The Sinking City 2 Reviews
While the first's open world outstayed its welcome, the second moved on from the city when I'd only just got my feet wet.
The Sinking City 2 is an absolute triumph, not only due to its harrowing real-world origins, but because of how Frogwares masterfully crafted a survival horror game as their first product in the genre.
There are technical flaws that indicate the game doesn't reach AAA status, but these are largely compensated for by the narrative and artistic design. And while it's strictly unrelated to the game and we haven't factored it into the score, we believe the effort to bring such an ambitious project to fruition in such an adverse context deserves applause . So, give The Sinking City 2 a chance . Give cosmic horror a chance.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 exceeded my expectations, and won me over with its more polished and focused gameplay. While I still missed the more ambitious aspects of the original, this sequel is far easier to recommend and stands up as a worthy companion to the survival horror giants. It clearly takes influence from Resident Evil with a plethora of extra gameplay challenges for completionists and I look forward to seeing how speedrunners can refine paths through the game.
The Sinking City 2 is a far tighter, story-driven game - still with exploration and investigations, albeit more limited - than the original. Only really let down by the smallest of niggles, the game features excellent world-building, supported by challenging survival-horror combat and gameplay, decent exploration and puzzles, and a story that is genuinely interesting until the end, with a small but strong cast of characters. Fans of the original may be missing the open-world and detective focus, but the trade-off and direction of this stand-alone sequel feels right, and performs brilliantly.
The Sinking City 2 shifts its focus toward action, featuring combat against parasite-infested humans and various monstrosities. The concept works, though encounters are hampered by the enemies' ability to always pinpoint the player's location, effectively rendering stealth futile.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 is a solid attempt at the classic survival horror formula that'll please those looking for preposterous puzzle design and tense resource management. A smaller development budget means the performances aren't quite up to the standards of the genre's biggest names, but Frogwares still has an admirable Resident Evil-esque effort on its hands. This is good - sometimes really good.
The Sinking City 2 might not appear as slick as other modern survival horror games, like the Silent Hill 2 remake, or Cronos: The New Dawn. But it feels more unique with its combination of 1920s Lovecraftian narrative, detective mechanics, and traditional survival horror elements.
The Sinking City 2 takes a lot of obvious gameplay inspirations from the greats. While that part of the game isn't original, it doesn't need to be. Don't mess with success. It might not have the same level of visual budget, but it still works and plays well. Besides, the story and setting alone make The Sinking City 2 a must-play survival horror game. Combine that with what makes the modern Resident Evil games popular, and you have a great recipe for success.
Yet The Sinking City 2 is different. It is because, despite its stumbles, uncertainties, a few too many clumsinesses, and some unforgivable naiveté, it ultimately proves to be a survival horror game that clearly exceeds what one might expect from that budget and from that team of men who, despite some technical mistakes, still manage to pull off a solid survival horror game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Frogwares' The Sinking City 2 offers a solid survival horror experience that feels both different and similar to its predecessor.
The Sinking City 2 eschews its predecessor's investigative chops to present a more straightforward trek through a semi-open world flooded with things to discover and horrors to witness. This works well with a solid premise and compelling characters, making Arkham a Sinking City that feels dangerous while remaining mysterious enough to warrant further exploration.
In the new The Sinking City, developers at Frogwares have swapped the detective-occultist gameplay for a survival horror experience. It’s a truly successful step into the genre: the combat is satisfying, and the environmental puzzles are highly inventive and engaging. Fans of the genre should keep The Sinking City 2 in mind. Those who enjoyed the first game may feel a slight disappointment, and although I initially had mixed feelings too, I ended up having a lot of fun with the game. Frogwares took a risk by ditching the detective elements, but it’s worked out very well.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 doesn't quite reach the level of polish in some of the lesser recent RE Engine Resident Evil entries, nor does it have what it takes to contend with the recent Silent Hill revival or even newcomers like Cronos: The New Dawn. It's a bit too derivative at its worst, and the looming shadow of its rotten predecessor still grips its design philosophy. It's a dramatic improvement for the most part, if a bit generic. There's a solid foundation here to be sure, even if it's still waterlogged. Horror fans will likely enjoy their time in Arkham due to the ambience and monsters, but it still needs more of an X-factor to go toe-to-toe with the major leagues.
The Sinking City 2 is an impressive game, especially when you consider the conditions under which it was made. It tries very hard to emulate the modern Resident Evil remakes, and for the most part, it succeeds at being a fun survival-horror game. Unfortunately, its flaws are more apparent. The somewhat weak combat is bolstered by strong exploration, while the story has a compelling concept that occasionally gets a little too comedic for its own good. If you're looking for something appropriately horrific for the Halloween season, The Sinking City 2 has you covered.
The game leans more on survival than pure horror, with environments that grow richer as you progress. Its engaging story and strong environmental storytelling make it one of the finest adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft’s unsettling world. Fans of survival horror, especially titles like Silent Hill, will find much to enjoy—despite a few flaws.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 is survival horror by the book. Puzzles, constant tension and a good dose of Lovecraftian cosmic horror. A sequel that builds on what worked in the original game and refines it with a much more focused approach.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A honorable attempt at survival horror. The Sinking City 2 offers an imperfect - albeit satisfying - voyage into the horrors of a sunken city infested by eldritch horrors.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 is a bold genre shift for Frogwares that mostly pays off. The Nightshade rune system and a well-integrated Investigation Space give it real identity, and a drowned Arkham remains a genuinely oppressive Lovecraftian setting. Combat against groups and a stiffer-than-ideal aim keep it from being flawless, but not enough to overshadow what the team achieved under conditions few studios will ever have to face.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Sinking City 2 is a fantastic game from Frogwares, taking all the elements loved from the first game and venturing into a genre that's new to them.
Review in Turkish | Read full review