Return to The Room

Last summer my mum asked me to help her get past a puzzle she was stuck on in one of her many iPad games. I did as asked and she immediately got stuck on the next one. Soon I’d been playing the game on her behalf for over an hour–by this point she had decided it was definitely not her style–and by the end of the night I had a copy of it on my iPad as well. The very next evening I played the game from beginning to end in one sitting. The game was The Room, and ever since then (excluding the day the epilogue was released) I’ve been awaiting the next installment of the series.

The Room 2 follows on from the story that was set up by its predecessor as you continue to solve your way through different puzzle boxes, unlocking letters from your friend that slowly reveal more about the mysterious element “Null.” The game-play is basically identical to that of the first game however that is by no means a negative; in fact it is quite the opposite. Almost from the outset you will once again be furnished with an eyepiece that helps you see the hidden clues that you need to solve the puzzles and work your way through the game.

One thing that does differ somewhat between the two games is the amount of storytelling. The Room only hinted at just what was going on around you, leaving you increasingly confused as you solved each puzzle and hoped that this one might offer you another piece of plot once you did. The Room 2 concludes the story (in a manner of speaking) and so you are given much more detail with each solution. The overall feel of the game is much more creepy too; you see flashes of otherworldly creatures and places, and occasionally witness some rather troubling events. There is almost a Lovecraftian feel to the whole thing.

If you didn’t enjoy The Room then its sequel probably won’t sell you on the franchise either, as it’s simply more of the same thing; but for fans it’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for. My one and only complaint about the game is that there simply isn’t enough of it; I played through the entirety in one sitting of around three hours. I hope Fireproof Games continue with the series because now we have some idea of what’s going on, I want to know what happens next.

GeekMom received this item for review purposes.