods and just overall similarities to other properties, but instead of copying or just inspiration in general it takes those concepts and morphs them into something completely new and unique and incredibly inspirational just by itself.
The gameplay is like a top down Silent Hill (In the spirit of the first 4) with RPG elements. And while the first game got repetitive and got worse after you learned more, this game only gets better the more you know and with the addition of more skills, party members, tons of replayability with not only Playable Characters but routes and endings to do, and the music and art are dramatically improved as well.
The best part is its not even done being updated, so the games just going to keep getting better.
If difficulty doesn't scare you, give this game a try. Even if you're scared, give it a go with the infinite saves mod. As long as you get enjoyment out of the game "cheating" doesn't matter!
I can't wait to see what else comes out of the mind of Miro. We've truly hit a golden age of creativity in this medium, especially in the indie space, and games like this just prove that Video Games can be more than just games.
The gameplay is like a top down Silent Hill (In the spirit of the first 4) with RPG elements. And while the first game got repetitive and got worse after you learned more, this game only gets better the more you know and with the addition of more skills, party members, tons of replayability with not only Playable Characters but routes and endings to do, and the music and art are dramatically improved as well.
The best part is its not even done being updated, so the games just going to keep getting better.
If difficulty doesn't scare you, give this game a try. Even if you're scared, give it a go with the infinite saves mod. As long as you get enjoyment out of the game "cheating" doesn't matter!
I can't wait to see what else comes out of the mind of Miro. We've truly hit a golden age of creativity in this medium, especially in the indie space, and games like this just prove that Video Games can be more than just games.
One of the best call of cthulhu games.
the greatest game ever made
This game is an amalgamation of almost everything I love lmaoo there was no way I wouldn’t love it they even have my buddy Art in here 😭😭😭 taking inspiration from so much differing things and doing it so unabashedly that it would make you think there wouldn’t be an original bone in this games body (Miro flat out just puts all their favorite things into this lol) it legitimately feels unique how did they pull it off!! Also funny side note while looking into the game the creator brings up playing persona 5 while making it(or atleast around the development of it) and it would be very funny to me if the blue butterfly isn’t inspired by Philemon but by Lavenza LOL
This is one of the most uniquely horrifying and perplexing games I have had the pleasure of playing. Fear and Hunger is the type of game to beat you up and you still love it and want to spend more time with it. The game's RPG systems are so interesting to decipher and mess around with and the best part is that the game rewards you for knowing what to do, it is a brutal experience that asks you as a player if you truly want to learn the mysteries of Prehevil and the Termina festival by its game mechanics alone. Every other aspect of this game is just as interesting as its sadistic, puzzle-like, RPG Sim-type, battle system, the artwork is stunningly hunting and beautiful as well as grotesque and downright repugnant at times. Its characters 8 playable and over 14 members of this festival all have a certain level of depth and thought put into them with their own builds and tricks, You could make an hour-long video just looking into the goals and motivations of the main cast. and the lore of the universe of Fear and Hunger is Genuinely extremely interesting you could spend hours inside the game reading books and talking to characters about the new and old gods and the tensions between the previous war and its vast centuries' worth of buildup or the festival of Termina and the moon god Rher. The atmosphere of this game is also top-notch it's haunting, tense sometimes even soothing in certain places, a jazz soundtrack with the sound of the light humming in the background, or an abandoned store with echoes of people screaming in agony, it is all so Macabre in such an artistic way. The soundtrack compliments the game extremely well and some of the tracks are still stuck in my head. I think the greatest compliment to this game is what it forces the player to do to actually win, like murdering your own party members or cutting off your limbs, I don't think I will ever play another game like this one. Genuinely what surprises me the most is how this game was mostly created by one person, Miro or Orange is genuinely one of the most talented individuals in the gaming space and his games need more recognition, I finished this game 3 times and got all the endings and there is even more content on the way. I could genuinely say this is one if not my favorite horror game even if it takes inspiration from games like Silent Hill or Pathologic the game still stands out and I really can't stop thinking about it since I finished it.
