Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Worth playing"

Black Plague continues the story of Phillip in its incursion to Greenland in an attempt to find out what happened to his father. It should not be played if one hasn't played Overture as the sequel continues with the original storyline.

The game play remained roughly the same, the main difference being the removal of the ability to defend oneself. One can line up planks to form a bridge and cross a gap, use stones to crack pipes, shatter open cupboards and break up glass doors but there's no way to defend oneself. This decision might appeal to some adventure players but to me it was a disappointment. Even though the combat in Overture was cumbersome, it was possible. There was a choice of not trying to use stealth and to meet the enemies with a pipe in hand. It was not easy, it would make you bleed but it was feasible. This time around, one has to avoid or dodge enemies.

The overall atmosphere is still very heavy and ominous, the game makes an excellent use of sound and shadow to create the impression that something will jump on you at any given second - and sometimes it does - so if you did enjoy Overture's nerve wrecking feel, you won't be disappointed.

The puzzles are very varied and require the right amount of exploration, reading and thought. It's not an easy game by all means but it can be completed without resorting to an online guide. The same interactive design present in Overture is back and presents new and innovative ways to complete challenges.

Also worthy of notice is the fact that a "voice in your head" (will not elaborate to prevent spoilers) will be your constant companion and antagonist. Its mood will change a lot throughout the game, from accusative to flamboyant, from angry to silly several times during the game. I did not enjoy this feature as I think silence would be a better way to improve the dread than jokes being told in my head. It does enhance the mood sometimes but I found it more of a nuisance than anything.

Though I personally did not like the removal of combat in the introduction to the "voice in the head", the clever puzzles and creepy atmosphere definitely make this game a worthy sequel to Overture.