2019’s The Sinking City was a solid entry in the growing catalogue of Lovecraft-inspired horror and adventure games, which later became better-known for the bitter legal battle over the game between developer Frogwares and publisher Nacon. Frogwares was ultimately successful in that battle, and today during the latest Xbox Partner Preview showcase, they announced The Sinking City 2 is on the way.
The first trailer for The Sinking City 2 showcases a darker, grittier tone, and according to Frogwares they’re going full-on survival horror this time around (the first game was more of a supernatural detective game). While The Sinking City 2 will again take place during the 1920s, it will feature a different protagonist and will be set in the new town of Arkham (as inspired by Lovecraft’s writings, not Batman). The game will also be running on Unreal Engine 5. You can check out the first cinematic trailer for The Sinking City 2, below.
Here’s a bit more information on The Sinking City 2’s more action-heavy, horrific direction, courtesy of Frogwares’ Sergey Oganesyan…
“Combat and exploration are the main focus now, with the horror setting more prominent. We’re also going to be smarter with our city design, making our world smaller to keep things flowing better. We’ve been hard at work focusing on making sure our combat is now central to the game. With this then comes enemy design, to ensure there is a strong visual horror element. On top of that, we also have our level design, story, and world design all leaning a lot more toward horror, so overall it’s a much stronger push in this direction.”
Interestingly, detective work isn’t being removed from the game, but it will be optional and used to open up new paths and ways to tackle challenges.
“As for the detective work, it’s still there but now through a revamped system that makes it all optional. Players can now choose to investigate clues, knowing that in return they may get info that helps them progress differently. For example, engaging in some additional sleuthing may yield information on how to weaken a formidable boss or help you discover an alternate route that you had no idea about. You could, of course, progress without this knowledge, but it will be potentially easier or more engrossing to do so based on info you’ve deduced.”
Of course, like a lot of Ukrainian developers, Frogwares has been deeply impacted by Russia’s invasion of their homeland. The development of The Sinking City 2 was initially interrupted by the war, but Frogwares has managed to adapt and are “determined to get it done.”
“The war on our doorstep is a constant that we have to deal with every day. Thankfully, things like work and being creative actually allow us some respite or even a return to the feeling of having a ‘normal life’. We’ve adapted through the grit of our teeth and by innovating the way we work. We now know what to expect and how to deal with it, so we’re absolutely going to push on and keep creating. This is a game our entire team has been wanting to make for some time now, and we’re determined to get it done.”
The Sinking City 2 shambles onto PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 sometime in 2025.