This game wants to be a lot of things but it never hits any of it's marks
Art is real good tho
Art is real good tho
I hate this game slightly less than the og. I hate this game though.
better than the original, very fun setting and style
This review contains spoilers
Fear & Hunger 2: Termina is the sequence to the first game, both created in the RPG maker engine and both made by Miro/Orange as he is called within the community. Termina takes place, however, quite a few years after the events of the first game, and where one is in a dark fantasy medieval place, this one happens around the period of 1940s.
I won't get too much into the lore of the F&H universe in general, because there are so few things that are actually confirmed and most of them are open to interpretation, so you can take your own spin on it. I will deal with a few spoilers for F&H2 here.
The game starts off by telling you to choose your character, there are eight to pick (as of 07/2023) and each of them is different from the other. The cast is bigger than the first game, having doubled and there are more coming out in the following few updates. In total, it is expected to have 14 characters to play.
If you have played the first game, the character selection will make you feel at home, you also get to pick their skills and by doing so, you get some backstory on them.
Once this is all done and you played/skipped the intro, you're finally thrown into the game of F&H2. You start in the train and once you get out, you get to meet all your fellow comrades. I won't go over the lore too much, but the general idea is that the game is supposed to be a battle royale for Rher, the Moon God. All participants got the same dream, even if not all of them are present outside the train - but everyone is aware of what needs to be done.
You are told to kill your fellow friends by the third day.
So, unlike the first game, sleeping in this game will cause time to advance, it will also allow you to save AND get new skills, using soul stones acquired from enemies. Getting soul stones is much easier in this game, but it also opens more room for every character. Some characters are way more robust in the early game, some are late-bloomers, and some are completely broken (Marcoh and O'saa). So, depending on the character you picked, you will have to play safe or go wild; and like the first game, you are expected to die a lot.
I died quite a lot in my first playthrough, having to reset many times to deal with the initial phase of the game, which is exploring and getting to know the place. I didn't want to really advance time because when time progresses, something terrible happens. Not only are you getting close to the end of the game (aka Day Four), but the other participants also have events happen to them, like getting turned into a monster or simply having their head smashed/ripped off/shot by other participants/monsters. Usually these events happen around day 2, but I was not aware of it, and kept myself somewhat 'stuck' on day one until I got comfortable with the village.
Once you find the best path and how to deal with enemies, the initial area is relatively easy, but then you are thrown into other places, like the sewers and Bunker 7, where you find a friend and also a "friend". Like the first game, this one will contain disturbing scenes, but what I liked here is that it didn't appeal to the shocking value.
Something I didn't like and still doesn't like about "dark fantasy" games or media, in general, is the use of sexual abuse and rape, and if you've played the first one, you are aware of such things. It is a meme within the community, and while I don't honestly see a problem in that, it is undeniable that "being raped" is one of the reasons this game got popular.
Nonetheless, unlike other media that I am also not a fan of but I still recognize them as good, I think Miro did a good job in the second game. It is not the focus, it is hardly mentioned (if ever), and I like to think Miro as well didn't want the game to be remembered as "lose and you get your ass fucked".
While some sexual aspects, nudity and genitals are still within the game, it was toned down a lot and I feel it was much more shocking than seeing your character get their butts fucked. But this is just a nitpick of mine, F&H1 is not bad because of it, nor is F&H2 better because of the lack of said scenes.
The scenes in F&H2 are much more shocking to me, and I like that. The few instakills I got were disturbing enough to make me never slack around said enemies. But despite having instakills quite around, this game feels much, much more easier than its sibling. You are given a bigger world to explore, after all, so Miro handed out a few goods to keep you alive, because killing you everytime is not good - especially since saving is scarce here.
Anyway, once you are past the initial village, you enter the city - and this is where the fun begins. It is a whole new area to explore, and this is where you will want to pass the days, because most if not all of the events happen around here. And if you don't see them and act, you will lose participants and potentially party members. Talking about party members, let's quickly go over what they do and what they don't do.
