House 2

House 2 takes what worked in the original House and expands with new interactions and tools that lead to wild new endings. The main ending being the most important, fleshing out the lore of this world far more than in the previous. I had a great time playing, (except for the desert section, that was just tedious). Going in blind and using trial & error to advance is how this game is meant to be played and discovering new possibilities and endings through this experimentation is so rewarding that I eventually went back and played the first one again. I for one love this fresh new artstyle for the series. On one hand I will miss the charming and simple pixel art that was incredibly effective at displaying the gruesome activity of the first. On the other hand, this Story Book Style art is beautiful, expressive and far more fitting for this series than even the beloved pixel art of the past. This display feels more like what the devs had intended for the series being closer to how the promotional and cover arts of the first game looked. The many deaths you will experience strike a balance between absolutely horrific and cartoonish. Multiple deaths will have to cut to bloody ribbons, while others will have you get your soul drained by some shambling husk leaving your deflated grotesque corpse in a pile before burping. The choice level of detail and comedic aspects to these deaths prevent the game from being too edgy and a far more charismatic presence. Poor Tabby is put through the wringer again, this time with half as many arms and what feels like less time to get things done per cycle. The idea that this place is slowly corrupting her if she does not escape is so engaging and having played the first, I want nothing more than for her and Melody to escape. As of right now, there is no Melody gameplay, but I am hoping that is rectified in some DLC. Though the true ending leaves me wondering if that is even possible as Tabby left her behind, but perhaps this is something Melody must do by herself to reunite with her sister again. My only slight complaint with the story is the paranormal element is less strong in the true ending of the game, but I am still very interested in where they will take this and will 100% be ready on launch day for House 3. This game introduces real boss fights to the series, with large health bars and far more forgiving hitboxes for enemy attacks.No longer are you one shot from across state lines like in the previous, this time you are one shot from a much more fair distance. The devs were also benevolent enough to grace us with a checkpoint for one of the boss fights, which I really appreciate. Getting the hang of things like managing stamina and your time are key to getting anywhere in this game but for the sake of your enjoyment, only consult a guide when you really hit a wall and can get any further without one, you will have a much better experience for it. Overall this is a wonderful and unique indie game that I really hope gets the love and attention it deserves.