### The Sinking City 2: A Lovecraftian Survival Horror Adventure
Very few games unsettle me. Frogwares’ newly launched Lovecraftian survival horror title, *The Sinking City 2*, is among the rare experiences that genuinely made me say “Bleh.” It’s a game rife with revolting worms, grotesque growths, and heaps of slime. I thoroughly enjoyed navigating this eerie journey, even if *Sinking City 2* has a few too many combat scenarios.
Available now on PC and consoles, *The Sinking City 2* serves as a standalone sequel to 2019’s *The Sinking City*. You won’t have to play the previous title to grasp the sequel, as *Sinking City 2* introduces a new ensemble of characters in a different New England city and unfolds a fresh story unrelated to the prior events.
Moreover, it’s not just the storyline that diverges from the first installment. *Sinking City 2* is also a completely different genre. The initial game was a narrative-driven, detective-oriented adventure with some minor (and not particularly impressive) combat. *Sinking City 2* abandons that gameplay style for a third-person survival horror format, clearly influenced by Capcom’s recent *Resident Evil* remakes.
#### From Detectives to Explosives
Initially, I had doubts about whether Frogwares could execute the genre transition, but after a few hours, I found myself too frightened and preoccupied with nervously counting bullets and health items to even recall that the studio’s previous game wasn’t a survival horror. Put simply, *Sinking City 2*’s evolution into *Resident Evil*-esque action horror is a resounding triumph.
A major factor contributing to *Sinking City 2*’s triumph as a survival horror game is that each meticulously crafted level in the game appears genuinely repulsive and eerie. The game’s locale, Arkham, Massachusetts, is a city engulfed by the ocean, and the rising waters bring forth thousands of grotesque, unnatural worms. These creatures swiftly begin to animate the deceased, posing as one of the primary adversaries confronting the playable protagonist Calvin Rafferty. They’re far from the only unsettling aspect of cosmic horror you’ll encounter during the approximately 10 hours it takes to complete the game along with most of its smaller side missions, though. I’ll leave those other horrors for you to discover in the dark.
Naturally, you might be curious, “Why is this Calvin character loitering in a dying city sinking into the ocean filled with worm zombies and monstrosities?” Well, he’s infatuated with a woman trapped in a sinister, enchanted coma after a botched spell, and now he’s trying to rescue her before the solutions he seeks are submerged beneath the sea. You understand how it goes.
To rescue her and himself, Calvin must navigate by foot and boat across several critical locations in Arkham. All of these spots are unpleasant to visit, yet they make ideal horror game levels, featuring a creepy hospital and a rundown nightclub that houses a nasty main character in need of your assistance. Each location feels large enough that traversing them takes time, and acquiring a map is advantageous, but none are so expansive that they seem empty or tedious to explore. The nightclub, in particular, effectively employs narrow corridors, ambushes, and varying levels to push you into areas most individuals would shun. However, you’ll need that key, or gear, or lever, or whatever peculiar item is necessary to unlock the way forward.
#### Shoot, Shoot, Shoot, Shoot, Shoot
Similar to *Resident Evil*, *Sinking City 2* populates these locations with the aforementioned creatures and the undead. You’ll have to manage your ammunition and health items prudently, as the game frequently hurls more foes at you than you can manage. Retreating is often a wise tactic.
However, if you decide to stand your ground, firearms in *Sinking City 2* feel appropriately potent, though I found some animations a bit rigid. That doesn’t lessen the effectiveness of the shotgun against worm-infested zombies. In fact, even the initial pistol is loud and formidable. With a few enhancements, it and other weapons transform into quite effective killing machines, assuming you don’t miss and have enough ammo.
Regrettably, while the combat is solid, *Sinking City 2* presents far too many “fight for your life” scenarios. These battles confine Calvin to a relatively small area with no escape, bombarding him with waves of adversaries. To escape, you’ll need to eliminate them all while unlocking small crates scattered throughout each area that replenish your ammunition and health items a bit. These moments feel like Frogwares bit off more than it could chew, as the combat and controls don’t quite
