# The Sinking City 2: what players say > Frogwares turned its Lovecraftian detective game into a survival horror game, and players split on the change almost exactly down the middle of its most helpful reviews. Developer: Frogwares. Publisher: Frogwares. Released 18 August. 83% of 1,603 player reviews recommend it (as of 12 October). ## In short Players who come for survival horror in the style of the Resident Evil remakes enjoy the atmosphere, the puzzles and the tension. Fans of the first game mostly don’t, missing its open world and detective work and finding the cosmic dread reduced to jump scares. Combat divides both groups, and many find 8 to 14 hours short for $49.99. ## What players say Players praise Arkham’s atmosphere and split over the move from detective game to survival horror. Combat is the most divisive part, and a few report stutter since the 1.1.0 update. We read these reviews in full on 10 October. - 80 most helpful reviews: 38 positive, 5 mixed, 37 negative. - 40 latest reviews: 22 positive, 2 mixed, 12 negative, 4 off-topic. - **Fans of the first game miss the detective work.** They came for an open city, clue-led investigation and slow dread, and found a linear survival horror game. Several say it would have suited a new name better. - **Survival horror fans enjoy it.** Players new to the series, or after tension in the style of the Resident Evil remakes, find the atmosphere, puzzles and pacing satisfying. - **Combat divides players.** Some like the weighty guns and the weak-point shots. More find dodges that fail, weak melee, enemies that return to cleared areas and narrow paths blocked by enemies. - **Arkham looks the part.** The decay, lighting, sound and creatures win steady praise. Many find the Lovecraftian dread thin, with jump scares and zombies where the first game had a sense of madness. - **It’s short for the price, many say.** Players finish it in 8 to 14 hours, and several find $49.99 hard to justify for that. - **It runs well for most.** Many report steady frame rates on high settings. The exceptions are long shader compiling on launch and, in the latest reviews, stutter and drops that one player blames on a recent patch. ## Questions ### Is The Sinking City 2 worth it? Most players say yes. As of 12 October, 83% of 1,603 reviews recommend it. Survival horror fans enjoy it most, while fans of the first game and players who want a longer game suggest waiting for a sale. ### Is The Sinking City 2 like the first game? Not much. Frogwares made it a third-person survival horror game set in Arkham, and players find it linear, with less of the first game’s open-world detective work. ### Do you need to play The Sinking City first? No. Players new to the series often enjoy the sequel most, and some advise skipping the first game. ### How long is The Sinking City 2? Players finish the story in 8 to 14 hours, and New Game Plus is the main reason to replay. ### Is The Sinking City 2 scary or hard? Players find it tense, with scarce ammo even on Normal, and veterans recommend Hard. Several find the horror leans on jump scares more than dread. ### Has The Sinking City 2 been patched? Yes. Hotfixes on 19 and 21 August fixed rare crashes, and Update 1.1.0 on 6 October added HDR, FSR, bug fixes and new outfits. ### What PC do you need for The Sinking City 2? The minimum is a Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600X, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 5700. Frogwares recommends a Core i5-14600K or Ryzen 5 7600X, 32 GB and a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XT. It needs Windows 11. ### When did The Sinking City 2 come out, and how much is it? 18 August 2026, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, at $49.99. ## Sources 101. Steam: The Sinking City 2, store page and user reviews: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2825860/ 102. Frogwares on Steam: The Sinking City 2 is out now, 18 August: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2825860/view/1840944183788895 103. Frogwares on Steam: The Sinking City 2 Major Update 1.1.0, 6 October: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2825860/view/1845383656396372 104. Frogwares on Steam: The Sinking City 2 Hotfix 1.0.1, 19 August: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2825860/view/1841579228662785 Page: https://creativecult.digital/games/the-sinking-city-2