The Sinking City 2: Survival is Key

Frogwares is shifting gears with The Sinking City 2, moving away from pure investigation to fully embrace the survival horror genre. The new title, recently released, plunges players into the flooded streets of Arkham as Calvin Rafferty, who is desperately seeking a cure for his beloved Faye amidst Lovecraftian horrors and unfathomable mysteries.

A Survival Horror That Honors Its Roots

Despite the significant shift towards survival horror, The Sinking City 2 does not abandon the deductive mechanics that made its predecessor famous. We discussed this in our review of the first chapter. In fact, investigation now serves the purpose of survival itself. Gathering clues, analyzing documents, and solving puzzles now provide tangible advantages, such as runes to invest in a dedicated talent tree to enhance the protagonist's resistances or healing capabilities.

Exploring every dark corner of Arkham is also crucial for the new crafting system, essential for creating ammunition and medkits. Resources are scarce, and the gunplay has been significantly improved compared to the first game, featuring an arsenal that includes shotguns and Thompsons. This often forces players to decide whether to confront the monstrosities infesting the city or flee to conserve precious bullets.

While the handling of the Lovecraftian lore and the atmosphere of a decaying city are excellent and technically solid on PC, the interaction with secondary characters remains the game's only true weak point. However, Frogwares' bold change of direction has paid off, improving the overall gaming experience compared to the first installment. Ultimately, it's a mature, tense, and darkly fascinating adventure, capable of captivating both veterans of the first game and new explorers of nightmares.