The Sinking City 2 Preview: A Promising but Inconsistent Eldritch Horror Adventure

The Sinking City 2, developed by Frogwares, was announced in 2024 after economic challenges from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A Kickstarter funded its development, and a recent preview offered a glimpse into its cosmic horror. This sequel shifts from an open-world adventure to a survival horror action game, featuring a new story and protagonist, Calvin Rafferty, in a sinking Arkham City. Calvin, a private detective, navigates floodwaters, seeking clues to reunite his lover Fay's spirit with her body. Unlike the previous protagonist, Charles Reed, Calvin's ghosts are literal, with Fay inhabiting a mask he carries. This duo offers greater depth and likability than their predecessor. The demo showcased two distinct missions, highlighting revamped investigative mechanics and action-centric sections. The game scales back the open-world aspect for more focused, dense areas, improving pacing and reducing tedious backtracking. While the first game melted various Lovecraftian stories, Sinking City 2 leans heavily into science fiction elements, with futuristic devices in a 1920s setting. Investigation has been overhauled; the "mind palace" concept now allows players to link clues from anywhere on an evidence board, streamlining the process compared to the original's trial-and-error system. While lacking the flavor of visiting a library, the new system is more efficient. Puzzles, like organizing symbols on a pylon, are straightforward, relying on notes left by cultists. The demo lacked the morally ambiguous choices that were a strength of the first game. Combat is inconsistent. Enemies, twisted corpses with pulsating boils, appear in bursts. While manageable alone, their numbers quickly overwhelm, highlighting the janky third-person shooting mechanics. Damage taken barely registers, making toe-to-toe combat a mistake. Running away often feels necessary, especially in chaotic moments where zombies burst through walls. Weapons are adequate, with the shotgun feeling powerful, but the pistol and submachine gun less so. A new talent system offers potential synergies not fully explored in the demo. Despite early prototype hitches, The Sinking City 2 aims to improve upon its predecessor with a better protagonist, revamped investigation, and better-paced missions. It has the potential to become a must-play for horror fans if it can overcome the underwhelming combat and puzzles that plagued the first game. The Sinking City 2 is set to release this summer on PC and consoles.