Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh

Coming off of the first game I expected something similar. Many of the reviews say phantasmagoria 2 is cheesy with bad acting. I found the acting quite believable and not too over the top in most cases. These are obviously not A-list actors, but compared to other sierra FMV games such as GK2 and the first Phantasmagoria, I was seriously impressed with the quality of the acting and direction in this game. Interesting camera shots are used, and I think the use actual sets work better than the computer generated areas of the first game. The quality of the storyline and the production values match or surpass some b-movies from the same time period. The style is similar to the Hellraiser movies, and as a movie it's probably better than most of the later sequels in that series. Well done there! As a game, be prepared to cycle through a very limited location list looking for the one hotspot you missed that progresses the story. Using the computers is kind of fun for a bit, and if you pay attention most of the few puzzles that exist wont be too annoying. But yeah, don't expect too much game here. The "weird sci-fi twist" at the end some reviewers complain about didn't bother me, it was pretty clear to me halfway through the game that it was heading in that direction. Learn to suspend your disbelief, you'll have more fun with this one if you can :)

Lorelei Shannon, who had previously served as a writer on the Roberta Williams games King's Quest VII and The Dagger of Amon Ra, was selected to take on the task of writing and designing the sequel to Williams' game, Phantasmagoria. While the first installment was a supernatural horror in the tradition of The Shining and the works of Stephen King, Shannon redeveloped the series into a more modern, urban setting and utilized a psychological horror approach with science fiction undertones; Shannon has said the game was influenced by such authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Beaumont, and Shirley Jackson, and was influenced visually by Joel-Peter Witkin and the film Seven. According to Shannon, the title A Puzzle of Flesh "refers to the puzzle of who Curtis really is, and the fact that his flesh is not his own." While the game Phantasmagoria was shot with live actors super-imposed in bluescreen backgrounds, A Puzzle of Flesh was filmed on set and on location, not unlike a regular feature film (although the game's final scenes, in the Alien World, were shot on bluescreen). Filming took place in and around Seattle, Washington from February to September 1996. Shot on Digital Betacam, nearly four and a half hours of video was shot, from a script over 200 pages long. Much of Shannon's original script had to be cut due to budget constraints, including a lengthy series of puzzles in the mental hospital and some scenes on the alien world. This game is must have for the Phantasmagoria series.

First things first; Despite being called a "horror" game, this game lacks anything scary (besides the obsession with having the main character shirtless... alot.) The game itself is a very substandard FMV adventure game that has nothing to do with the first game other then the title. At this point the game is far more immortalized because of an amazing Lets Play created by internet personality The Spoony One. But back to the game at hand; there are almost no puzzles (about 2 to be precise.) And the acting is all over the place. It's mostly worth the camp value, as the game is almost pure silliness. Don't forget to watch the awesome Lets Play, it's truly something.

Generally this isn't a bad game. The puzzles are challenging and the story-line keeps you coming back for more however it is NOWHERE near as good or creepy as the original in my opinion. Also is has absolutely no connection to the original game so I really don't know why this is called Phantasmagoria 2 and not just A Puzzle of Flesh. My recommendation would be to buy the original however if you do decide to buy this game keep in mind that it isn't a follow on from the first game.

This felt like one of those reeeeeally bad made-for-TV Stephen King movies from the early 90s. You know the ones. Not many puzzles or adventures/exploring to be had. You're more or less clicking your way through one grainy FMV after the next. Only recommended for the true believers or the truly bored. Whichever comes first.