FORGIVE ME FATHER 2 REVIEW - WHEN LOVECRAFT MEETS DOOM AND FORGETS THE MOVEMENT KEYS
Ever wondered what would happen if H.P. Lovecraft and the DOOM guy had a baby, then dropped it on its head a few times? Well, Forgive Me Father 2 is here to answer that question with its comic-book styled violence and questionably mobile protagonist.
PRETTY AS A POSSESSED PICTURE
Let's get one thing straight - this game is more gorgeous than a tentacle monster in a beauty pageant. The cell-shaded art style makes everything pop like a cultist's eyeballs during a ritual, and the attention to detail in the environments would make Lovecraft himself need a fainting couch. From war-torn trenches to asylum corridors, every level is a feast for your soon-to-be-mad eyes.
SOUNDS OF SANITY SLIPPING
The soundtrack hits harder than an eldritch god's backhand, mixing metal riffs that would make demons headbang. When you're not jamming to the killer tracks, you're treated to some genuinely creepy ambient sounds that'll have you checking over your shoulder in real life. Though sometimes the music cuts out more abruptly than a cultist's life expectancy, leaving you hanging like a fish in an otherworldly net.
MOVEMENT LIKE MOLASSES
Here's where things get about as smooth as sandpaper made of teeth - the movement. Your character moves with all the grace of a drunk priest at a demon convention. No sprinting, no crouching, just one speed: glacial. It's like they took "cosmic horror" to mean "moves at the speed of cosmic background radiation."
GUNS, GORE, AND SOMETHING MORE
The arsenal at your disposal is more varied than a Mad Scientist's shopping list. From revolvers to bazookas, each weapon feels meaty and satisfying, even if they do look like they've been left in an evil aquarium too long. The upgrade system lets you enhance your arsenal through collected shards, turning your peashooters into proper tools of destruction.
ARTIFICIAL UNINTELLIGENCE
The enemy AI has about as much intelligence as a cultist at a book burning - which is to say, not much. They'll often stand around like they're posing for an eldritch family photo, but don't let that fool you. What they lack in brains they make up for in raw damage output, able to send you to meet Cthulhu within mere seconds.
WAR STORY WOES
The story dives deep into post-WWI trauma like a submarine into the Mariana Trench, mixing psychological horror with cosmic dread. It's actually quite clever when it works, though sometimes it feels about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. The protagonist's descent into madness is well-portrayed, even if the voice acting occasionally hits notes that would make an Elder God cringe.
CONCLUSION
Forgive Me Father 2 is like a rollercoaster designed by madmen - thrilling, beautiful, but sometimes you wonder if the tracks are actually connected. Despite its flaws with movement and AI, the gorgeous art style, banging soundtrack, and satisfying gunplay make it worth diving into the madness.
Score: 7.8/10 - Like DOOM had a fever dream after reading too much Lovecraft.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way. Though we might need therapy after trying to figure out if that tentacle was part of the environment or just our sanity slipping.