SIMULACRA 2

 PC
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Vandal
    Jan 31, 2020
    74
    Simulacra 2 is a game that successfully experiments with storytelling, and delivers an engaging narrative with a many mysteries to solve. It’s best played on a phone, but if you like exploring new ways of discovering a story, it’s worth your time.
  2. GamingTrend
    Apr 2, 2020
    70
    A horror-tinged found phone game that any mystery fan should find a few hours for.
  3. CD-Action
    Mar 17, 2020
    65
    The game almost plays itself, which is a shame. It’s still made well enough to keep players engrossed in the mystery and scared of the Ripple Man. [04/2020, p.80]
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  5. The Indie Game Website
    Jan 31, 2020
    60
    It’s well priced and a thrill ride from start to finish, including fully working apps and different live-action endings to uncover. Although a little predictable in places, and maybe a tad preachy, it gets the job done and will probably make you flush your phone away.
  6. Adventure Gamers
    Feb 5, 2020
    50
    Although it doesn’t feel entirely phoned-in, SIMULACRA 2 fails to either build on its predecessor’s style or provide enough worthwhile substance of its own, making for a sequel that isn’t quite transmitting at full strength.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. BugOnDesk
    Jan 16, 2023
    9
    Simulacra 2 is as good as the previous game in the series. Continued with high-quality narrative design, this time we have much more fun inSimulacra 2 is as good as the previous game in the series. Continued with high-quality narrative design, this time we have much more fun in gameplay thanks to the new video clips and the improvements on the graphic design.… Full Review »
  2. renyw
    Dec 19, 2022
    8
    great great great great great great great great great great great great great
  3. apeot2002
    Oct 9, 2021
    4
    Simulacra 2 is more of Simulacra 1: More data to search, more people to hack, more cringe to endure.

    Another stranger’s phone. Another    Simulacra 2 is more of Simulacra 1: More data to search, more people to hack, more cringe to endure.

    Another stranger’s phone. Another story tinged with horror and sci fi elements. Another trip into the uncomfortable territory of violating simulated people’s privacy for a good cause. This sequel sticks pretty close to the footsteps of its predecessor.

    This time, the justification is justice, because the owner of the phone is quite dead, and you might be a cop, or a cop's little journalist helper. That makes the whole endeavour a bit less creepy, even though the characters of the story and the protagonist himself express a whole lot of disapproval of the invasion of privacy aspect of the proceedings.

    Gameplay-wise, things have been improved and deepened quite a lot. There is now a mechanic where you can store facts that you have discovered as a kind of file on the phone, and use them to confront people with them via chat. The simulations of social hacking have been implemented more gracefully and more challenging. The FMV production values have gone up, the inevitable creepy pasta is quite a bit creepier.

    So if Simulacra 2 is a whole lot more of Simulacra, and I found Simulacra quite compelling and mostly fun to play, then I must have enjoyed playing Simulacra 2, right? Unfortunately, no, I didn’t.

    There were a few minor snags: Some of the riddles you have to puzzle out were very obscure, and, to my mind, there was way too much dross to sift through to find the few nuggets of usable information within the timelines of the various social media apps on the phone.

    But the main reason I felt little enjoyment while playing were the characters.

    The game’s main four characters are influencers, and as a consequence, they are a bunch of miserable, ♥♥♥♥♥♥, morally compromised people. That's not my framing, that is the inescapable implication of the script. I can’t find a single ounce of sympathy with any of these people even though their life is in danger and the plot tries, unsuccesfully, to redeem them in the end. There is no self-reflection, nothing is learned.

    Seriously, if I ever want to warn someone away from this career path, I'll have him or her play this game. The cringe is that intense.

    I admit this might be a me thing, because I look with deepening horror at this business of turning your own life into a product. But I do believe that you can not play this game without developing a distaste for an Influencer's existence.

    Staring into an abyss can be compelling or even fun, eyeballing these particular depths was not fun for me. Only play this if misery porn is your thing.

    TLDR: An OK horror story combined with an honest look into one of the creepiest and extensively miserable facets of online existence. This is an acquired taste, and I have failed acquiring it.    … Full Review »
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