The waters are rising, Arkham is falling apart, and The Sinking City 2 is ready to drag players into the darkness.
Frogwares’ latest survival horror adventure is out now for those picking up the Premium Edition, with the Standard and Deluxe Editions following on August 18th. Available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, this new chapter heads deeper into Lovecraftian horror, where limited resources, grotesque creatures and a city full of secrets are waiting.
At A Glance
- Game: The Sinking City 2
- Developer/Publisher: Frogwares
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC
- Price: From £46.74
- Genre: Survival Horror
Welcome Back To A Very Unpleasant Arkham
The Sinking City 2 returns to the infamous Arkham, but this isn’t quite the city players may remember. A supernatural flood has transformed the 1920s setting into a waterlogged nightmare of battered streets, abandoned buildings and places where something far worse lurks beneath the surface.
This time, players take on the role of Calvin Rafferty, an occult adventurer whose actions have helped set the disaster in motion. Following a ritual gone wrong, his girlfriend Faye has become trapped in the Dreamlands, leaving Calvin with an increasingly desperate reason to venture into Arkham’s darkest corners.
And those corners aren’t exactly short on things that want him dead.
Survival Horror With A Lovecraftian Twist
The Sinking City 2 puts greater emphasis on survival horror, meaning ammunition, healing items and other resources need to be treated as precious commodities. Inventory space is limited too, forcing decisions over what is worth carrying and what can safely be left behind.
Combat comes with an arsenal inspired by the 1920s, but knowing when not to fight can be just as important. The Slither can animate corpses into deadly puppets, while Deep Ones and other eldritch horrors patrol the drowned city. Sometimes the smartest move is to retreat, restock and rethink your approach.
Exploration is therefore more than simply getting from A to B. Optional investigations and puzzles can uncover additional supplies, upgrades and safer routes, giving curious players a reason to poke around every unsettling corner.
A Bigger Mystery Beneath The Flood
Arkham itself is shaping up to be one of the game’s biggest characters. Players will explore everything from flooded markets and abandoned hospitals to rotting apartments and subterranean locations where the source of the supernatural disaster may finally be uncovered.
The journey can be taken on foot and by boat, with shortcuts and previously inaccessible areas opening up as exploration progresses. There are also plenty of clues to uncover, from ritual traces and disturbing journals to secrets hidden behind the city’s decaying facade.
The result should be a more deliberate kind of horror – one where simply surviving the next encounter isn’t necessarily the only reason to explore.
From The Original Sinking City To Its Sequel
For TheXboxHub readers, this isn’t our first trip into Frogwares’ version of Arkham. We covered the sequel when The Sinking City 2 was first announced, following its Kickstarter campaign, so it’s good to finally see that journey reach its destination.
We also revisited the original The Sinking City when its Xbox Series X|S version arrived, awarding it 4/5. At the time, we praised how the next-gen improvements helped breathe new life into the experience, concluding that it was well worth sinking into for anyone who hadn’t previously played it.
Now, The Sinking City 2 is taking that unsettling formula into a dedicated survival horror experience.
Three Editions To Choose From
The Standard Edition costs £46.74, while the Deluxe Edition is £51.24 and adds the Arkham Field Kit, three character outfits, three Dream Essence and a resource pack.
The Premium Edition costs £55.99 and is out now, offering 24-hour early access alongside the Deluxe Edition extras and the Holloway Manor side mission. That optional investigation also adds the Bucking Bronco revolver, two weapon attachments and a revolver ammo recipe.
Whichever version you choose, The Sinking City 2 is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, with no Xbox Game Pass availability or Xbox Play Anywhere support at launch.
If Frogwares can make Arkham feel as oppressive, mysterious and downright unpleasant as it sounds, this could be one city you’ll be happy to get lost in – even if you won’t be particularly keen on what you find there. We’ll find out in review very soon.
Edit: Our review of The Sinking City 2 is now live.
