Formats: Xbox 360 (tested) | Playstation 3
Developer: Zombie
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: 22nd October 2010 (Out Now)
Last year’s first attempt to move the Saw franchise from celluloid to console proved to be a rather enjoyable (albeit often repetitive, occasionally highly frustrating and ultimately incredibly short) affair. The news that developers Zombie were working on a sequel for the game came as something of a surprise, but given that the movie makers have been able to stretch things out for seven films, perhaps we shouldn’t be too shocked.
Of course, the obvious fear was that Saw 2 would offer nothing more than the same small handful of puzzles, more clunky fights, and further controller breaking moments where multiple “random” puzzles are thrown at you against an incredibly tight time limit. Thankfully, it becomes clear as you play that changes have been made here, many of which are for the better.
Save for an opening prologue, reminiscent of the pre-title sequences from the films, you play as Michael Tapp. His father, Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover’s character in the films and the first game’s protagonist), has apparently committed suicide following his experiences with the Jigsaw killer. Now himself kidnapped by Jigsaw and forced to play his twisted, deadly games, Michael will come face to face with several people from his father’s life, and learn some dark, disturbing secrets along the way.
The look of the game is similar to the original, with many darkened, blood-stained and cob-web covered locations to explore as you progress. The on-screen health bar has been removed though, in favour of your vital signs appearing when health starts to get low. Many of the areas are shrouded in darkness, requiring you to shine a torch or switch on a light in order to locate a hidden message or puzzle clue. Other times, you might have to look in a mirror to see the information you need reflecting back at you.
Level structure also generally mirrors that of the previous game, with an overall goal of rescuing a character from an elaborate death trap. In order to do this, you must first negotiate a series of darkened hallways, mini-traps and puzzles to either find them or get to an important item that will assist in bringing the potential victim to safety. Their survival is then dependent on you completing a larger puzzle sequence.
In addition to the main targets, you’ll encounter other trapped characters whose safety and well-being are not necessarily as important to you. While rescuing them can give you additional information to help with in your mission or with finding collectibles (more on them later), you’re also not faced with an instant game over screen if they get splattered, and are sometimes even given the choice of directly killing them with your actions.
There are a spattering of more mobile targets too, including enemies wielding deadly weapons. It’s in facing these that the new combat system kicks in. Replacing the clunky and often inaccurate real time combat of the last game, Saw 2 uses quick time events for dealing with bad guys. Carefully timed button presses determining your offensive and defensive actions, and the more powerful a weapon you have in your possession, the quicker it will dispatch an attacking enemy.
You’ll also encounter some bad guys whose attire makes hand-to-hand combat a definite no-no. With these enemies, you’ll generally be required to use the environment around you in order to find a means of getting by them, be it luring them into falling down a gap or simply locking them away behind a garage door.
There are several other QTE moments throughout the game, with the system used for such tasks as crawling through holes, narrowly escaping collapsing floorboards, and even escaping a dangerous enemy. In addition, the door traps from the first game return, now requiring a second button press, revealed at the last second, to avoid you getting splattered or impaled. Even the instant death shotgun traps can even be leapt over now, via a run and quick button press. Then there’s the balance beams. These particularly annoying segments require you to tap the triggers alternately while steadying yourself with the left stick. In truth, they’re not that bad once you get the hang of them, but the potential to fall to an instant death by accidentally over-tapping the stick, even right at the end of a beam, can be particularly annoying.
Still, at least the arrival of these and other puzzles show that Zombie weren’t content to rest on their laurels when it came to the mini-game interludes. While some of the styles from the last game return, they’re in short supply compared to the newer mind-benders and also have been given some twists to make them different from last time around. Power coil puzzles have the added challenge of matching coloured ends not being allowed to touch, while lock picking now takes you on a bizarre journey through the lock itself. The “random” factor is still in place, meaning that a puzzle’s solution will not necessarily be the same if you’re forced to revisit it after dying. However, for the most part you have an infinite amount of time to find the answer, which should ease the pressure.
That’s not to say that you aren’t against the clock at times, which can lead to some mild irritations, but there’s certainly nothing that goes to the extremes of the first game. Segments such as the one where you were forced to solve three pipe and three power coil puzzles (while also being slowed down by enemies) under a very tight time limit are a thing of the past, which can only be a good thing. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if you’re still forced to replay some section multiple times while contemplating just what would happen if a controller met a solid wall at high speed.
Saw 2 is certainly not without its faults, of course. While suitably gritty, dark and especially gruesome in places, the graphics themselves are not overly impressive and prone to glitches at time. One example of this occurred during combat, where Tapp buried a nail bat into thin air above the head of his dying foe. In addition, in the cut-scene following one of the more frustrating timed segments, the game suddenly jumped to a death sequence for the person Tapp was talking to, causing a game over screen and forcing said segment to be replayed.
It’s also still pretty short, with the main game over in around seven hours of play on Normal, with much of that time built up from either replaying sections where you died, or simply moving slowly in moderate fear of what might be waiting for you around the next corner. Admittedly, there are two possible endings, insane difficulty, puzzle records and the collectibles that offer a reason to go back.
Trophy and achievement hunters will need to find everything (case files, puzzle pieces, audio tapes and dolls) if they want to gain the full Platinum / 1000 point reward from the game. Most collectibles tie in neatly with the plot, with the case files and audio tapes (recorded by a very capable Danny Glover sound-alike) telling the story of David Tapp’s encounters with Jigsaw, the breakdown of his relationship with his son, and his eventual demise. As these are revealed in the order you find them, there’s no way of actually telling that you’ve missed one until you reach the end of the game, at which point it’s already far too late to go back. Even though you can replay completed levels, it’s anyone’s guess as to where the items you missed are found.
Though it still suffers from repetitive elements, a lack of balance in puzzle distribution, and frustrating moments (especially when you’re left in a bad situation with only a vague explanation of what to do), it’s quite clear that Zombie have learned from some of their mistakes in the original game. As a result, Saw 2 avoids being a cookie-cutter, unwanted sequel and manages to be an enjoyable way of passing some solo time on the console.
Reminiscent in places of games like Silent Hill (through the locations) and even Batman: Arkham Asylum (perception based puzzles), there’s still some work to be done before this becomes essential gaming, but if there’s to be a third game, then perhaps the missing pieces of this Jigsaw can be found.
