Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Nothing says 'horror' more than what's inside your mind some days, and Tormentum II definitely delivers on horror inside the mind of a computer programmer (I assume), by the name of David, trying to get a simulation to run and ends up inside it himself!
The images in this point and click puzzle game were inspired by a pair of the many artists I had been following for quite a while now. I was so excited to see these creations inspired by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński that I just had to experience this game myself. Kudos to Piotr Ruszkowski and Łukasz Rutkowski and their wonderful works of art, gameplay, puzzles, music, oh just everything is so awesome!
Tormentum II opens with David (played by you) asleep on the bed. As you run your mouse over the room you discover points of interest and possible clues to what you do next. Where you point your cursor is where David moves to and each point that he can move to is labelled with text and an animated icon. I hear that in the first Tormentum: Dark Sorrow this type of 'direction' wasn't in that first game. Next, my curiosity draws me to all the pictures on the wall. I am loving that this game is all hand-drawn and the detail is just stunning!
David is trying to get his simulation to run and has been offered a mysterious coprocessor. Once he installs it he wakes in a prison with the very beings capable of human-level thought that he had created for the simulation. Many things are similar to what he remembers creating and also many new things show up as he goes around talking to anyone he meets. When he meets a being you notice that there's a puzzle to solve. Clues are given by the beings you are talking to. Oh! One beautiful feature of this game is David carrying a notepad where you literally have access to clues that are for either the puzzle you are on or another one further ahead! I loved this as it saves me writing down, yes exactly that, physically writing down notes. I know I'm not the only one doing this.
The music is so on point in this game that in some of the rooms I have actual shivers up my spine from it playing. There are definitely Lovecraftian vibes all through this game. That same feeling from the music I have felt before in the Sherlock Holmes games from Frogwares.
Another feature of this game is the map. The detail on this and every image that makes up this game is visually stunning. I am so blown away by that. I'm so glad that they took those 8 years to make this game. Well, with only 2 of them making this game, I can understand the long wait for it. Definitely well worth it!
I am now on my third playthrough of this game because on my first playthrough, when I got to a puzzle that I had all the pieces for, my choice killed off a being I had made a promise to. Wow, did that hit me in the gut for sure, which loomed over me throughout the first time through.
I am so glad for the different endings because of my choices. That gives this game a lot of replayability. The puzzles are easy to solve and the story carries you along. I remember the voice and the huge chest in David's dream which definitely has a kick all its own. For all these reasons this game rates a ten out of ten! Thank you Ohnoo Studio! You guys rock! Now I am off to play the first Tormentum just because I'm hooked! Looking forward to your next game, and all of you who have this on your wishlist? Go get it! Some point and click games usually just pass time for me, but this one has me coming back to replay the points I had saved.
Score: 10 / 10
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