Not bad at all, but not as good as the previous entry and has alot more issues. The voice acting is uneven. One character in particular delivers his lines so flatly that it’s jarring though, interestingly, his performance improves later on, which makes me wonder if it was intentional. A handful of minor characters also fall into “mediocre” territory. On the technical side, I managed to get stuck in a stairwell after clicking too quickly while the camera shifted. My character didn’t register in a valid position, which left me soft-locked. More frustrating, though, are the unskippable animations. I appreciate the detail like the protagonist glancing at things you click on but waiting several seconds for her to reset before I could act again wore thin fast. Watching the same “open hatch” animation for the fifth time made me want to yell: “Just leave it open!”
The game does provide multiple solutions for some puzzles, which is great, and the inclusion of a CSI kit is a fun touch. Still, clarity issues pop up often. For example, you might deduce that a microscope can be used on clothes in an armoire, then use tweezers to collect a hair sample but not realize the new hotspot is on the folded clothing instead of the hanging ones. Tools can also be mislabeled the rarely used “sniffer” is confusingly listed as “electronic noise.” And luminol use devolves into pixel hunting for invisible hotspots. The inventory system deserves criticism as well. With only 16 slots, it’s clunky and forces tedious backtracking. Dropping items in storage boxes to free up space feels more like padding than gameplay. It’s realistic, perhaps our petite protagonist wouldn’t reasonably carry an archery target, a sledgehammer, lockpicks, cords, and speakers all at once but realism doesn’t necessarily equal fun.
I strongly recommend playing with a guide. Like many adventure games, this one has pixel hunt moments and obtuse leaps of logic. A late-game bullet hole, for example, feels nearly impossible to spot without help. Timed danger sequences also become frustrating when you don’t yet know the layout, and one near the end even blocks you from reloading to undo failure unless you restart from the main menu. That borders on punishing design. There’s also an odd puzzle where one character gathers clues, then another character must solve with knowledge she never actually heard or read some of which isn’t even revealed until after.
So why do I still rate this highly? Because the writing is fairly strong (melodramatic villains aside), the puzzles are mostly fair, and the multiple solutions kept me engaged even as the challenge ramped up. The story’s twists felt earned, answering questions the clues had seeded earlier rather than pulling cheap surprises. And while the protagonists aren’t written to be instantly likeable, they are competent, respectable, and consistently interesting. Overall, the game’s flaws are forgivable compared to its strengths. With a guide to smooth out the rough edges, it’s a solid and rewarding adventure.
