I'm writing this review almost exactly a year after playing Industria and almost exactly a month after Industria 2 was announced. And somehow it speaks volumes about the first one when I start this short review with the word that spontaneously escaped me when it was announced: “Why?”

Industria is a nice first person shooter with an interesting world and one or two memorable moments. But in its entirety, everything felt very aimless and disjointed. Not to mention that I found the shooter gameplay very rudimentary and very little fun. The level design was also very superficial - both in terms of gameplay and visuals. Don't get me wrong: I don't regret my almost five hours. But there would be no real reason for me to recommend the game to anyone. Industria was rather a quickly forgotten game, with few highlights and all the more boredom.

So why is there a successor in development? From a pure player's perspective, I find it difficult to answer this question. The gameplay foundation could definitely do with an update and the worldbuilding definitely has potential. But was Industria really so successful that it was worthwhile for the studio? It seems to be.

Picross is one of the few video game franchises that somehow always stays the same, but never gets old. Personally, I'm more of a fan of the 3D sub-series and Picross S9 hasn't changed this despite a long break from the franchise and numerous Quality of Life improvements. Nevertheless, a game to make boring hours a little more varied - even if you shouldn't expect more than a digital puzzle booklet with bonus.

For a more detailed look on Picross S9, visit my german review on Gaming-Village.de.