Those coming from the previous instalment can rest assured that the quality only improved in the sequel, and new players won't be lost either. Since this is a game without text, the designers have to rely on visual and sound clues to guide players and introduce them to game mechanics and they've achieved that marvellously. You see many sprung traps before encountering the first which poses an actual danger to you. You see a well-lit trap with a wooden branch in it, giving you the solution to bypassing the trap in front of you. You see footsteps in the dirt and a boiling kettle on the oven, communicating that the house you're in is very much inhabited even before you meet a soul. And finally, you hear the theme tune of the previous game played long before you meet a familiar face, which is a brilliant introduction. Speaking of Six, the protagonist of the previous game, she's not just a companion who follows one step behind you and only ever does anything when you prompt her to. You drop a lever and she takes it and uses right away. You hear a noise, and she crouches and gives you a quick “psst”. You hide from a pursuer, but at some point she comes out of hiding and gestures to you to follow her. And when you're both in danger, she'll think about her own safety first. Overall she feels much more alive this way. I think starting in a gloomy forest after spending the previous game indoors is a brilliant choice. I thought the big mystery of the game will be about what's under Mono's (the new protagonist) paper bag – perhaps it still will be – but since you can wear different hats (and X-ray your head in the trailer), it might not be that big of a deal. Minor criticism/bugs might be the branch bouncing off thin air when swung in the foreground, not being able to safely trigger rope traps by approaching them carefully and Mono's face cover being fully removed when changing hats (though it's still blurred). Overall, I can't wait until February to see the full game.
