Big step up from the first game. The game looks even more horrifying and gruesome. The ink was really good used in this game. The protagonist is way more likeable than in the first game and the antagonist is also way better. This is what a sequel should be, only improve. Combat is way better, than in the first game and all of the chapters are more solid. The voiceacting is superior, but the voicemails could be better, way to quiet. I can't think of anything else to criticize about this game. The only problem I can think of is with the marketing about this game, but that has nothing to do with the game. Recommended playing atleast once.

This game is currently in the Humble Choice for May 2023, this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before June 6th, 2022, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.

Bioshock and horror which together creates a problem.

Bendy and the Dark Revival is the second in the series and the first we’ve seen in Humble Choice. It’s a survival horror game set in a Walt Disney-esque studio. At first, it has a decent number of jump scares, which is perhaps not great, but a form of horror. The level design is interesting, and while it would have been nice to use more color, it’s a stylistic decision to go black and white or rather brown and black. The story has some interesting thoughts but also a few stumbling blocks, like an evil character that isn't even hiding it.

The problem is after about thirty minutes, players grab a wrench. Horror games have this problem where they give weapons to the player, and suddenly players are in a power fantasy, that happens here. But worse, this uses Bioshocks rules, so players can infinitely revive if they die… as long as they don’t die to the Ink Demon, which will instantly kill the player. The problem though is the minute I learned both of these facts, I didn’t fear either the Ink Demon or the normal enemies and was able to melee the latter to death. It’s hard to be afraid of much in this game. Also, it feels like the story here has links to the first game, but without playing that or having it, I’m at a loss.

Pick this up if you’re already a Bendy fan. If you have the first game, this might be for you, but as a new fan, instead of being afraid or impressed, I was more angry. This game squanders two great ideas of a horror game or a game similar to Bioshock and instead feels like it’s unable to properly do either since it’s doing both. Even running and hiding lack purpose because players can just duck into a vent and get away from almost anything.

If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/JFv65vCu_dw

didnt expect to play this but there was Some Magnetism to the original that i kinda just Kept Thinking Ab even tho it was mostly a mid experience, so i had to sate my curiosity. the result is a game that is both Kinda Stunning (as an improvement and even on its own goals) and kinda conflicting for me in ways i dont quite know how to resolve...

to get the obvious out of the way, this is a Shining Blinding Testament to what an indie team can do when theyre cushioned by sufficient financial success to take their time and make a Done When It's Done passion project. in hindsight most of the problems i had with the original (esp narratively) were the result of the episodic release, and the annoying desire to subvert the expectations ppl gathered in the aftermath of each episode. the story they wrote by the seat of their pants moment to moment mostly feels v hollow, and while theres cool background stuff going on sometimes, its so transparently in service to Proving Matpat Wrong that it pales even in comparison to fnaf, which always kept a safe Vagueness and also seemed to want to actually reward ppl for figuring things out and thinking ab the story (and frankly even if they were messily organized, mr cawthon rly did land on a bunch of genuinely emotionally evocative beats). this also effects the gameplay 2 a lesser degree, i think it at least slightly informs the lack of Systems, the idea is that yr doing something different in every chapter ig but with no core mechanical thrusts the start-to-finish playing experience of the final game rly does just play like bioshock for actual babies

by contrast the dark revival is a well considered, clearly passionate, far more nourishing experience...built from the ground up to support itself from the beginning to the end. hell there's even a real Story this time, and it doesnt require thatttt much knowledge of the lore theory analysis bullshit from the original (tho it does require a little) to follow. the story of the game involves the things that are actually Currently Happening, informed by the past,,,much closer to actual bioshock ! speaking of which, we've at Least made the huge leap to Bioshock For First Graders, none of the systems in place are original but the stealth, puzzles, collectables, Combat U Want To Avoid Generally, its all perfectly functional even in a vacuum, and implemented with clear care and polish. sometimes yr scurrying around while crouched physically rustling thru various containers for health and upgrade parts, and then some enemy starts heading yr way and u ink jet out of their line of sight, and all of a sudden u have an Actual Identity for bendy as a game, derivative yes, but enjoyable and charming. man and a lot of the puzzles rly are just Good, they didnt have to do that !!!

