Re:Turn 2: Runaway Review

pczone.co.uk:

The obtusely named Re:Turn 2: Runaway is the side-scrolling puzzle-adventure-horror sequel to Re:Turn One Way Trip. And, reading the synopsis for the prequel, the story hasn’t changed or moved on much in this second outing. 

Baring in mind the fact that the first game has so few reviews and overall, only a Mostly Positive overview, it is a wonder why this sequel was made at all.

The story follows Suki, a woman who went camping on an island with her friends. Unfortunately, all her friends were killed by a ghost and in this second game, Re:Turn 2, she tries to save them. 

And that’s just for starters. For example, the story just isn’t very engaging. It is not written in a way that brings the world alive or immerses the player. 

The general quality of the story, which is from Red Ego, a developer that makes only narrative-driven games, is poor.  

What also doesn’t help is the overwhelming presence of every horror trope imaginable. Blood rain, scary little ghost girls and dark, ominous wells make the narrative feel like fan-fiction, rather than a commercial video game. 

And the way the story is delivered is not helped by the voice acting.

This is due to the art style and many Japanese influences. For example, the Torri shrine statue Suki finds, as well as a few different Japanese dolls, and statues. 

And yet, for the Steam version of the game, there is no option to listen to a Japanese voice acted version. So the player is provided with American voice acting, which is melodramatic and irritating. 

At the beginning of the game, the acting appears self-aware and humorous to listen to. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the actors are taking themselves and their roles very seriously.  

This makes the whole experience descend into