The Sinking City 2 is due on August 18 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and it is a noticeably different beast to the first game. Frogwares has moved the action to a flooded, 1920s version of Arkham and, more importantly, changed what kind of game this is.
Less detective, more survival
The original Sinking City was an open-ended investigation game with a lot of clue-boarding. The sequel trades most of that for straight survival horror in the classic mould: tight resources, nasty encounters, and the constant maths of whether that bullet is worth firing. Frogwares has been open that it is leaning on the old Resident Evil playbook here, which is a big tonal shift from clue-hunting to keeping yourself alive.
What's worth knowing before you buy
The standard edition runs about 41 pounds, and there is a launch-day New Game Plus if you are the sort who wants a reason to run it twice. There is also a one-hour demo on Steam covering the opening, which is the sensible way to find out whether the new direction lands for you before you commit.
The honest bit
Frogwares is a small studio with a famously scrappy recent history, and pivoting a series into a different genre is a real gamble. When it clicks, resource-starved horror is one of the most tense things gaming does. When it does not, it just feels stingy. I want to see how the encounter design holds up over a full game rather than a demo. But the ambition is easy to like, and Arkham drowning in the dark is a strong look. We will know soon enough.
Comments · 0