I’m a big horror movie fan, although I have to admit I’m not the best when it comes to playing horror games. One jumpscare is enough to send the controller flying across the room and get my heart racing. Thankfully, The Sinking City (or more specifically, the PS5 remaster I played) wasn’t full of cheap scares. Instead, it focused more on investigation, with combat taking more of a back seat.
Now, with The Sinking City 2 developer Frogwares has flipped these two mechanics around, with this sequel being much more like a traditional survival horror. Considering their history with detective titles, would this gambit pay off? Would my heart be able to cope with all the Lovecraftian monsters out for my blood? Let’s dive in and find out!
The Sinking City 2 is out now, and is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Eldritch Horrors Aplenty in The Sinking City 2!
I’ve always been a fan of Frogwares’ detective games. So, when discovering that The Sinking City 2 would streamline the investigation aspects of the first game, I was a little unsure if it would be something I enjoyed. Solving a murder or uncovering a secret conspiracy is much more my speed rather than fleeing in terror with only 3 bullets and a prayer to keep me alive.
The Sinking City 2 is a third-person survival horror title that, as I’ve already mentioned, changes things up compared to the previous one. It still takes place in the 1920s, although this time you control new protagonist Calvin Rafferty in the flooded city of Arkham. As such, you don’t need to play the first one to be able to jump right and enjoy this.
Calvin ventures to Arkham in the hopes of finding a way to wake his partner, Faye Bennett, from a coma. I say coma, but a ritual gone terribly wrong has put Faye in a catatonic state and trapped her in a wakeless dream. Calvin and Faye’s relationship is explored via flashback sections, and by the game’s end I was genuinely invested in their story. Outside of their relationship, the narrative moves very well, with a small cast of characters that all seem either eccentric or just downright creepy.
Gameplay
Much of what we saw in the original has been scaled back in The Sinking City 2. The developers replaced the open-world investigation-focused gameplay with a straightforward survival horror affair. I was, at first, unsure if I liked this shift. As I’ve already said, I’m not the biggest fan of the genre, and really enjoyed uncovering clues and interrogating NPCs mechanics that made up the bulk of the first game. It’s no secret that the combat sections, whilst sporadic, weren’t exactly engaging or well implemented.
Well, thankfully, that’s not the case for the sequel, and as it turns out, Frogwares has made something quite special! Level design is more confined, and each one is packed full of puzzles and hostile creatures. Puzzles were a particular highlight. Although none of them had me stumped for hours, the level of creativity was impressive. Solving them is mostly down to your intuition, and feels familiar to fans of the developer. It was always rewarding to figure something out and continue on!
As for Arkham City itself, it does feel quite expansive, despite the smaller sections. It’s not open world, but it doesn’t feel completely linear. Connecting them all are the flooded streets, and navigation is done via a motorboat. Navigating its flooded streets via boat was often a calming experience between the multitude of horrors.
I Wish I Had More Ammo…
As for said horrors, even on lower difficulties they can put up a fight! This is less a case of them being super-powered and more that Calvin isn’t a veteran monster slayer, and is often woefully underequipped. In true survival horror fashion, sometimes a quick dodge and run tactic is better than unloading your last remaining bullets… Having said that, combat is tight and fluid, a far cry from the original!
There are plenty of memorable fights throughout, and you’ll need a steady hand to not be quickly overwhelmed by the relentless attacks. I get twitchy with horror games, but my usual method of spray and pray was not a successful one. Ammo is scarce, and even the obvious glowing weak points on enemy bodies won’t be enough to help you conserve bullets. There was always an air of tension during every fight, and The Sinking City 2 absolutely nails the constant sense of dread. Will this next room be full of face-eating freaks? Or will I get lucky and find some precious shotgun shells?
It isn’t perfect, and melee can be a bit wonky at times, but it’s still a huge improvement over the original. Inventory management is perhaps the biggest issue. Space is very limited, especially early on. I found myself making frequent trips to safe rooms in order to deposit some much-needed ammo or healing items, just so I could pick up a key to unlock a door.
It does feel less unique thanks to the stripping back of core mechanics from the first game. However, don’t pass it off as just another Resident Evil clone, because The Sinking City 2 is very much an enjoyable (if often frightening) gameplay experience.
Graphics & Audio
This is easily Frogwares’ most visually impressive title to date. Arkham may be drab and dreary, but the environments really go a long way in giving the player a constant sense of unease. It is a flooded ruin of a city with dangers around every corner, after all. There are splashes of colour, such as neon signs lighting dim streets, and the overall lighting fits the moody atmosphere. It’s gritty and unsettling to explore, but the monster designs are the true highlight. There’s something so unsettling seeing something trying to attack you that has two pairs of arms pulling its own face apart. Truly chilling stuff. It’s just a shame there isn’t more of a variety!
Audio can make or break a horror, and in The Sinking City 2, it’s definitely the former. The soundtrack alone is fantastic, and just fits each scene perfectly. Whether I was slowly sailing around the flooded streets or neck-deep in abominations, the music consistently kept me engaged.
As for performance, I had no issues with slowdown or anything of that nature. Technically, the game is rock solid and consistent throughout.
Longevity
The Sinking City 2 clocked in at around 9 hours. Not super lengthy, but certainly acceptable for a survival horror. That said, I didn’t 100% the game, and there’s a pretty good chance I’ll play through it again!
It’s definitely one of those survival horrors, similar to the likes of the Resident Evil franchise, where multiple playthroughs are the norm. I actually found myself wanting to jump straight back in after the credits rolled. Which is very rare as someone with a huge backlog of games and not enough time to play them!
Final Thoughts
The Sinking City 2 impressed me immensely. I was unsure at first if I’d like the drastic change in gameplay, but those uncertainties were quickly put to rest. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, or horror games in general, this is definitely worth a look. Frogwares have stepped out of their comfort zone with this title, and the gamble has definitely paid off!
Therefore, The Sinking City 2 receives the ThumbCulture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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