Frogwares gave us the chance to play through two levels of the upcoming survival horror game The Sinking City 2. Read our impressions of the series’ new direction which now leans more toward Resident Evil while retaining the chilling Cthulhu mythos and detective-style investigation of the first game.
As we read back in the now distant 2019, in our review of the first game in the series, that title focused on exploring an open world and solving various detective cases. In The Sinking City 2, the developers are attempting a shift toward more familiar survival horror territory, at least judging by the levels we had access to. The plot unfolds in the city of Arkham, which, like Oakmont in the first game, has suffered a catastrophic flood that brought with it various supernatural phenomena. The levels available in the preview, a church and a clinic, faithfully follow the norms of the genre: locked doors, multiple puzzles, exploration to gather ammunition and supplies, and of course, combat against terrifying enemies lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to ambush you. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The standout feature of Sinking City 2 is undoubtedly its successful Cthulhu-esque atmosphere. The setting, the architecture, the music, the objects, the enemies—everything blends harmoniously to create a haunting sense of unease and anxiety. You’ll rarely feel comfortable or let your guard down; staying alert and keeping an eye on your back will have to become second nature if you want to survive. The combat feels significantly improved compared to the first game and relies heavily, as is typical for games of this genre, on targeting enemies’ weak points and conserving ammunition as much as possible.
As one might expect, it’s not easy to draw definitive conclusions based on just a small portion of the game. The full game will have to show us whether there is enough variety in puzzles and enemies to keep things interesting, whether the plot is engaging and whether exploring the world of Arkham offers the necessary challenge and rewards. What I can say with certainty at this stage is that the brief preview of Sinking City 2 has piqued my interest to see and learn more, with well-founded hopes that the final release will offer us an addictive, atmospheric, and engaging survival horror game. A release date has not yet been announced, but we will, of course, be closely following the game’s development process and will keep you updated on any news.
