Sequels in the gaming industry generally follow a predictable formula: take the foundation of the original game, expand the map, add more mechanics, and crank the volume up to eleven. Frogwares, however, has taken a shockingly different and brilliant approach with The Sinking City 2. Trading the sprawling, open world detective mechanics of its predecessor for a tightly focused, linear survival horror experience, the franchise has undergone a massive mutation. And much like the eldritch horrors that lurk within its waters, this transformation is a sight to behold.
The Sinking City 2 Review A Brilliant Transformation Into Survival Horror and A Desperate Dive into Flooded Arkham
Set in a 1920s version of Arkham that has been submerged under mysterious floodwaters, the game drops you into the waterlogged boots of Calvin Rafferty. Calvin isn't your standard grizzled detective; he's an occult adventurer desperately trying to save his partner, Fay. Following a ritual that went catastrophically wrong, Fay’s soul is trapped within the Nightmare realms, leaving her body in a coma. It is a highly personal, intimate motivation that works beautifully to ground the cosmic madness swirling around the protagonist.
The streets of Arkham are no longer just a backdrop for interviews and clue gathering. The city has been overrun by The Slither
a parasitic, worm like entity that reanimates the dead. Visually, the game is a triumph. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the murky, rain slicked environments exude an oppressive atmosphere. Whether you are navigating a morbid fish market, a flapper era hotel, or the unsettling halls of the Akeley Memorial Hospital, the game constantly makes you feel like you are somewhere you shouldn't be.
If you've played any of the recent Resident Evil remakes or Dead Space, you will feel right at home here. The Sinking City 2 wears its classic survival horror inspirations proudly. The open world has been replaced by meticulously crafted, interconnected zones filled with shortcuts, bizarre locks requiring equally bizarre keys, and puzzles that strike a perfect balance between challenging and logical.
Safe rooms make a return, cleverly woven into the lore as safe havens tied to the Dreamlands. Here, you manage your heavily restricted inventory a staple of the genre that forces you to make agonizing choices about whether to carry extra healing supplies or hoard shotgun shells. For those who enjoy brain teasers, the game even offers separate difficulty sliders for combat and puzzles (dubbed Brainy
and Breezy
), allowing you to tailor the investigative friction to your liking.
While the heavy focus on detective work from the first game is gone, side investigations remain. Following these breadcrumb trails of lore rewards you with Dream Essence
, a currency used to upgrade Calvin's surprisingly robust talent tree.
Combat has received a massive overhaul. You are equipped with a standard 1920s arsenal pistols, shotguns, tommy guns, and rifles but you cannot simply run and gun. Ammunition is brutally scarce on normal difficulties, forcing you to exploit enemy weaknesses.
The infected enemies boast grotesque, glowing tumors. Popping these weak points staggers them, opening them up to a devastating, ammo saving melee stomp. You can even shoot their knees out to ground them before delivering a final blow. Deciding when to stand your ground, when to exploit environmental hazards, and when to simply run away in terrified panic forms a highly addictive gameplay loop.
Despite its many triumphs, the game is not without a few barnacles. The narrative dialogue occasionally stumbles. Calvin is a bit too chatty, often undercutting the tension of a terrifying room with a corny quip. Furthermore, the game relies a bit too heavily on predictable encounter triggers. After a few hours, you will start to realize that picking up any key item will inevitably spawn a wave of zombies, dulling the element of surprise.
Mechanically, the worm system is frustratingly inconsistent. You are taught to stomp the parasitic worms before they can reanimate a corpse, but the game struggles to differentiate between harmless background set dressing worms and actual threats, leading to a lot of pointless boot stomping.
Finally, while the game runs beautifully on modern consoles and capable PCs, it does suffer from optimization hiccups in highly detailed areas (like the Fish Market), and handheld users will find that lower end devices struggle to maintain a stable frame rate without heavily compromising visual quality.
Once you roll credits after a robust 15 to 20 hour campaign, the game offers an incredibly rich New Game Plus mode dubbed X Oblivion
. Completing challenges during your first run awards points that can be spent on game breaking, hilariously fun unlocks for subsequent playthroughs like infinite ammo or spawning with a grenade launcher in the opening minutes. It is a fantastic reward system that significantly boosts the game's overall value.
Pc Version Tested
Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from Devs
You can check the game pages here