They are helpful, each of them coming with a few handpicked skills and besides ONE party member, all of them are useful. Karin can open doors, Marina can engrave, O'saa is a tremendous hitter, and so is Marcoh, and Abella can carry you through the whole game if you let her. Levi, however, is trash unless you revive him with Daan.
So, what's the deal with Levi? Well. He's addicted to drugs, and unless you are constantly feeding him with needles, he will mostly be a punching bag for enemies. He can be helpful, sure, he is still better than a ghoul, but you don't want him around.
Talking about needles, there is someone you should meet, which is one aspect I really liked about F&H2. You are not safe, even if you think you are. Needles is a famous enemy that happens to chase the player around if they get too cocky, and running into him can be the end of your run - alongside Bobbys in the city and the Mob.
So, the city is much more dangerous than the village, but still doable, it is not unfair, but it isn't entirely fair either. If you didn't get it, this game does not reward you at all for fighting. You don't get EXP, and you don't often get soul stones. Fights are dangerous unless you're well equipped and there's always a chance you get ganked by some people.
So, here is a brief summary. The gameplay is perfect, it requires a bit of strategy, and you are expected to die a few times. You are expected to walk around without an arm or a leg, and you are also expected to kill your fellow members.
Why? Because that's what Termina is all about. It is a battle royale, and the only fights you're 100% rewarded for are the ones you murder your friends. Not only do you get their equipment (which might or may not be helpful), you get their souls, allowing you to learn their skills. You can also chop their heads off and trade them with Pocketcat, someone you might remember from the first game.
And no, you can't save them all and yourself. The "best ending" requires at least your character to sacrifice themselves.
Okay, so you got what F&H2 is all about. Kill your friends (or don't), survive a big scary city, and wait until the third day.
Now, this game has three different endings, one of them will require you to explore the game a bit, and it goes off-rails with the whole Termina Festival thing. The other two are closely related to the festival, asking you to kill your friends.
So, for ending A, you will discover along the game that something bizarre is going on. The bunkers, the weird technology, the mystery, they all lead to this big door in the depths of the museum, which takes you to yet another hidden bunker. Once you're inside the "white bunker" as it is called, there is no going back.
You and your party explore this place, and you discover Kaiser, a man dressed in yellow who is the leader of the army invading the city you are in. He tells you about creating a god out of technology, the Machine God, so to speak. The Gods had forsaken humanity, and the new gods were too weak to do anything. If you played the first game, you would RECOGNIZE this man as Le'garde. What happened to him is up to interpretation, however, but it is definitely him.
You fight him eventually after his explanation, and you meet the Machine God. Another fight with yet another divine being and what happens is... you are absorbed by it, you become part of it, and she soothes you by telling you everything is fine.
So, the Machine God is a god made by humans, to care for humanity, and when you finally set her free - so does the festival end.
As for the other endings, they both involve the Moon God, and the revelation that Rher is actually gone. What you see, and what the antagonist uses to fuel his power, are but traces of him.
The main villain explains to you that the last few festivals were, in fact, used to further the plans of his cult and master, the Sulfur God, which is basically Satan. The Sulfur God is not talked about much, but he is clearly the counterpart to All-mer (basically Jesus). The Festivals are used to choose souls to serve him and just sacrifice in his name, in general.
So, depending on the ending, you will fight this handsome antagonist and the moon, and escape the festival alive - but with memories that will never fade...
Or you will be sacrificed to the Sulfur God.
Both endings are lacking, and it is a letdown towards the game's premise. Sure, the plot twist that Rher is dead did catch me and I loved it - but hearing that it was actually a plan to take Satan out of his pit? I didn't like that.
I'm sure Orange/Miro has some plans for him, and it was nice to see another God introduced. Don't get me wrong, the Sulfur God is not a bad thing, but I feel the way he was shown was lacking. Why would the Termina Festival (which is hosted for Rher) be used as a 'cover' for the Sulfur God? From what the villain says, the Old Gods are gone, and it's not like the participants actually wanted to be part of Termina; they were forced to.
