PLATFORM: PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
2019’s The Sinking City is an open-world detective game, set in 1920s Massachusetts. Praised for its storytelling and atmosphere, reception to its combat was less complimentary, leading to a few raised eyebrows when it was revealed that the sequel would pivot from detective work to full-on survival horror. A standalone story that requires no knowledge of its predecessor, The Sinking City 2 casts players as Calvin Rafferty, a man who, along with his partner Faye, attempts to perform a ritual to open a supernatural realm. Something goes wrong, as is often the case in these sort of endeavours, and Faye slips into a coma while the city around them slowly floods and parasitic worms known as the Slither make their presence known. As the city is evacuated, Calvin stays behind and tries to find a way to bring Faye back to life…
The Sinking City 2‘s influences are clear right from the start, adding a Lovecraftian element to the sort of gameplay found in survival horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Throughout the game you’ll explore the flooded city of Arkham before moving on to a hospital and fish market en route to the game’s final encounter. Each area is fairly linear, although there’s plenty of room for exploration and backtracking as you hunt for items and solve puzzles that allow you to progress further into the game. A “mind palace” board calls back to the original Sinking City, allowing you to place clues onto a chart and link them up to earn upgrade points while also serving as a handy way of keeping track of useful information like safe codes and other puzzle-based information, while additional collectibles bolster Calvin’s physical upgrades with weapon modifications and much-needed additional inventory slots.
Much like its predecessor, The Sinking City 2’s world-building and atmosphere are fantastic, but combat is again slightly lacking. You’re given five different guns to play with, but none of them feel especially great to use and successfully aiming at the jerky and juddery enemies’ Slither-filled glowing weak points often feels more like luck than skill. It’s the sort of thing that you get used to after an hour or so, but each area has its own combat-heavy section that doesn’t quite live up to the quality of the rest of the game. Having said that, most games have a less-accomplished aspect to them, and The Sinking City 2 does everything else so well that it’s still absolutely worth playing. At around 8 hours from beginning to end, with replayability encouraged by some Resi-style unlockables (extra lore, alternate outfits, unlimited ammo, that sort of thing), it might not be the sort of game that you’ll play for weeks on end but it’s one that you’re likely to remember for a long time.
