DreadOut 2 is the sequel to the 2014 title, DreadOut, and once again puts players in the role of Linda Meillinda, a character with the ability to see ghosts. Her primary defense against these spirits is her smartphone, which she uses to photograph and weaken them before engaging in combat. Following the events of the first game, Linda faces the challenge of saving not only her city, but the entirety of humanity, from a host of dangerous supernatural entities.
Like its predecessor, DreadOut 2 is an Indonesian-developed game that incorporates elements of Indonesian folklore, lending it a distinctive flavor. The in-game phone provides access to information about encountered spirits, including their names, behaviors, and threat levels. The game also establishes a compelling atmosphere, characterized by dimly lit environments illuminated primarily by Linda’s phone.
The inclusion of a video recap of the first game’s events is a welcome feature, providing context for newcomers to the series.
However, DreadOut 2 doesn’t offer an immediately intuitive experience. It appears to operate under the assumption that players are already familiar with the first installment. Initially, the significance of the phone is not clearly conveyed, leading to periods of aimless exploration in near darkness. Furthermore, interacting with key objects can be problematic. For instance, the remnants of Linda’s bag, crucial for progression, provided no initial indication of interactivity. Once the phone is acquired, a cat appears, which the game expects you to follow. This guidance isn’t explicitly stated, leading to further confusion until the player deduces the correct course of action and discovers a hidden character.
Discovering the first hidden character unlocks additional features, allowing interaction with previously ignored elements. This highlights the game’s highly linear structure. While the first encountered ghost proves relatively easy to defeat using the phone’s camera, subsequent encounters can be significantly more challenging and, at times, frustrating.
A new feature in DreadOut 2 is the ability to engage physical ghosts in melee combat using various weapons. However, these battles can quickly become cumbersome and tedious. Beyond these initial hurdles, the game opens up into a larger world, maintaining a degree of intrigue and delivering occasional jump scares.
This review is based on the newly released Nintendo Switch version of DreadOut 2. Despite the game’s original PC release four years prior, its graphics and animations appear dated. While the development team may not possess the same resources as studios behind titles like Alan Wake II, a higher level of polish would have been beneficial. Alternatively, a more deliberately retro aesthetic could have masked some of the visual shortcomings.
Another significant drawback is the game’s poor readability on the Nintendo Switch’s built-in screen. The text, already small on a TV display, becomes virtually illegible on the handheld screen, requiring considerable strain to decipher. Given the game’s reliance on text for progression, this oversight significantly impacts the gameplay experience on the Switch.
Furthermore, the extended loading times are a persistent annoyance, particularly considering the relatively simple graphics.
In conclusion, DreadOut 2 offers a glimpse into Indonesian culture and its unique approach to horror, featuring moments of suspense and an intriguing narrative. However, its mechanical shortcomings and dated graphics detract from the overall experience. The less-than-optimal port to the Nintendo Switch further compounds these issues.
Soft Source Publishing provided a review code for this analysis. The provision of review materials does not influence our editorial evaluations.