So, why the cover-up? Did the villain think people wouldn't want to play his game if they knew it was actually a festival for the Sulfur God? Or was he fearing other cults to try and take him down for worshipping a god which is, from my point of view, "bad and evil", one that should be forgotten, one that is taboo even within the other cults (who are just as bad)?
Nonetheless, the OST of this game is fantastic, and so is the ambiance. Miro clearly took inspiration from Silent Hill and a few other games, and he certainly didn't lose his touch with the art style or the sprite work. The design of the enemies (in particular Bobby) kept the essence of the first game, and the Lovecraftian Horror was tuned to a max, even if the endings were unsatisfying for me.
Though, one thing that disappointed me was that you really don't get to know much about your character if you play as them. In my eyes, they are just an empty shell, with few moments where they actually truly shine through, well, the character. Of course, I won't ask Miro to change every dialogue and make it unique to all characters, but there are a lot of things you don't truly see about them. There are unique scenes, of course, but they are so rare and specific that... they don't fill the void in my soul, I want more, I NEED more.
Despite that, this game will go down as one of my favorites of 2023, and I expect to play it quite a few times until the end of this year. I do hope there are some S-Endings as there were in the first game.
I am excited to see what Miro is planning.
Happy suffering!
I won't get too much into the lore of the F&H universe in general, because there are so few things that are actually confirmed and most of them are open to interpretation, so you can take your own spin on it. I will deal with a few spoilers for F&H2 here.
The game starts off by telling you to choose your character, there are eight to pick (as of 07/2023) and each of them is different from the other. The cast is bigger than the first game, having doubled and there are more coming out in the following few updates. In total, it is expected to have 14 characters to play.
If you have played the first game, the character selection will make you feel at home, you also get to pick their skills and by doing so, you get some backstory on them.
Once this is all done and you played/skipped the intro, you're finally thrown into the game of F&H2. You start in the train and once you get out, you get to meet all your fellow comrades. I won't go over the lore too much, but the general idea is that the game is supposed to be a battle royale for Rher, the Moon God. All participants got the same dream, even if not all of them are present outside the train - but everyone is aware of what needs to be done.
You are told to kill your fellow friends by the third day.
So, unlike the first game, sleeping in this game will cause time to advance, it will also allow you to save AND get new skills, using soul stones acquired from enemies. Getting soul stones is much easier in this game, but it also opens more room for every character. Some characters are way more robust in the early game, some are late-bloomers, and some are completely broken (Marcoh and O'saa). So, depending on the character you picked, you will have to play safe or go wild; and like the first game, you are expected to die a lot.
I died quite a lot in my first playthrough, having to reset many times to deal with the initial phase of the game, which is exploring and getting to know the place. I didn't want to really advance time because when time progresses, something terrible happens. Not only are you getting close to the end of the game (aka Day Four), but the other participants also have events happen to them, like getting turned into a monster or simply having their head smashed/ripped off/shot by other participants/monsters. Usually these events happen around day 2, but I was not aware of it, and kept myself somewhat 'stuck' on day one until I got comfortable with the village.
Once you find the best path and how to deal with enemies, the initial area is relatively easy, but then you are thrown into other places, like the sewers and Bunker 7, where you find a friend and also a "friend". Like the first game, this one will contain disturbing scenes, but what I liked here is that it didn't appeal to the shocking value.
Something I didn't like and still doesn't like about "dark fantasy" games or media, in general, is the use of sexual abuse and rape, and if you've played the first one, you are aware of such things. It is a meme within the community, and while I don't honestly see a problem in that, it is undeniable that "being raped" is one of the reasons this game got popular.
Nonetheless, unlike other media that I am also not a fan of but I still recognize them as good, I think Miro did a good job in the second game. It is not the focus, it is hardly mentioned (if ever), and I like to think Miro as well didn't want the game to be remembered as "lose and you get your ass fucked".
