While the first volume serves to be the introduction to these nuns and this dour abbey, this is the buildup to the upcoming climax. And what a build up it is.
The art is as striking as ever and the mechanics are – more or less – the same. I will say that the problem about white text on certain backgrounds is still difficult to see (so again, use the history tab as liberally as possible) but otherwise, there is a buildup of tension that shoots up. In the previous game, it’s a slow creep; here, the tension is gripping and near-instant. It picks up right where the first volume ended, thankfully, and there’s more characters being introduced with the ongoing story. If you’ve found the secret scene in the first game, this does expand upon it a little bit more in this game. Sadly, it’s not as much as I personally want but it’s more than enough breadcrumbs to keep me interested and theorycrafting further. For such a seemingly simple premise, this delves further down in what “historical” means to the modern observer and how history’s patterns repeat itself without realizing it, without paying attention.
The first volume may have had hints of being for adults; this volume, however, is purely for adults and I mean that because a lot more mature themes come into play. There’s a lot of nuance presented in the first volume, but the second one takes the time to explore it and has the reader take the time to think about as it’s happening. As for me, this second volume helped me realize that while I am ex-Catholic and had been for over two decades, I still have a lot of Catholic sensibilities that needed to be challenged, and to an extent let go, and I’m grateful for that. To be clear, I’m not saying that if you’re sensitive to it (Catholic or otherwise), you should force yourself but this is a good volume to challenge yourself. Gothic literature had always meant to disturb but this reminds me that gothic literature is also meant to challenge in ways that being disturbed isn’t the only emotion to gather from this.
One thing about this second volume is that it’s one of those that can suck you in and keep you there. In the first volume, there’s a lot more lulls to the story — and they are very much present here, too – that build the characters and their respective relationships but this volume… it sucks you in. It keeps you and then you realize 3-4 hours have passed by the more you read it. Certain things pop up in the background that you wouldn’t notice before; characters change in both pleasant and not so pleasant ways; there’s so much to chew through throughout the scenes – even the background has subtle changes if you take the time to look. It can be overwhelming, not just for poor Hedwig herself, but even the reader. If you find yourself re-reading this, just to collect even more additional details, then I think that’s more than your money’s worth. At times, it feels like the mystery is best left to the wolves or if you’re just as determined like Hedwig to solve it, for better or worse. It does play with your emotions and does seep into your mind. There’s actual things hidden in the background (at least, as far as I know in this volume) that may take multiple read-throughs to catch them all.
All in all, I do highly recommend this if the first volume is intriguing enough for you to keep going. There is a lot to unpack and to deal with in the horror of this volume, though. It’s not an easy read; people are betrayed and love is lost and hearts are broken. It doesn’t make it less interesting, though, but I can understand why a lot of people felt what they did. It is a lot and could border on sacrilegious to certain sensibilities.
However, again, I’m glad I read this. I highly recommend this to those who want to be challenged and who want to fall deeper into the darkness of this abbey. It’s long and wide, and spans centuries, but whatever’s on the other side, I’m in anticipation for the conclusion. I’m in desperate need of a community to talk about the theories, possibilities, history… and more. I simply cannot get enough and I eagerly await anything this developer creates moving forward.
