Phantasmagoria 2 - A Puzzle of Flesh

At first I thought this game was simply the sequel to Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria. Five minutes into the game, I realized that a couple of things have changed since the first episode. The writers, the design, the quality of the movies, the story, the characters, just to mention the most important ones. In fact, the only thing the two games have in common is their title.

Story

We play the role of Curtis Craig, a young man with some serious mental problems. After a horrible childhood and a terrible relationship with his mother, he finally ends up in a mental institute. Injections and shock therapy appear to be an effective cure for his "psychotic episodes" but they make a mark on his life he can never possibly remove. However, he gradually manages to pull himself together and gets released back to society.

Our story takes place a year after Curtis' release from the hospital. Curtis is living a "normal" life now, he works for a company called WynTech and has a girlfriend. He likes his work and has some great friends too, so his life seems to be back on track. Until one day, the delusions start again. Only this time, the voice in his head is that of a cold-hearted murderer's.

Opinion

I've read a couple of reviews about this game before starting it and the only thing they all agreed on is that P2 is an exceptionally bloody game. For the most part of the game there's blood and gore all over the place.

To be fair, I have to admit that they're right. But I think there's much more to this game than just blood, gore, violence and nudity. I happened to love the story, which I think was very original and truly gripping. The ending was not as good as I hoped it would be, but still, it was a great story all around.

One of the most important things in FMV adventures that can decide whether you're going to like the game or not, is the performance of the actors. Fortunately, the actors and actresses in P2 are absolutely amazing. Combined with the improved quality of the graphics and the FMV clips, you really get the feeling that you're watching a horror movie (which is exactly what you're doing). This feeling is also encouraged by the music, which is very good and fits the atmosphere of the game perfectly.