While some sexual aspects, nudity and genitals are still within the game, it was toned down a lot and I feel it was much more shocking than seeing your character get their butts fucked. But this is just a nitpick of mine, F&H1 is not bad because of it, nor is F&H2 better because of the lack of said scenes.
The scenes in F&H2 are much more shocking to me, and I like that. The few instakills I got were disturbing enough to make me never slack around said enemies. But despite having instakills quite around, this game feels much, much more easier than its sibling. You are given a bigger world to explore, after all, so Miro handed out a few goods to keep you alive, because killing you everytime is not good - especially since saving is scarce here.
Anyway, once you are past the initial village, you enter the city - and this is where the fun begins. It is a whole new area to explore, and this is where you will want to pass the days, because most if not all of the events happen around here. And if you don't see them and act, you will lose participants and potentially party members. Talking about party members, let's quickly go over what they do and what they don't do.
They are helpful, each of them coming with a few handpicked skills and besides ONE party member, all of them are useful. Karin can open doors, Marina can engrave, O'saa is a tremendous hitter, and so is Marcoh, and Abella can carry you through the whole game if you let her. Levi, however, is trash unless you revive him with Daan.
So, what's the deal with Levi? Well. He's addicted to drugs, and unless you are constantly feeding him with needles, he will mostly be a punching bag for enemies. He can be helpful, sure, he is still better than a ghoul, but you don't want him around.
Talking about needles, there is someone you should meet, which is one aspect I really liked about F&H2. You are not safe, even if you think you are. Needles is a famous enemy that happens to chase the player around if they get too cocky, and running into him can be the end of your run - alongside Bobbys in the city and the Mob.
So, the city is much more dangerous than the village, but still doable, it is not unfair, but it isn't entirely fair either. If you didn't get it, this game does not reward you at all for fighting. You don't get EXP, and you don't often get soul stones. Fights are dangerous unless you're well equipped and there's always a chance you get ganked by some people.
So, here is a brief summary. The gameplay is perfect, it requires a bit of strategy, and you are expected to die a few times. You are expected to walk around without an arm or a leg, and you are also expected to kill your fellow members.
Why? Because that's what Termina is all about. It is a battle royale, and the only fights you're 100% rewarded for are the ones you murder your friends. Not only do you get their equipment (which might or may not be helpful), you get their souls, allowing you to learn their skills. You can also chop their heads off and trade them with Pocketcat, someone you might remember from the first game.
And no, you can't save them all and yourself. The "best ending" requires at least your character to sacrifice themselves.
Okay, so you got what F&H2 is all about. Kill your friends (or don't), survive a big scary city, and wait until the third day.
Now, this game has three different endings, one of them will require you to explore the game a bit, and it goes off-rails with the whole Termina Festival thing. The other two are closely related to the festival, asking you to kill your friends.
So, for ending A, you will discover along the game that something bizarre is going on. The bunkers, the weird technology, the mystery, they all lead to this big door in the depths of the museum, which takes you to yet another hidden bunker. Once you're inside the "white bunker" as it is called, there is no going back.
You and your party explore this place, and you discover Kaiser, a man dressed in yellow who is the leader of the army invading the city you are in. He tells you about creating a god out of technology, the Machine God, so to speak. The Gods had forsaken humanity, and the new gods were too weak to do anything. If you played the first game, you would RECOGNIZE this man as Le'garde. What happened to him is up to interpretation, however, but it is definitely him.
You fight him eventually after his explanation, and you meet the Machine God. Another fight with yet another divine being and what happens is... you are absorbed by it, you become part of it, and she soothes you by telling you everything is fine.
So, the Machine God is a god made by humans, to care for humanity, and when you finally set her free - so does the festival end.
As for the other endings, they both involve the Moon God, and the revelation that Rher is actually gone. What you see, and what the antagonist uses to fuel his power, are but traces of him.
