The Sinking City 2

The Sinking City 2 is a solid attempt at the classic survival horror formula that'll please those looking for preposterous puzzle design and tense resource management. A smaller development budget means the performances aren't quite up to the standards of the genre's biggest names, but Frogwares still has an admirable Resident Evil-esque effort on its hands. This is good - sometimes really good.

The Sinking City 2 eschews its predecessor's investigative chops to present a more straightforward trek through a semi-open world flooded with things to discover and horrors to witness. This works well with a solid premise and compelling characters, making Arkham a Sinking City that feels dangerous while remaining mysterious enough to warrant further exploration.

The Sinking City 2 takes a bold genre shift and makes it work, blending tight horror pacing, brutal combat, and streamlined investigations into a gripping descent into Lovecraftian terror.

It doesn't reinvent the genre, but The Sinking City 2 is an impressive example of artistry, gameplay, and atmosphere, and it should be on your list to play as soon as possible.

The Sinking City 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor. It trades much of its detective-focused identity for a tense and atmospheric survival-horror experience that wears its Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Dead Space influences proudly. While the story ultimately fails to leave much of an impression, the excellent combat, clever exploration and suitably creepy rendition of Arkham make this one hell of a good time. Frogwares may have sacrificed some of the original’s unique personality, but in return they’ve created a much better survival-horror game. And honestly, who can argue with that?

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The Sinking City 2 exceeded my expectations, and won me over with its more polished and focused gameplay. While I still missed the more ambitious aspects of the original, this sequel is far easier to recommend and stands up as a worthy companion to the survival horror giants. It clearly takes influence from Resident Evil with a plethora of extra gameplay challenges for completionists and I look forward to seeing how speedrunners can refine paths through the game.

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The Sinking City 2 takes a lot of obvious gameplay inspirations from the greats. While that part of the game isn't original, it doesn't need to be. Don't mess with success. It might not have the same level of visual budget, but it still works and plays well. Besides, the story and setting alone make The Sinking City 2 a must-play survival horror game. Combine that with what makes the modern Resident Evil games popular, and you have a great recipe for success.