Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller Episode 2 - The Wise Monkey

So while episode 2 is certainly an improvement, the series still has a little ways to go before I say, "Wow." Right now, I'm saying "not bad."

This is an improvement over The Hangman despite the shorter length meaning you get less bang for your buck. Everything feels a little bit more settled and confident and it moves quickly.

Anyway, even with its flaws, The Wise Monkey offers some good old-fashioned adventure game entertainment and promises more to come. Fortunately for us, the Cognition series' compelling heroine and an even more compelling story arc do two important things: make it possible to overlook the game's graphics, dialog and puzzle design hiccups and ensures that I for one, will see it through to the end.

Overall, Cognition: an Erica Reed Thriller – Episode 2: The Wise Monkey is a solid step forward for this promising mystery series. The point-and-click gameplay does feel somewhat outdated, but it is devoid of the pixel hunts and illogical hilarity that has ruined past games of the genre.

Perhaps not as surprising as the first episode but still maintains a good narrative level and an atmosphere like few adventures have. Has some weaknesses, such as being shorter and with less pace but overall a highly recommended game.

Though The Wise Monkey is not all it could have been, it's a strong second episode. Much of it, however, felt almost like filler.