The main villain explains to you that the last few festivals were, in fact, used to further the plans of his cult and master, the Sulfur God, which is basically Satan. The Sulfur God is not talked about much, but he is clearly the counterpart to All-mer (basically Jesus). The Festivals are used to choose souls to serve him and just sacrifice in his name, in general.
So, depending on the ending, you will fight this handsome antagonist and the moon, and escape the festival alive - but with memories that will never fade...
Or you will be sacrificed to the Sulfur God.
Both endings are lacking, and it is a letdown towards the game's premise. Sure, the plot twist that Rher is dead did catch me and I loved it - but hearing that it was actually a plan to take Satan out of his pit? I didn't like that.
I'm sure Orange/Miro has some plans for him, and it was nice to see another God introduced. Don't get me wrong, the Sulfur God is not a bad thing, but I feel the way he was shown was lacking. Why would the Termina Festival (which is hosted for Rher) be used as a 'cover' for the Sulfur God? From what the villain says, the Old Gods are gone, and it's not like the participants actually wanted to be part of Termina; they were forced to.
So, why the cover-up? Did the villain think people wouldn't want to play his game if they knew it was actually a festival for the Sulfur God? Or was he fearing other cults to try and take him down for worshipping a god which is, from my point of view, "bad and evil", one that should be forgotten, one that is taboo even within the other cults (who are just as bad)?
Nonetheless, the OST of this game is fantastic, and so is the ambiance. Miro clearly took inspiration from Silent Hill and a few other games, and he certainly didn't lose his touch with the art style or the sprite work. The design of the enemies (in particular Bobby) kept the essence of the first game, and the Lovecraftian Horror was tuned to a max, even if the endings were unsatisfying for me.
Though, one thing that disappointed me was that you really don't get to know much about your character if you play as them. In my eyes, they are just an empty shell, with few moments where they actually truly shine through, well, the character. Of course, I won't ask Miro to change every dialogue and make it unique to all characters, but there are a lot of things you don't truly see about them. There are unique scenes, of course, but they are so rare and specific that... they don't fill the void in my soul, I want more, I NEED more.
Despite that, this game will go down as one of my favorites of 2023, and I expect to play it quite a few times until the end of this year. I do hope there are some S-Endings as there were in the first game.
I am excited to see what Miro is planning.
Happy suffering!
Daan is genuinely the funniest character in the game
Marina is best girl
i ALSO really like this one!!! i haven't played it much but It Has Diagonal Walking. it's really really good and i do recommend it for anyone getting into fear and hunger because it has a lot less genitals and adult themes, since the first game does NOT hide anything. it still has sexual themes, just a lot less, and a lot of gore/blood but it's honestly a really good game :)
It's peak.
With more updates this game will make it into the history books
With more updates this game will make it into the history books
Everything that made F&H1 so engaging, with more complex characters, an interesting open-ended narrative, and a setting that invites exploration. An immaculate experience essential to any horror fan.
Better setting than the first one for me!! I love all the characters although I couldn't exploit their individual abilities a lot :(
It's great that this game is bigger than the first one but it's too much for me, I activated the teletoscopes but I don't think I can achieve the ending I want so whatev
I may play again in the future who knows
Edit: right after writing this I started another run with Marina and this time I managed to take more advantage of the mechanics and the game in general and I got ending A :-)
It's been ages since I had so much fun and commitment to a game tbh so here's that
It's great that this game is bigger than the first one but it's too much for me, I activated the teletoscopes but I don't think I can achieve the ending I want so whatev
I may play again in the future who knows
Edit: right after writing this I started another run with Marina and this time I managed to take more advantage of the mechanics and the game in general and I got ending A :-)
It's been ages since I had so much fun and commitment to a game tbh so here's that
a relentlessly large game, especially in comparison to the first title. the same brilliant oppressive atmosphere of dread (and peckishness...) is present, albeit with some nice QoL changes as well as tweaks to some systems along with new mechanics. overall very satisfying sequel, but i didnt feel quite as drawn in to complete this with the same voracious appetite as i did the first. maybe my opinion will be raised once i come back and finish it :)