Hello Neighbor 2 (Goosebumps Survival Horror)

 

I’ve always been a bigger movie dork and music nerd than a gamer, but in the face of doing right by the Captain…looks like it’s time to play them games. What better game to start than the eagerly awaited Hello Neighbor 2. The first installment set the game world on fire with it’s family-friendly approach to survival horror and keen use of AI-controlled baddies. In this sequel you as Quinton, a journalist looking for clues as to the disappearances of local children in Weylon Cross. One night while scavenging abduction sites, you see a young boy yanked into a foreboding home by a mysterious caretaker type with a shovel, a really big shovel, the kind graves are dug with. What follows is some of the most fun I’ve had at home since I discovered pornography. This game is absolutely beautiful, combining the open worlds of Rockstar Games with the almost painterly quality one would attribute to the classic LucasArts or Sierra On-Line adventures. As a kid who grew up playing the Alone in the Dark series, the scary stuff is kinda minimal but it’s deliciously spooky in much the same way as R.L. Stin. If I were an eight-year-old Goosebumps fanatic, I would be all over this game. Plus, there’s almost zero learning curve if you’re already familiar with FPS games a la the Far Cry series.

 
 

The game is broken up into three acts as the gamer (as Quinton) solves various puzzles and digs up various clues to figure out the secret plaguing Weylon Cross. Be forewarned that the AI in this game is extremely tough and actually learns its patterns from the player, there is no set pattern and after a while your opponent will begin to act in a predictive manner and know your next move. It all adds to the delicious jump scare factor that one gets from the very best YA horror. If this were a film, it would be analogous to Frank LaLoggia’s Lady in White in the sense that it works on multiple levels for a similar audience. As far as player options go, I love the freedom of mobility that Quinton has as a character and the drone feature is truly awesome. Is this the brave new world that developers have in store for us? The emphasis on clues and investigation over sheer muscle power may turn some off, but it goes hand in hand with the market this game was intended for. All of that said, I’m going to be playing this game all week and I’m probably going to play it again until it fades into memory. Hello Neighbor 2 is a perfect introduction to survival horror for younger gamers and infectious fun for more mature players. Take care and happy hunting…

 

Hello Neighbor 2 Official Steam

Written by David, Comptroller of Your Last Scrap of Existence

Hello Neighbor 2
Eerie Guest, tinyBuild (developers), tinyBuild (publisher)
4.5 / 5