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Mobile phones and their cameras are the scourge of modern existence. People turn into mindless zombies and feel entitled to record everything they see. However, they play a key role in many modern horror titles. Recently I treated Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel and an SLR was an important mechanic. That’s why I wasn’t surprised to see Dreadout 2 use a similar arrangement.
Developed by digital happiness and Kittehface and published by digestion, this is a horror title in the third person. It follows on from the original game but can be enjoyed by newcomers to the series. Thanks to a handy piece of film material, players will be informed in no time. This was an excellent idea, as I’ve never experienced the first game. Instead, I immediately knew what was happening as I embarked on my eerie adventure.
Dreadout 2 was on a budget, and it shows.
Before I give my outline of the plot, I want to address the elephant in the room. Unfortunately, Dreadout 2 had a minimal budget and it shows on many levels. The developers had big ideas, but disappointingly, the lack of money has almost all consequences. However, this shouldn’t put you off altogether. No, I suggest going into this with your eyes wide open instead, because a lot of the action is fun and interesting.
The plot follows Linda, who is the main character of the opening game. She begins her journey in a scary school where people hide and voices chase her. Once the prologue is complete, the action moves to a small town where a semi-open world approach is taken. Here you have to take on missions, explore your oppressive environment and continue the story. Unfortunately, much of the action follows a linear route, and this holds back the story. If it had been freer, the game would have been vastly improved.
As it is, you must roam a bleak city while completing a series of fetch missions. Along the way, you must use your cell phone to light the way, stun ghostly apparitions, and eventually send them back to their hideous realms. Accordingly, it performs like many other horror titles and comes across as familiar and well-trodden.
Clumsy gameplay, but a nice nod to folklore.
Where Dreadout 2 excels is his nod to Indonesian folklore. The game is laced with incredible lore and creepy moments. This is what keeps you going next because you want to see how things evolve. Other than this, a lot of its mechanics lack originality, and this holds it back.
In fact, even when things go well, it feels disjointed and clunky. Unfortunately, the combat elements are slow and should be avoided. However, I enjoyed checking out the haunted realm and how different features of the mobile had an impact. For example, the flash will stun your opponents and framing a shot will deal more damage. In addition, pressing the shutter release button for longer delivers a mighty punch.
In addition, the light is used to explore any obscured areas. This was fantastic as it added to the atmosphere and was really creepy. However, I wish the developers took on more in-depth tasks than the mundane tasks that constantly accentuate the action. Consequently, fetch assignments were all well and good, but they quickly became tedious and left me wanting a lot more.
Dreadout 2 looks good but performs poorly.
With grainy images, claustrophobic spaces and eerie darkness, the developers created an uneasy atmosphere. However, it performs so poorly due to frame rate issues. Subsequently, the gameplay does not run smoothly and this affects the combat and camera elements. This was a clear indication of the influence of a small budget on big ideas. While I appreciate the desire to create something beautiful, I would have preferred something smaller and more playable.
Fortunately, the audio fares much better. Disturbing sound effects and terrifying sounds will make you feel uncomfortable. In addition, the ambient sounds bring every area to life. However, the lack of acting was disappointing! While there was some spoken dialogue, it was mostly text-based information. This affected the action and made the gameplay more voyeuristic rather than immersive.
Slow checks.
Mostly, the smart and simple user interface makes: Dreadout 2 easy to play. Still, the slow response time makes it difficult to control. In addition, the poor frame rate exacerbates this problem. In addition, the main character’s desire to jog at every opportunity makes traversing tight spaces a little more difficult. Accordingly, these issues affect the core mechanics and make the game a bit less fun.
With plenty to see and do, there is both a repeat value and longevity. However, I’m not sure how many gamers will want to return. If you can see beyond the problems, there’s a world big enough to keep you busy for many hours.
Dreadout 2 could have been great.
Dreadout 2 contains many great ideas. That’s why I was disappointed that it didn’t excel. But when it worked well, it was a lot of fun. Annoyingly, however, these fleeting moments were rare. As such it should be great but sadly it wasn’t. That’s why I can’t recommend you to buy it. But more information can be found here! Fans of the first game will enjoy what they experience, but for everyone else there are better horror titles.
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