incredible game. somehow even better than the first, though the original has such a unique charm to it that it's hard to pick a favourite. combat is improved, moving through the overworld is improved, the plot has more depth and the map is incredibly detailed and interconnected. the "secret" ending subtly guides you toward it well enough if you're paying attention that it's entirely possible to do it on your first blind playthrough (which i did). the characters are well written and fun to interact with and the puzzles are significantly better than the first game. there's like a thousand ways to make your way through Prehevil. masterpiece of a survival horror game. Miro doesnt miss

okay first off, content warning: this game contains both implications and depictions of sexual assault, plus a bunch of erotic horror(?) elements. there's also a type of enemy that feels a little insensitive - the "cave dweller" and their "savage" tendencies - but whatever.

if you can look past that, this game is one of the most well crafted genre-blends i've seen come out of rpg maker. this game is a synthesis of survival horror and jrpg elements with a sprinkling of immersive sim on top, with the most miserable atmosphere of desperation and fear i've ever experienced in a game. it achieves this primarily through how its gameplay loops serve to immerse the player in the atmosphere of the world - the whole game feels like a big "fuck you" to the concept of ludonarrative dissonance.

the resource management keeps you constantly on edge. items that heal status effects are scarce and most loot is randomised, meaning no two runs are the same. this puts you completely at the whim of the dungeon at all times; there has rarely been a situation in this game where i've found that i had a surplus of anything useful at all. this also means the player is encouraged to try to rifle through every container they possibly can, as one lucky barrel with a green herb could be the difference between life and death, or losing a limb to an infection. this constant pressure on the player creates stress, which is then capitalised on perfectly by the haunting sound design and labyrinthine level design to create a rising tension that i've never experienced in an rpg maker game before.

the combat in this game is likely at least somewhat inspired by the limb-removal mechanics found in other survival horror games, most prominently dead space, but it somehow manages to re-interpret that basic idea within a jrpg combat framework successfully. everything can have limbs removed, including the player and their party members, which means every fight is a desperate battle of attrition trying to take out the enemy's damage-dealing limbs before they can do similar or worse things to you, and your resource management skills are put to the test. this makes combat usually something to be avoided where possible, and encourages running away from many encounters.

everything about the game is designed to be punishing and cruel. the atmosphere is miserable, and any one poor decision (or stroke of bad luck) can lead to your death. the close proximity of death at all times serves this game's atmosphere and the story it wants to tell perfectly. it's not simply difficult and dark and depressing for the sake of it, it understands how to use these facets of itself to the fullest extent to make u poop ur pants.

good game i wrote this at 2 am high as balls idk how well structured it is