Early games like the Myst or Tex Murphy adventures offered a unique blend of storytelling and puzzle-solving that captivated gamers. With the advent of virtual reality, the genre has found a new dimension to explore. Retropolis 2 is a great example of a modern game that pays homage to the classics while also bringing new life into a long-standing gaming style. Retropolis 2 was developed by Peanut Button Studios to continue the legacy of The Secret of Retropolis and enhance the gameplay experience. Both games are masterpieces in art and story telling, as each scene and character is hand-drawn and coloured using VR.
A Look Back: The Secret of Retropolis
Before we dive into the world of Retropolis 2, we should take a look back and appreciate where it all began. It was released in 2021 and it set the scene with an engaging storyline, visually stunning artwork, and a modern take on classic noir detective stories. Players were introduced to a world where mysteries lurk around every corner and, while the game was well received on all platforms it released on, it was fairly short and seemed more like it was trying to give us a glimpse of what might come in the sequel we now have.
Retropolis 2: Never Say Goodbye builds on this foundation by expanding on the Retropolis universe and both deepening and continuing the narrative from the first game. This continuity and expansion are handled with care, with Peanut Button ensuring fans of the first game feel right at home while also welcoming new players with an intriguing plot and accessible gameplay that doesn’t require intimate knowledge of the events of the first game in order to be enjoyable.
Characters and Dialogue: The Heart of the Story
How Much Of The Secret Of Retropolis Was Built Inside VR
Read how characters and environments in The Secret of Retropolis were built inside VR using Quill, as developer Peanut Button starts thinking about a Chapter 3.
At the heart of Retropolis 2 is a story narrated by the game’s main character, Phillip Log, the enigmatic detective with a troubled past. The plot unfolds when Phillip Log tries to solve a mystery that involves his true love Jenny Montage, who has been abducted by The Magician, the game’s villain. Retropolis 2, a sequel to Retropolis, introduces an entirely new set of characters with unique motivations and secrets. Similar to those old choose-your-own-adventure books, the dialogue choices you make influence the story being told around you. The dialogue choices can also offer some witty and dark humor in places, which is a nice break from the story’s tense atmosphere. The dialogue choices can also offers some witty and dark humor in places, which can be a nice break in the story’s tense atmosphere.
Graphics and Visual Style: Hand-Painted Brilliance
The visual appeal of Retropolis 2 is immediately apparent from the minute the game starts with everything the player sees in the environments around them being a testament to the dedication and skill of the artists who created this world. Hand-drawn environments and characters are beautifully detailed, and the animations are done to convey emotions and personalities. Retropolis 2 has a rich art style that is full of backdrops. These are essential to the story. The sound design and voice acting in Retropolis 2 are also excellent and complement the visuals of the game perfectly. Retropolis’ film noir-style is perfectly complemented by the music styles, which range from the jazzy tunes that come out of the robot bar to the suspenseful melody throughout the entire game. Sound effects have been well timed and mixed, with some of them providing vital feedback for interactive segments. They also add to the immersion. The voice actors are all very good and each one is perfectly suited to the characters they play. The presentation of the game is what I found to be lacking in production quality. It lessens my sense of immersion. The voices sounding thin, distant, and hollow makes narrative sense in a robot-dominated world, but it is distracting to humans. This is not a deal breaker, but set against the high quality of the music and background artwork, it stood out enough that it should be mentioned.
Comfort and Controls
When it comes to the comfort levels in Retropolis 2, since this game takes place from a static position and the only artificial movement is snap turning, most players should find it a comfortable experience in VR. Retropolis 2 is playable seated or while standing. However, since the game doesn’t really encourage you to move, it would be best to just sit back in a swivel seat and enjoy it. Retropolis 2 uses a combination of gaze-based interactions and controller inputs for puzzle solving and locomotion that can sometimes require thoughtful consideration, but never end up being so complex that the gameplay becomes frustrating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlztuvyIdOo
Case Closed
Retropolis 2: Never Say Goodbye is a hand-drawn love letter to the classic point-and-click adventure games that came before it and is a true gift for VR enthusiasts who appreciate a well-crafted story. Retropolis 2 is now available for PCVR headsets and standalone
. We feel Retropolis is definitely a case worthy of taking on, and one that will leave you pondering its mysteries long after the credits roll.
Peanut Button told UploadVR they have the story worked out for a
for the existing chapters.
We’ll have more coverage of Retropolis soon.Steam