The Sinking City 2 makes the transition to a real horror game.
With The Sinking City 2, the Ukrainian development studio Frogwares has announced the successor to its successful title, which this time focuses more on horror elements. The game is scheduled to be released in 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S and will once again be set in a 1920s America inspired by HP Lovecraft.
More horror, less puzzles
As revealed during the Xbox Developer Direct, Frogwares wants to take a new direction with The Sinking City 2. This time the studio promises to up the ante on the horror factor and is calling it a real one Horror-first
-Approachafter the predecessor was more of a detective game in a scary setting.
The sequel, which is once again set in a universe inspired by HP Lovecraft, tells an independent story, separate from its predecessor. At the same time, through the use of the Unreal Engine 5 offer some fine technical innovations, which you can see in the following trailer:
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The Sinking City 2 shows how impressive Lovecraftian horrors look in Unreal Engine 5
The decision to now focus on horror was not made without reason. Frogwares’ Sergiy Oganesyan shared that the success of the original The Sinking City was mainly due to the horror elements and the dark setting is to be thanked. The studio therefore wants to strengthen these aspects.
This is a exciting but also risky undertaking
because the studio is actually known for its detective games such as the numerous Sherlock Holmes titles or the first The Sinking City.
In view of the changing games industry, it is necessary to venture into new territory in order to secure the future of the studio. However, in order not to lose the usual gaming experience, detective and puzzle tasks will still be on board, but completely optional.
Development of The Sinking City 2 will be partial Funded via Kickstarterwhich is intended to provide the studio with a “safety net” during the development phase and enable the financing of additional features.
Given the challenges Frogwares faces, including Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, this financing method provides critical support, according to CEO Oganesyan.
