I finally made it around to the last of the trilogy. This latest entry is a huge step up for the series, but if you zoom out and look at the game in comparison to others at the beginning of this generation, it still feels and plays dated. Right off the bat, the game is a massive boost in visual fidelity. The game boasts improved textures, models, and lighting, all of which contribute to its impressive visual appeal, particularly considering its modest budget. The game also has a more cohesive timeline to play through rather than a few random set pieces. There are eight acts in this game, so it's about as long as the two previous games combined. There is a large hug area you can run around in, and then you can branch off to the different acts as the story progresses.
Right off the bat, while this all seems nice, it's superfluous. The main town, where you wander around, offers only a few hidden urban legends to photograph and two side quests. A chapter unlocks each of the game's five locations. Linda looks much better, but she has no personality. This was a great opportunity that the developers could have used to make Linda a memorable female horror protagonist, but they didn't really give her a voice or any character. In fact, everybody in this game feels like a generic JRPG NPC. The ghosts and monsters have more character than they do. This also leads to the same stupid story that makes zero sense. While you can view a "Previously on DreadOut" video, the game doesn't do anything with this story. I was hoping for an explanation of Linda's past and the curse that haunts her, but the explanation fell flat, leaving me with a shrug at the game's conclusion. I can't delve deeper into it without revealing the limited plot, so don't expect too much.
Combat comes in two forms. In the original form, which uses the Irisphone 2.0, you aim at a ghost, and when a "glitch" appears, you can snap a photo to inflict damage. There's a new feature that lets you hold the shutter button longer to do extra damage. The second form is only available in the "alternate" realms, where Linda can use her phone's flash to stun enemies and wield a melee weapon. These realms do not allow you to take photos, and there is a greater emphasis on solving simple puzzles. I honestly found the Irisphone combat in the "real" world to be atrocious and frustrating. The ghost's face has to be perfectly centered in the phone for the glitch to appear, and it only happens for a split second. This time, the game features a greater number of bosses, each with their own unique gameplay style. However, a significant number of these bosses can be so frustrating that many players may abandon the game and never return. Some of the problems include knockback animations that are annoying and there's still no health meter. The screen slowly turns black and white, and you can hear a heartbeat, but that's about it. There's a particular boss in Act Two that had me screaming. Some of these ghosts take 20-30 shots to take down, and Linda has no dodge, parry, or block button.
While combat in the "alternate" realms is better because you can sling your axe everywhere, it's still clunky and obtuse. Here, the game will throw a lot of enemies at you, and you still have no block, dodge, or parry button. Some enemies have the ability to run faster than Linda, lurching forward in a continuous loop that prevents you from moving far enough to breathe or escaping into a corner. Your health will recover if you run away long enough, but this was mostly noticeable during boss fights. While the game is clunky and cumbersome, it throws things at you, making these fights way more frustrating than they need to be. One particular boss isn't just a single ghost; more little ghosts spawn and constantly come back. Why did these ghosts spawn? With this Irisphone, I can't dodge or block, and swinging the axe or getting the shot just right is hard enough. These elements don't add challenge, but frustration. They only show how flawed the combat system is.
Unfortunately, this time around, most of the game is combat. I did get lost in some larger levels with labyrinthine hallways that all seemed to look the same, which was a problem with the first game, but this wasn't an issue on every level. Most of the time, I knew where to go because the area was either very linear or had only one path forward. I did explore the area, collected all the urban legends, and filled my Ghostpedia, but the game seemed to lack any meaningful activities. Although the expansion of Indonesian lore and the improved appearance of the monsters are commendable, I believe this series has the potential to achieve more. It wants to be the next big horror title, like Silent Hill, but it has to break through the tropes that the survival horror genre suffers most of the time. If there is a DreadOut 3, it needs better combat, better level design, and a story that makes sense, as well as making Linda a likable character and not just a voiceless generic avatar.
DreadOut 2 is really only for fans of survival horror from the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as those who enjoyed the original games. The game's visuals have improved more than the gameplay. Combat is horrendously cumbersome, obtuse, and difficult. Some of the boss fights are victims of this mess, which can cause players to throw the game in the trash. The story lacks depth, and the characters resemble generic robotic avatars instead of evolving with an ever-growing series. The game expands upon the Indonesian lore of monsters, urban legends, and ghosts, enhancing their visual appeal, yet the open hub remains empty and bare. The game needs more attention to detail before I will bother with a fourth outing.