💣Follow Up Review: Fear & Hunger 2: Termina💣

Disclaimer: Fear & Hunger 2: Termina and its prequel Fear & Hunger are rated as "Adult Only" (AO) according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Such a rating is the highest in the ESRB system and indicates it is only suitable for mature players aged eighteen and over. The Fear & Hunger series contains explicit violence, gore, drug and alcohol abuse. Scenes of self-destructiveness, suicide, and self-mutilation. Along with nudity and themes of depression, mental health, and sexual violence including rape, child abuse, war, and death. The developer has made it clear that none of these topics are meant to be taken lightly, and are prominent to give the games serious consequences and hopelessness. The games, their developer, fans, reviews, and the sites you can purchase them on ensure to give potential players multiple trigger warnings and it's only fair that I do the same even though I have no intention of displaying the game's graphic content on my page. If these topics cause you distress, discomfort or agitate symptoms of PTSD please skip this entry. Your safety and convenience are of the utmost importance. Also, I want younger readers to respect the games' ratings and refrain from engaging with them or any of my blog entries about them. Discussions on dark themes will be diluted as an extra precaution. Quick spoiler warning for story and game mechanics as well! If you're exiting after this content warning I wish you well and hope to see you at another time.

Hi angels!⭐ I'm back from the Termina Festival and I want to share my thoughts on the matter 👾As y'all know, last week I downloaded Fear & Hunger 2: Termina after much contemplation and I'm happy to share that I really love the game and despite its gruesome content, my CPTSD wasn't triggered and was able to enjoy the story and the challenges the game presented to me on easy mode! As expected from the reviews and other players, the most important thing you can have in this game is knowledge. I started my journey as Marina but found myself stuck without knowing where to go after two in-game days, so I decided to start all over with Abella as my champion instead. I love playing as mages in RPGs but I do believe that starting off as Marina without upgrades or skills beyond necromancy was difficult, even on easy mode on my first try 😔 The ghouls you're able to resurrect are okay companions but they can't wield weapons and their punches are far from being impressive. While Arbella has to fare on her own, her short-circuit skill allows her to access different locations early on in the game and her weapon-craft ability is beyond helpful in constructing artillery that causes major damage to opponents. Needless to say, I was able to make it to the end with her despite some hiccups along the way. As I mentioned earlier, certain events and exchanges can only be unlocked by the player depending on who their champion is and whether certain locations are reached on certain days so the replayability of this game is awesome. The first time I beat this game I unlocked Ending A, the true ending while managing to save seven of the fourteen contestants. Not a fan of how the narrative played out TBH so I will try to unlock the other finales and see if it is possible to save all fourteen contestants. 

I have to rave about how great the music and level design is. Being that this is a survival horror game of course it's going to be creepy but how the game fucks with you is great. Chilly Makes Music and Orange was brilliant in incorporating ambiance and SFX into the melodies to the point there were many times I stopped and hid behind the menu screen to examine whether I was being followed by a potential opponent or if it was just part of the music. I'm not going to pretend I understand music theory or what goes into creating a memorable soundtrack but I do know that music or sounds that make listeners uncomfortable will agitate them the longer they hear it. Making so that even navigating through a relatively quiet street in Preheival - you're still conditioned into believing that the danger can present itself again at any moment. Muting the game is not a wise decision. Sounds can alert you of nearby enemies and while you have the option of only silencing the music - it's so meaningful to the setting so I could never recommend anyone to do so. The theme of the Maiden Woods was the one I was most unsettled with. I personally hate the weird electronic (?) tune that infiltrates the song mid-way. I don't know what that noise is and while it could be hinting at how the ancient forest has been invaded by the military it just feels so uncanny that it made me more desperate to leave the area. 

As for the layout, my one complaint is that the arrangement of certain items or obstacles would leave me stuck. I don't mind it if it was meant to be intentional to leave players more vulnerable to attacks but there are instances in "safer" areas where it is exceptionally tedious to retrace your steps over and over again when trying to retrieve some blue herbs. Other than that, Prehevil is such a big city with plenty of spaces to explore and loot - it's fantastic and just what you'd expect from a town with ties to the cruel age. I won't get into details but trust that it is overwhelming at times but only makes it more rewarding when you come across something interesting.

A mysterious NPC. They appear in the ruins located in the Maiden Woods at night to serenade the moon. Where did they come from? Are they participating in the festival? Are they human? Why here? They don't care to interact with the player no matter how they choose to approach them. This is just a thing that happens.

I'll restrain myself from spoiling any additional details that should be discovered on their own since seeing the interactions and conversations that take place between certain characters are memorable. There are some contestants that I would leave behind without hesitation . . . but I'll see if I can save them. Maybe it'll unlock a new ending? 

Thanks again for visiting my blog ✌I hope y'all were entertained by my silly ramblings and that if you're able to withstand the macabre themes surrounding the game you're able to appreciate it as much as I do if not more and if so please don't hesitate in messaging me! I would love to have someone to talk to about it in-depth!! I hope everyone has sweet dreams 💤💗