Developer: Pinokl Games, Kverta, Hologryph
Publisher: tinyBuild GAMES
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Party Hard 2 – Review
It has been over two years since we walked in the shoes of the Party Killer, who went from party to party slaughtering everyone on site. The pixilated esthetics of the game made everything seem a lot friendlier and more picturesque than it truly was, as the game revolved around a mass murdering psychopath. With the positive feedback the game received, we weren’t too surprised when the second installment was announced, and while many things remain quite familiar in this second iteration, the game has undergone a lot of changes which you’ll either love in terms of complexity or hate in comparison with the original.
Story
Unlike the first game, where you played with a raging lunatic that simply wanted some peace and quiet, you now play with someone who is disgruntled with how the world is starting to work. You’ll see snippets about events that occur nationwide after you’ve been there and of course killed a lot of people. The scenario revolves around killing specific targets who are involved with dealing drugs, so in a way you’re somewhat of a vigilante, the only downside to this all is, you don’t care who dies when you attempt to kill your target(s). Collateral damage is only a term for you, and it may just be a means to an end.
Graphics
Compared to the first game, Party Hard 2 has received many graphical updates in the sense that there are a lot more 3D elements embedded in the environments, while also keeping alive the pixilated look of many items and the many different partygoers. The maps have become a lot bigger, and there’s a lot more variation to be found in each individual map, with more buildings, a lot more clutter, more random people roaming around, more items to interact with and the effects they cause look spiffier too. Overall the game has received a massive upgrade, even though the original’s graphics did the trick as well and were perfect for the game. Is the upgrade making things better? Not really, but it makes the game different and equally as fun to look at. The only thing that’s a bit harder getting used to is that you don’t have a full overview of the map anymore, thus you’ll have to roam around to properly inspect everything. This of course causes you to have a better overview of your screen, as you’re more zoomed in on the actual action.
Sound
The soundtrack of the game is very similar to the last game in terms of the genre. You’ll be treated to a mix of techno and house, and the game actually does a great job in creating a proper party atmosphere. The further you move away from the centre of the party, the more the music fades to the background, but when you’re standing next to the speakers, you’ll be in a somewhat deafening position when you have your volume turned up. Other than that, there are the normal sound effects that go hand in hand with a murdering spree.
You’ll have some voice acting in the game, which is present during the story sequences. It’s not much, but still the story is well presented and it does the trick in creating a certain atmosphere.
Gameplay
Party Hard 2 is still, like the first game, a mix of action and stealth, as you’ll have to be rather tactical about killing partygoers without being detected. This means you’ll have to kill people in sneaky ways, by making sure there are people separated from the group, by sabotaging electronics, or by using items such as grenades and so on.
How the parties are organized and how the map is divided is a lot different than in the first game. The maps are fairly big in this one, and it’s harder to properly kill a big crowd at once, as the partygoers are scattered around the area a lot more. This game also introduces objectives where you don’t have to kill everyone attending the party. Of course you can still kill everyone on site, but often you just have to kill a small amount of specific targets that are of somewhat importance to the storyline of the game.
It’s clear that the A.I. acts differently than the one in the first game. It seems they spot kills earlier or at least easier than in the first game. It’s also harder to separate big groups and many of the guard units are somewhat annoying to pass by. The difficulty has also been racked up, as now characters don’t have to call at a normal phone, but they also carry smartphones, which means the authorities are contacted a lot easier than in the first Party Hard. You do have more possibilities to kill your foes with more throwable items, crafting and a decent amount of environmental hazards.
The game has several characters for you to try out, but when playing through the story mode for the first time there will only be one extra character available, as well as two unlockable characters. When picking another character than the ‘Party Killer’, you will not gain any progress, thus you’ll be forced to play through the game once with the ‘main’ character.
If you wish to add some extra partying fun to the equation, you can opt to play in the co-op mode, where you can kill everyone at a party with the help of a befriended serial killer. Overall this mode is a nice plus, but you can only play the levels you have already cleared in the story mode. The latter isn’t a big issue, but if you want to dive into the fun with a second player, it won’t be easy to start off this way.
Conclusion
Party Hard 2 differs quite a bit from the first game, but many familiar items reappear in this second updated version. While you can still act like a raging lunatic, the gameplay has become more tactical and somewhat slower in terms of completing a map. Nonetheless, there are new mechanics that add a lot more options to the killing that will happen on the screen. The story drives you forward, but the gameplay keeps you going.
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