Frogwares has been a developer I have had my eye on since Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment. There is something special and a little cozy about their games. And being a huge H.P. Lovecraft fan, The Sinking City was a joy to play through, combining their signature investigation and calmly solving puzzles while still getting to dig down into the Cthulhu mythos. But their games are never perfect; they have always been a bit janky, and that is also part of their charm. The Sinking City 2 enters the scene, and fond memories of the first game immediately appear, fond memories which this second entry sadly doesn’t live up to.
Safe Lore in a Flooded City
Arkham is flooded, and most people have managed to evacuate the city, but you have stayed behind to save your wife. After attempting an occult ritual, she has ended up in a sort of coma, and the answer to her current state lies deep within Arkham. This premise propels you through the city in the first act, which functions as a more open area, and then pushes you into two more closed areas later on.
The story takes a few turns, but it never feels particularly excited or genuinely good. In fact, it feels a bit boring at times. However, Frogwares has managed to build upon the Cthulhu lore quite successfully using different lore pieces and puzzle fragments scattered around the levels. These elements build both the story and the atmosphere greatly, serving as the true star story-wise. Even if the narrative never elevates to true greatness, it stays good and plays things pretty safe.
Trading Unique Investigations for Lackluster Combat
The combat in their Sherlock Holmes games and especially in the first Sinking City always felt a bit in the way of the game itself. So, I started The Sinking City 2 with some dread upon seeing how much more it focuses on the survival horror elements of its predecessor—almost entirely, in fact. Because of this heavy action focus, I feel that The Sinking City 2 has become less interesting and less fun to play than what came before.
Frogwares does investigations very well in their other games, and having that element almost completely gone here feels like a wrong move. The combat is lackluster; it technically works, but it isn’t fun at all. Meanwhile, the investigation mechanics left in the game are either entirely optional or very limited and easy, almost completely removing that core aspect of what made the original special.
Inventory management has always been a staple of survival horror, but this can be executed in different ways. With The Sinking City 2, Frogwares seems to lean heavily into giving you an extremely limited inventory. You can find upgrades for it—and you really have to get upgrades for it. This is something I missed in the first area, which ultimately led to me having to ditch everything, including my ammo, just to make room for essential quest items. That dynamic just felt wrong and not fun at all.
Janky Charm Meets Great Atmosphere
The Sinking City 2 follows suit with Frogwares’ other games when it comes to visual presentation: it looks okay. There are scenes where it looks like a modern, almost AAA horror game, but there are also times when it looks like something straight out of the Xbox 360 era, paired with animations that are a bit janky.
Even with these visual inconsistencies, I think it makes up for most of it by having a great design. Something about this sunken city of Arkham is really intriguing and handled in a compelling way, though moving away almost completely from the city in the second area feels like a bad move. Regardless, the atmosphere in The Sinking City 2 is great. You can almost feel the old gods in the room with you, even if the graphical fidelity doesn’t always look that great.
A Step Down into Mediocrity
The Sinking City 2 is a step down from the first The Sinking City. While it does look better in flashes and captures a great atmosphere with its more modern visuals and good sound design, it is a game that fails to continue what made the first one so good. Almost entirely skipping the investigation mechanics in favor of a more linear and focused survival horror game makes for a mediocre Resident Evil or Silent Hill clone. Ultimately, where the first game was something truly unique, this sequel loses much of that distinct identity.
Leave a Reply