Super solid narrative, but unfortunately lacks gameplay-wise.
Like many other AAA games, it suffers from bloating with unnecessary mechanics and forced open maps. (It's not THAT serious of a problem, but it's still there, and I can't help but notice it.)
I also feel like it's a bit incoherent on the genre it wants to be. The game keeps reminding us it's a horror story and is clearly inspired by recent Resident Evil games, but when it comes to the survival horror elements, the player never has to manage the inventory or care about healing because the game conveniently rewards the player with any resource they might need upon enemy defeat.
Regarding inventory management, it feels like it was implemented last minute, given how bad it feels to navigate and move stuff from the shoebox to the inventory and vice versa.
The combat doesn't feel good at all and is a major regression from the first entry. It borrows elements from The Last of Us and Resident Evil but never reaches the same level of polish. Therefore, tracking and shooting enemies doesn't feel good, and especially moving around while fighting feels really clunky and unpolished.
The narrative, as I mentioned at the start, is super solid though. Influences from Twin Peaks and True Detective are clear as day, and the direction, cinematography, and camera work feel super fresh. The level design of "on-rail" levels feels extremely good, and the "We Sing" chapter is phenomenal.
The game really takes its time to build tension through chapters, and this is felt especially during the "Old Gods" chapter, which is a masterclass in world-building and narrative design, with a slow crescendo that ends up in a super creepy climax that really takes advantage of the paranormal aspects of the game.
Another mention of merit goes to the sound design, which is stellar and always feels extremely coherent, both in soundtrack and sound effects.
Overall, the game is definitely worth playing. The issues I mentioned are mostly minor and will probably go overlooked by the average player, but I believe they are worth mentioning since they drag down the most important aspect of a game - the gameplay - a bit.
Like many other AAA games, it suffers from bloating with unnecessary mechanics and forced open maps. (It's not THAT serious of a problem, but it's still there, and I can't help but notice it.)
I also feel like it's a bit incoherent on the genre it wants to be. The game keeps reminding us it's a horror story and is clearly inspired by recent Resident Evil games, but when it comes to the survival horror elements, the player never has to manage the inventory or care about healing because the game conveniently rewards the player with any resource they might need upon enemy defeat.
Regarding inventory management, it feels like it was implemented last minute, given how bad it feels to navigate and move stuff from the shoebox to the inventory and vice versa.
The combat doesn't feel good at all and is a major regression from the first entry. It borrows elements from The Last of Us and Resident Evil but never reaches the same level of polish. Therefore, tracking and shooting enemies doesn't feel good, and especially moving around while fighting feels really clunky and unpolished.
The narrative, as I mentioned at the start, is super solid though. Influences from Twin Peaks and True Detective are clear as day, and the direction, cinematography, and camera work feel super fresh. The level design of "on-rail" levels feels extremely good, and the "We Sing" chapter is phenomenal.
The game really takes its time to build tension through chapters, and this is felt especially during the "Old Gods" chapter, which is a masterclass in world-building and narrative design, with a slow crescendo that ends up in a super creepy climax that really takes advantage of the paranormal aspects of the game.
Another mention of merit goes to the sound design, which is stellar and always feels extremely coherent, both in soundtrack and sound effects.
Overall, the game is definitely worth playing. The issues I mentioned are mostly minor and will probably go overlooked by the average player, but I believe they are worth mentioning since they drag down the most important aspect of a game - the gameplay - a bit.