A Boomer Shooter Sequel That Delivers
There is something about a good, old-fashioned, fast first-person shooter that never gets old. It’s a tried-and-true formula where you run through labyrinthine areas, blasting away at hordes of enemies while constantly acquiring new, more powerful weapons and facing ever-larger foes.
DOOM is the undisputed master of this genre, the benchmark from which all other good “boomer shooters” hope to draw inspiration and, ideally, innovate upon. The original Forgive Me Father came along two years ago, and while we reviewed it well, we felt that its relentless action got a bit too one-note in places, lacking some variety. Many fans wouldn’t agree with that sentiment, and after playing the second game in the franchise, perhaps we were a little harsh in our initial judgment.
Forgive Me Father, as a sequel, is an absolute blast, full of kinetic energy. Here’s why, in this case, the follow-up is king.
A Descent into Madness
While this is, at its core, a game about shooting things with very big guns, there is also a surprisingly deep narrative at play. It follows on directly from the first game, and after those events, it places you, the protagonist, in a mental asylum. You reprise the role of the priest, a man haunted by his past. The world is steeped in a Lovecraftian theme, and as is often the case with such stories, the central focus is on a terrifying descent into madness. Your asylum acts as a sort of game hub, a place where you can rest from the horrors and level up your abilities.
From there, you venture out into different environments that manifest as twisted memories, such as a university, a cathedral, or the trenches of a war zone. The priest’s gravelly voice-over confirms that these are his own warped reflections. You’ll also find items that further enhance the story, such as discarded leaflets or forgotten books. It’s a well-crafted narrative, but it’s one you can easily lose track of amidst the glorious gameplay mayhem.
Relentless Momentum and Unholy Mayhem
Unlike games that allow you to take your time, explore, and soak in the atmosphere, Forgive Me Father 2 belongs to the other school of thought: the kind that doesn’t let you breathe for a moment. This is a game of relentless forward momentum. In each level you enter, your primary objective is to get from point A to point B, often collecting some special tokens along the way.
While there are some secrets to uncover and small environmental puzzles to solve, the main course on the menu is, without a doubt, shooting an unholy number of enemies.
Weapons and Enemies
The bestiary is varied, starting with zombie-like grunts that just mindlessly run at you, before escalating to bigger brutes that require more than a few hits to take down. Then there are enemies that return fire, or cunning foes that hide behind shields, forcing you to aim for a small open window to land a killing blow. There are also grenade-lobbing enemies and even pesky foes that fly through the air.
Thankfully, you have an ever-expanding armoury to take them on. You start with a knife, then a pistol, then a shotgun, a grenade launcher, and an amazing stick-shooting ballista gun. Fairly simple at first glance, yes? But you can then upgrade these basic weapons with tokens found amongst the levels to transform them into something truly special and bizarre. The pistol turns into a fish-gun that horrifyingly fires out the spines of a pufferfish. The rifle can be upgraded so that eldritch tentacles emerge to wrap around your enemies’ arms. The sheer invention of these weapons, all perfectly based around the game’s Lovecraftian themes, is truly one of the game’s absolute highlights.
The Cycle of Carnage
The gameplay loop is incredibly fast and frantic. There is an argument to be made that the constant respawning of enemies and the non-stop fighting can get a bit samey after a while, but when the heavy metal music is playing and the adrenaline is pumping, this is simply good old-fashioned shooter fun. Strafing, circle-strafing, and constant movement are the absolute keys to success, as getting trapped in a corner is a death sentence. You’ll also be desperately picking up ammo, armour, and health, as you’ll find yourself running out of everything very quickly.
Beyond the core shooting, there are other mechanics at play, such as a powerful “Book” special ability that can turn the tide of a battle, and a dynamo torch that needs constant winding up when you’re navigating pitch-black areas. This, combined with the classic puzzle element of finding colour-coded keys for their respective doors, adds just enough variety to the chaos. It really is a lot of fun.
Comic Book Carnage and Crushing Chords
Forgive Me Father 2’s visuals are, of course, similar to the first entry in the series, and that’s by no means a bad thing. It’s a hand-drawn, graphic novel style that works so well with this genre. In this sequel, everything seems a bit better, with improved models, more detailed environments, and some fantastic lighting effects. I particularly love the use of comic book panels; for instance, when a door is unlocked, you’ll see it open in a small panel in the top-right corner of the screen. It’s great stuff.
And then we have the audio. The music is heavy metal and rock all the way through, perfectly accompanying the frantic pace of the gameplay. The voice-over is good, with a gruff, noir feel to it that fits perfectly with the vibe.
A Shooter That Delivers on All Fronts
This sequel is so well-executed that it has made me re-evaluate my review of the first game; this iteration simply feels smoother to play and is altogether more exciting. Forgive Me Father 2 is an old-school shooter, but it brings enough new ideas to the table in terms of its wildly imaginative weapons and intriguing story. I loved the core gameplay loop this time around, but can still understand how its relentless nature might become wearying for some players after a while.
I think the Forgive Me Father franchise will keep on coming, and I, for one, won’t stand in its way.
Important Links
Ready to Embrace the Insanity? Forgive Me Father 2 Blasts onto Xbox and PS5! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ready-to-embrace-the-insanity-forgive-me-father-2-blasts-onto-xbox-and-ps5/
Buy Forgive Me Father 2 from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/forgive-me-father-2/9mx24tvw0pwq
