good game and good sequel!
challenging at times, but overall a smooth experience so don't expect getting stuck for hours figuring out a puzzle. i believe this was a conscious choice, the game constantly auto-saves so even if you lose, you go back steps away from where you lost. it does not expect you to struggle, it wants you to move forward and that helps the flow of the story.
it's an improvement to the first but it still feels like the same game which is, in my opinion, not a bad thing at all.
definitely spookier than the previous game, and a lot more vague at times with its meaning.
the ~combat~ is not hard, but annoying at times and hard to get used to.
there is lots of environmental storytelling, so i highly suggest that you take a hot minute to appreciate every level.
i liked it a lot!

giving it a 4 star because that's what it felt like in 2008 and i should give it a 5 just for the soundtrack
absolute garbage community who would get upset if you used any weapon that wasn't the plasma sword (and you weren't allowed to use its stun either without being called slurs)
it should 100% be re-made with a new engine and give us what gunz 2 didn't
YOU KNOW YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO
BRING IT ON A LITTLE FASTA'
THAT'S RIGHT BABY, SUPERSONIC
YA'LL BETTER JUMP RIGHT ON IT

i really enjoyed this take on sherlock holmes, and especially jon. the game is truly enjoyable and i would recommend it to anyone who is into murder mysteries. you have to disguise yourself for people to want to talk to you, figure out where to go on the map yourself based on street names, and it's just really fun to interrogate people.

there is also a combat section that isn't really great, but it's fun enough (and stupid at times) and helps to take a break from all the running around and interrogating.

this is one of the few games which side quests are genuinely fun, and it adds a lot more to the experience. i did not complete all of them, but supposedly you can beat the main story in around 13~ hours and it took me 27~ with a bunch of extra cases. i would've not enjoyed the game nearly as much if had only done the main quests.

that said, the game could use a lot less vagueness when it comes to case outcome - in one hand, it's truthful to life that you may not always know if the person who's been deemed guilty is actually the perpetrator of the crime, but it is also mildly annoying for the player to be left wondering "did i pick the correct choice?"

overall, this is a pretty good and fun game. beware of technical issues if you don't have a super good computer (and expect them even if you do).

i can't believe i'm seriously writing this!!
i finished the first storyline. you meet 10 guys and then you're told by a psychic "nine of them are lying to you but you will marry one" and then the whole game is going chapter by chapter figuring out which one out of two sucks.
you need to guess with the clues you are presented with which one it is, the game is pretty fun and even if you don't put any money into it, you can beat it in a few days
the writing isn't great obviously but it's Okay, mostly just funny. i wasn't a big fan of the guy who "wins" but whatever i will eat garbage as long as it has otome in the tags.