There are some weaknesses here, like pacing, graphics, and such, that are just what you get with a point and click game of this era, so please be clear that I am not docking any points for that. As with the predecessor, the graphics and animation are charming, the characters are well-executed, and the globe-trotting adventure story reminiscent of Indiana Jones and Tintin is definitely present. The music is excellent. The first half of the game is more of the same from the first installment, a shadowy conspiracy, ancient artifacts, secrets, etc. That's great. There are less out and out puzzles in the game. There's something like a half-dozen in the first installment and only a couple in this. That's a consideration, but not the biggest failing. The bigger issue is actually missing content. George, the main character, walks out of a scene and it says he returns to the village. But the next time we see him he's heading for the beach. Then Nico shows up at the village and the whole thing has been burned down(!) offscreen, with zero explanation. We arrive at the pyramid that has been teased from the beginning without a big reveal. All of a sudden we're at the base and we missed an opportunity for a nice big establishing shot. This is, to me, an excellent example of sophomore slump. I don't think they intentionally half-asssed the game, I think they were surprised they had as big of a success as they did and so they hurried the product. You see it in novels and records all the time. They had a much longer dev time for the first installment, and they rushed the second. Is it bad? No. But after they crafted a gem the first time out, accepting something that is significantly less, in both content and experience, is disappointing.
This game strikes a particular tone that evokes things like The Seventh Guest, The Ring, The House on Haunted Hill, Resident Evil, and a number of other mid to late 90s pop culture touchstones. It is not great, but it is a lot of fun. If, like me, some of the puzzles in games like 7th Guest and Resident Evil make you feel dumb, this game will make you feel like a genius. That's not necessarily a criticism, just something to be aware of. The ability to "warp" via the map is a wonderful time saver, and the hint system is helpful without actually solving the game for you. There's a good amount of game for your money, the HOPs are fun, the voice acting is reasonable, and the cutscenes are a bit hokey, but not bad for that. The production design and art style are very well done. The whole thing has a bit of a tone of a B horror movie, and that's okay, so long as you're aware of it. This would be a lot of fun to click through with someone on a big screen. Conversely, not recommended for small screens. I think a tablet would be fine, but I would have had a very hard time playing this on a phone, even a large one.
