Slayaway Camp 2

Initially I was hesitant about this sequel because it looked vastly different to the first instalment, and I loved the first one. How wrong I was. All the new mechanics elevate Slayaway Camp 2 and it's insanely fun. This is a must play for any horror puzzler fans. There are so many references and nods to plenty of franchises. The quality of this game means a day one purchase for Slayaway Camp 3.

A number of positive and negative changes from the previous Slayaway Camp add up to a bit of a downgrade for me, but still with a clear recommendation. Visual are not an eyesore this time. However, animations become a bit of a pain since they cannot be skipped any more, thus watched hundreds of times each. Most of them aren't short either. Mini-games are now numerous, when it was just the one prior. I get that variety is a plus for those who like that kind of stuff but, for me, we lose the simplicity of mouse-only single button control, and the chance to improve through repetition. Let's also mention the high chances of disliking certain mini-games, combined with the inability to exclude those from the randomised cycles. I would have preferred the removal of mini-games entirely, since I come for puzzles. And I got my wish granted: all arcade can be won automatically; it's like skipping, only with a bit of time wasted to unlock every unlockable. Verdict: mini-games upgraded. Puzzles have lost the feature I liked the most: the slippery floors. They join the inferior ranks of Sokoban classics, with a hundred times the number of steps, the laborious pushing of crates, the undo/rewinds so long that they induce yawning, etc. Slippery floors still occur, but are a minority. The worst downgrade comes with scenarios on multiple screens. They kill the visibility, the planning, and increase the magnitude of flaws, like the mentioned rewinds, undos, waits for animations to complete, etc. Landscape scrolling is poor; teleportation is a long animation that adds even more patient waits. The repulsion concerns only the end game, but these levels become increasingly unappealing and unpleasant to complete. In fact, I gave up on the super-long level made of breakable tiles; the one in which you must plan 1000+ steps, the first ones themselves essential, without knowing what comes next. Verdict: mechanics downgraded. Despite the above, puzzle design stays for the most part excellent. That's what truly matters. Quantity is there as well; your brain shouldn't stop overheating any time soon. Disliking a handful of puzzles won't ruin the hundreds of fun ones. Puzzle-lovers shall not skip this game.