narrative is where the games new construction benefits it the most, but its also where my conflict comes into play. in a vacuum, i think this is rly solid and sometimes even moving stuff. even tho im not invested in this franchise, i still smiled at some of the fanservice and was Gobsmacked at some of the Massive Twists (thankfully delivered with no Theorybait Vagueness this time, the impact is fully felt with every reveal), the second half is full of rly well-crafted narrative Bombs that manage to actually feel resonant with the whole piece (something u cant do if yr changing yr idea for the ending cuz matpat guessed it), and also somehow with the original??? that the original's bonkers ending (which i thought was interesting in concept but understimulating because it was so clearly a last-minute decision instead of one that made any real impact on the preceding game) is justified and made evocative as much as it is here is nothing short of a miracle...the psychological toll of the events on the characters, the embrace of the ink machine's world as a controlled fiction in monument to the failures of its creator, god idk man its just good !!! its just rly good stuff !!! at this point theres no excuse for there not to be a fnaf game or something that tries to wrangle that vague mess into something impactful in the moment of play, cuz they have waaaaay more to work with then bendy did and bendy somehow just pulled it off rly good!

my conflict (aside from my just general lack of Bendy Fandom, meaning some of the expected investment is a little lost on me) comes w/ my knowledge (v limited btw) that some stuff is up w/ the devs,,,i will not pretend to be informed on the situation and even with what i know its my understanding that the main problem has been Dealt With and theres not too too much of an ethical dilemma with buying the game or whatever. but it does make some of the redemptive elements of the game feel v distracting and uncomfortable for me, theres already kind of an uneasy irony at play with this franchise since its an Aspiring Media Empire ab the horrors of an Aspiring Media Empire, and stuff like Lets Consider The Psychology Of Horrible Capitalist Abuser Joey Drew rly rly makes that tension boil over in a way that took me out of what could have been v charming and moving moments. even the ending, which i think is v v sweet and v v azzycore in concept, is a lil deflated by this feeling for me

still tho idk. i do just kinda think this is a rly nice game and probably one i would have been obsessed with had i played it at a young age. fairly definitive proof that the creatives behind these games are v v talented and just needed to be given a better format and more wiggle room to fully shine. another W for autistic children with bad taste (me)

I really wanted this game to be a good but I was heavily disappointed. Dark Revival suffers from a narrative that isn't given the proper pacing, gameplay that never goes beyond lack luster, and unnecessary content that doesn't make sense for the genre (Mostly the side quests that feel more appropriate for a game like Bioshock. There's no point in reaping those rewards in a game that lasts 6 hours)

The first hour or so was pretty enjoyable, but it quickly fell off after that, and remained that way for my next 5 hours of gameplay.

Bendy and the Dark Revival is everything Bendy and the Ink Machine should've been and more! It's a huge step up in all departments - gameplay, story, graphics, etc. etc.

The prequel suffered from a lack of meaningful gameplay that often just felt like a walking simulator. In this game, however, they've gone ahead and added tons of collectibles and crafting items, alongside actual abilities that enhance the gameplay and call for fun puzzles and ever so slightly better combat - which, to be honest, hasn't evolved much at all since the previous game.

While the graphics in the first game were excellent, Bendy and the Dark Revival's visuals are outstanding. The environments are beautiful and fun to explore, with tons of awesome lore and story elements to discover. Additionally, the game actually has quite a few good scares that puts the original game to shame - not that it had many good scares anyway.

I definitely recommend this game to all who like horror/puzzle games. It's a great experience!

I got to the first puzzle and drop it, I'm not interested in Bendy's theories, and I don't speak English very well, so I expected something new from the gameplay, it became a little more fun, now it's immediately "survival horror", i.e. almost immediately they give a "club", some enemies can be killed, some can be run through, and there is a little crafting, though it's not entirely clear why all these resources are to be collected, what the developers didn't think of spending them on. The graphics have become a little better, but the color rate is somehow disgusting, it would be better if it was lighter, as in the first part, and the monster designs remained somehow nondescript. The plot is only notes/types and a couple of cutscenes with dialogues with characters, well, again, like in the first part, I don’t like this approach. The plot should be shown, not told, especially since I consider even the lore of Bendy to be rather mediocre. There are also freezes, of course.. things are taken somehow "crookedly", enemies are blind, very very indie.. Even the ink looks more like liquid from Venom. I just liked the search for resources, sometimes there are all sorts of inconspicuous shelves near the chests of drawers, but even here there are problems - because it is inconvenient to search, there are many different items, they all merge, it is difficult to find exactly interactive things.
But! If you liked the first part - then this one is for you too.

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