I admire what this game wanted to do. Having enjoyed the first one quite a lot, I think the basic "found footage" concept could be applied to any number of settings. A haunting rural landscape overtaken by a religious cult? I'm sold. The end result was not bad, but maybe not quite as satisfying as the first installment. The story gets a little muddled when it starts diverting from the main narrative. No spoilers, but there are several interludes that are sufficiently frightening and have plenty of thematic significance, but they feel a little far afield of your overall mission. Overall it just feels like an uneven experience that could have been more streamlined like the first. But, it's got plenty of frights, thrills, and heart-pounding chases if that's what you're looking for!

I know some people don't care for the walk-run-hide loop in games like this. You don't have any ways to actively defend yourself or really interact with the world in a meaningful way. But, something about this game just grabs me. Maybe it's the eerie setting, maybe the eccentric and frightening characters, or maybe just the bizarre mystery at the heart of it all. Honestly, it's all of that. I think this game has the perfect combination of those elements that kept me wanting to creep further and further into the demented asylum, despite having to constantly flee and navigate pitchblack corridors while dodging insane people. That, coupled with the resource management of your camcorder's battery made for a tense and sometimes terrifying experience.

An excellent example of keeping what works in a previous installment and fleshing out the world around it. This follow-up has the familiar puzzle elements of the first game, but adds a much more in-depth story and a cast of interesting characters that ties it all together. It continues to expand upon the philosophical questions of the original while not forcing the player to get too bogged down in it all. I think the puzzles may have been a little easier this time around, which is neither good nor bad, but I do feel like I had to sit with the first game a little longer. My one complaint is the lack of real fast travel options--walking around the different areas does get a little tedious when you're really just moving from puzzle to puzzle. Overall, though, if you like the first game then you'll probably dig this follow up.

An excellent example of keeping what works in a previous installment and fleshing out the world around it. This follow-up has the familiar puzzle elements of the first game, but adds a much more in-depth story and a cast of interesting characters that ties it all together. It continues to expand upon the philosophical questions of the original while not forcing the player to get too bogged down in it all. I think the puzzles may have been a little easier this time around, which is neither good nor bad, but I do feel like I had to sit with the first game a little longer. My one complaint is the lack of real fast travel options--walking around the different areas does get a little tedious when you're really just moving from puzzle to puzzle. Overall, though, if you like the first game then you'll probably dig this follow up.

I was so ready to love this game when I started, and I gave it two earnest, lengthy attempts years apart from each other... and I just couldn't keep my patience with it. There's a lot of good here: the historical setting is vibrant and informative, the variety of skills and activities offers diverse gameplay options, and the promise of a rags-to-riches story sets you off on a path to claim your place in this world. But it all just feels so tedious to me. The game has an intentional difficulty curve that represents your character's inexperience, and it takes a lot of practical work to become even mildly competent at the skills you need to progress. I'm certainly not opposed to challenging games, but I also want to have fun taking on those challenges. This game just feels like a chore throughout. It could just be a skill issue, but I'd rather work through something that feels more worthwhile to me and my limited time for gaming.

The game plays like an interactive novel with some light RPG elements. You get a character class with attributes that help with dice-based skill checks. It has a fascinating far-future setting aboard a kind of cyberpunk space station, and you have to navigate your way as a second-class citizen of sorts. Overall, I think the execution is solid, particularly in the storytelling and interactions with the characters on the station. I do feel like the gameplay loop gets a little stale near the end, but I was truly riveted for a good portion of my playthrough. Overall, an engaging experience that is worth playing through at least once!