An amazing experience through and through, be it as a survival horror game or as a surreal, supernatural mystery story. Its solid combat and resource management go hand in hand with the dark, oppresive atmosphere you’d expect from any great survival horror game, which are then further elevated by the game’s visuals and presentation, as well as the many psychological horror elements. The story and its mystery are the game’s core, however, and they’re easily my favorite aspect of the game which had me eager to see what happens next after every session.
PROS
- Solid survival horror gameplay, mixing great combat with resource management and fun puzzle solving.
- While there aren’t a ton of unique weapons to use, those that we do get are great. The crossbow, flare gun, and hunting rifle are especially satisfying to wield against the Taken. The versatility of flares stood out to me too, once I realized how to use them. They work similarly to knives in the RE games as a way to break free from enemies who’ve grabbed you, but can also serve as a means of stunning enemies when used.
- Great variety of puzzles, ranging from simple number sequences we have to follow, to finding clues in or interacting with the environment, all the way to literal math problems. The reality-shifting puzzles in Alan’s sections are among my favorites, as well as the nursery rhyme puzzles.
- All around excellent horror experience. The top class atmosphere created by the visuals and sound design mix perfectly with the near-constant threat of the Taken. They may not be as numerous as in the previous game, but never knowing when or where they would appear, combined with how dangerous each one is, kept me on my toes throughout my playthrough. The jump scares are fun too and very well done, fitting perfectly with the game’s story and how it presents its different elements.
- The Case Board is awesome. Even the simple task of pinning collectibles onto the board is satisfying for someone who likes organizing information and keeping things neat and tidy. The more involved cases and questions were fun too and go a great way into creating a satisfying detective experience. It also doubles as a very convenient way of keeping track of the various characters and events throughout the game.
- The game expertly weaves together its many dark and serious moments with levity as necessary, and its humor is top notch too. What we get feels uniquely “Remedy” in the best way.
- Terrific performances from the entire cast, especially from Ilkka Villi’s and Matthew Porretta’s combined performances for Alan. Alex Casey and Saga are wonderful characters too, and their friendship is a delight to see. Saga is an awesome new protagonist and I’m hopeful to see more of her in future installments of Remedy’s connected universe.
- Killer soundtrack. The original songs are such a treat to listen to.
CONS
- The game can be buggy. Luckily nothing too bad from my experience, but there’s quite a bit and some even persisted throughout my entire playthrough. It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but they do stand out because the rest of the game is so good.
- While the lack of handholding from the level designers in terms of having “yellow paint” (or something similar) to guide us as we progress through the different locations can provide a refreshing experience, certain areas (forests and the like, usually) are somewhat difficult to navigate and end up requiring one to repeatedly open the map. Luckily, the menus are very quick so it’s a painless experience, but it definitely takes you out quite a bit opening the menu again and again. I am personally fortunate enough to not really need much accessibility options, but it notable as a game in 2023 for it to not have these things.
- Boss fights are decent enough for the most part but it’s definitely one of the areas that still need improvement.
PROS
- Solid survival horror gameplay, mixing great combat with resource management and fun puzzle solving.
- While there aren’t a ton of unique weapons to use, those that we do get are great. The crossbow, flare gun, and hunting rifle are especially satisfying to wield against the Taken. The versatility of flares stood out to me too, once I realized how to use them. They work similarly to knives in the RE games as a way to break free from enemies who’ve grabbed you, but can also serve as a means of stunning enemies when used.
- Great variety of puzzles, ranging from simple number sequences we have to follow, to finding clues in or interacting with the environment, all the way to literal math problems. The reality-shifting puzzles in Alan’s sections are among my favorites, as well as the nursery rhyme puzzles.
- All around excellent horror experience. The top class atmosphere created by the visuals and sound design mix perfectly with the near-constant threat of the Taken. They may not be as numerous as in the previous game, but never knowing when or where they would appear, combined with how dangerous each one is, kept me on my toes throughout my playthrough. The jump scares are fun too and very well done, fitting perfectly with the game’s story and how it presents its different elements.
- The Case Board is awesome. Even the simple task of pinning collectibles onto the board is satisfying for someone who likes organizing information and keeping things neat and tidy. The more involved cases and questions were fun too and go a great way into creating a satisfying detective experience. It also doubles as a very convenient way of keeping track of the various characters and events throughout the game.
- The game expertly weaves together its many dark and serious moments with levity as necessary, and its humor is top notch too. What we get feels uniquely “Remedy” in the best way.
- Terrific performances from the entire cast, especially from Ilkka Villi’s and Matthew Porretta’s combined performances for Alan. Alex Casey and Saga are wonderful characters too, and their friendship is a delight to see. Saga is an awesome new protagonist and I’m hopeful to see more of her in future installments of Remedy’s connected universe.
- Killer soundtrack. The original songs are such a treat to listen to.
CONS
- The game can be buggy. Luckily nothing too bad from my experience, but there’s quite a bit and some even persisted throughout my entire playthrough. It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but they do stand out because the rest of the game is so good.
- While the lack of handholding from the level designers in terms of having “yellow paint” (or something similar) to guide us as we progress through the different locations can provide a refreshing experience, certain areas (forests and the like, usually) are somewhat difficult to navigate and end up requiring one to repeatedly open the map. Luckily, the menus are very quick so it’s a painless experience, but it definitely takes you out quite a bit opening the menu again and again. I am personally fortunate enough to not really need much accessibility options, but it notable as a game in 2023 for it to not have these things.
- Boss fights are decent enough for the most part but it’s definitely one of the areas that still need improvement.