After the moderate success – more among users than among critics – of ReTurn: One Way Trip, the guys from the independent team of Red Ego Games are finally ready to launch its direct sequel. It is about ReTurn 2: Runaway, a psychological horror adventure that, like its predecessor, is built entirely in 2D, using a very elegant pixel art. Since this is the continuum of the story of Saki and his friends, which will restart exactly where it left off, it is strongly advised to be aware of all the events of the first game, before starting. Let’s take a closer look ReTurn 2 in our review, and find out what the fate of the group of guys will be.
It’s not over yet
As just mentioned, ReTurn 2 he picks up on events exactly where they left off: after the death of three of his traveling companions, Saki apparently manages to send Ayumi to the afterlife, and prepares to leave the haunted train with her boyfriend Sen. However, the girl will soon discover that the child’s spirit has been far from defeated, and that returning home will be more complicated than expected. In fact all that Saki and her companions managed to do was to give peace to the souls of the passengers who haunted the ghost train, but the same is not true for Ayumi, still linked to that place for reasons that we will not tell you about. Don’t worry, the macabre scenessituations bordering on credible ei twists they are insured.
However, Sen has gradually become stranger, and for some reason tries to get Saki to stay. It will take little to understand that she is no longer in herself, and she will not follow Saki in her escape, but rather calls Ayumi to her aid, who in turn will hurl her dark creature in pursuit of the girl.
From here on, let’s avoid telling you anything else, since it is a narrative adventure and you will want to discover the implications by playing. Small note to close, unfortunately between the different languages to choose from there is no Italiantherefore – unless you know one of the others – a basic knowledge ofEnglish.
Runaway, in every sense
As happened for the first chapter, the adventure is not extremely long-lived, and can be completed, taking the right time, in about 5 hours of gameplay (of course it all also depends on your deductive and riddle-solving skills). Also structure of the game has remained almost the same: 2D scenarios (of which a good half are new locations) made with a splendid pixel art in which we will go back and forth looking for objects and keys, all to be able to advance in the game and find a way to leave that cursed place for good. In many cases we will find ourselves acting by trial and error, for example to find the right door in combination with the key we have just found, or to solve some of the riddles that the game offers us.
The most important innovations are two, namely the possibility of running, hide And dodgeand the UV lens for the flashlight. Yes, because although the play structure is the same, things at certain points in the game will be more lively: there will be a big difference in speed between running and walking, and we will notice it when we will be hunted by different enemies. One of them is clearly the creature controlled by Ayumi, but for the others… well, we advise you to continue the game. The only way to escape is to get out of the area where you will be stalked, so run as fast as you can.
There is also the option of hide however, before being identified, which is indispensable especially on a couple of occasions, but be careful because hiding after the monster has already seen you will not save you from a painful death. Sure, you can try to dodge the enemy when he gets close to you, but you will consume a great deal of stamina, and as you get tired you will practically become still and helpless, so for now it remains. an almost useless feature to be balanced.
Our trusty flashlight in ReTurn 2as mentioned earlier in the review, this time it will be equipped with a UV lens that we will find in the early stages of the game, with which we can find hidden messagesbut also of objects essential to continue the game. Attention, even here prolonged use leads to the discharge of the battery, which will have to slowly recharge to be used again.
In general the difficulty of the title is attested as average, with some extremely intuitive riddles and others where we will have to work a little harder. The only part to file therefore remains the dodge feature.
Spooky pixels
The atmosphere of ReTurn 2 Runaway it has nothing to envy to the first production, and it comes enriched by a couple of stylistic changes not too contour, which increase the immersion as much as possible. First of all the soundtrack, which has completely new tracks to accompany us in the game between one sound effect and another, but also the models of the characters during the dialogues cleaned up for the occasion, and the cut scenes rendered more “modern” visually and above all dynamics. The atmosphere that emerges has certainly improved, with the “typewriter” style of the text being replaced by a lighter font, but at the same time strengthened by the full dubbing – in English – by all dialogues and comments of each character.
Despite everything, to conclude the review, we want to emphasize that despite the good intentions and the situation far from cheerful, ReTurn 2 fails to terrify the player, but still manages to be played for its entire duration with a slight halo of uneasiness in the background, which paradoxically turns it into a perfect title for those who want to approach the horror genre for the first time. We remind you that ReTurn 2 Runaway it’s available starting today, January 28, 2022, on PC via Steam.
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