Beholder 2

About

Beholder 2 is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Alawar Stargaze (Warm Lamp Games) and was released on December 3, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Beholder 2" is a grim, dystopian game where you start as an intern in the Ministry, a powerful organization that controls every aspect of citizens' lives. As you climb the career ladder, you'll face moral dilemmas, political intrigue, and the burden of choice, deciding whether to be a diligent officer, a ruthless careerist, or a whistleblower. Your actions will shape your future, and happiness, in this dark, Orwellian world. Learn more at , or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,218 reviews

story204 positive mentions

grinding99 negative mentions

Engaging story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
Unique art style and atmosphere that effectively convey a dystopian setting.
Improved gameplay mechanics compared to the first game, allowing for more strategic decision-making.

Repetitive and tedious mini-games that can detract from the overall experience.
Slow movement and excessive walking between locations can feel frustrating and time-consuming.
Some choices feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the outcomes.

story
555 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The story of "Beholder 2" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and moral complexity, set against a dystopian backdrop that echoes themes from Orwell's works. Players appreciate the branching storylines and the impact of their choices, which lead to multiple endings, although some express frustration with repetitive gameplay and unclear quest objectives that can detract from the overall experience. While the game builds on the foundation of its predecessor, opinions vary on its execution, with some finding it less impactful than the first installment, yet still commendable for its depth and character development.
- “Beholder 2 is a masterclass in dystopian storytelling — clever, intense, and morally challenging.”
- “The branching storylines and multiple endings give every playthrough a unique flavor and a real sense of consequence.”
- “If you enjoy story-rich experiences and complex decision-making, this one is an absolute must-play.”
- “The truth is, this game is just a story on rails, with none of your decisions leading up to the ending having any impact.”
- “Additionally, the game doesn’t always make it clear how your choices will impact the story down the line, which can lead to frustration if you’re aiming for a particular ending.”
- “The story is, however, completely lackluster.”
gameplay
297 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
11%
The gameplay in "Beholder 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive and grindy nature, particularly in bureaucratic tasks that can feel tedious and uninspired. While some appreciate the strategic elements and narrative depth, others criticize the gameplay loop for lacking the engaging decisions that characterized the first game, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game offers a different experience from its predecessor, with new mechanics and a focus on story, but many players feel it falls short in delivering enjoyable gameplay.
- “This is a brilliant blend of simulation, management, and narrative-driven gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is more strategic: explore the office, collect dirt, decide who to help and who to betray, and think twice before pressing any button.”
- “Beholder 2 is a really interesting game that continues the sad dystopian-like story from the first one with new characters, new mechanics, and fresh new gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is basically the same throughout.”
- “However, I found the gameplay too tedious, and the report mechanic somehow manages to be both obtuse and boring at the same time.”
- “The gameplay is slow, repetitive, and lacks the gripping decisions that made the first game memorable.”
graphics
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
2%
The graphics of Beholder 2 have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and stylized art style that effectively conveys the game's dark themes and atmosphere. While some players appreciate the transition to 3D graphics and the overall aesthetic, others feel that the visuals do not match the quality of the first game or find them somewhat simplistic. Overall, the graphics are seen as a defining feature that enhances the storytelling, despite some criticisms regarding their execution and consistency.
- “Visually, the game maintains a distinct and memorable aesthetic.”
- “The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is smooth and intuitive.”
- “The artwork is fantastic - tons of little details that just make a great atmosphere to build a story with.”
- “I think this is the worst Beholder game in terms of its visuals.”
- “Graphics are not outstanding; however, their style is what makes them somewhat characteristic of this series.”
- “Depressive graphics, boring campaign.”
grinding
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
3%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious and repetitive nature, with many players finding the office tasks and mini-games to be monotonous and lacking in engagement. While some appreciate the thematic relevance of the drudgery in a bureaucratic setting, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment and narrative experience, making progression feel like a chore rather than a rewarding journey. Despite some fun elements, the grind often overshadows the game's potential, leading to frustration and boredom for many players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's ultimately a boring and tedious experience, without a satisfying payoff that would justify all of the uninteresting stuff you have to go through to get to the end.”
- “The repetitive nature of the office tasks, while thematically appropriate, can become tedious, especially during the midgame grind.”
- “The story starts promisingly enough, but the quests become a little tedious and it gradually begins to erode the entertainment value I derived from it initially.”
atmosphere
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The atmosphere of "Beholder 2" is widely praised for its dark, oppressive tone that effectively captures the essence of a totalitarian regime, enhanced by striking art direction and a haunting soundtrack. Reviewers note the game's ability to immerse players in a world filled with dread, moral ambiguity, and political allegory, while also highlighting the successful blend of humor and irony in its writing. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall ambiance and storytelling are considered top-tier, making it a compelling experience for players.
- “The soundtrack deserves praise — haunting, atmospheric, and masterfully timed to enhance the feeling of paranoia.”
- “The setting of the ministry captures the Orwellian atmosphere of a dystopian totalitarian government brilliantly, and the writing does a great job of crafting interesting characters and injecting some humor into this very bleak world.”
- “The atmosphere and setting of the game is really disturbing and depressing, which is by design.”
- “A huge chunk of the game's atmosphere just vanished with this ugly, clunky, stuttering 3D.”
- “Series atmosphere has been ruined in Beholder 2.”
humor
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
6%
The humor in Beholder 2 is predominantly dark and satirical, effectively highlighting the absurdities of bureaucratic and totalitarian systems. Players appreciate the blend of grim storytelling with moments of hilarity, often stemming from the game's moral dilemmas and character interactions. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, it generally resonates well with fans of dark comedy and dystopian narratives, making the game both entertaining and thought-provoking.
- “The black humor comes from the fact that you literally play as a tiny demon of bureaucracy: spy, manipulate, and survive while the world crumbles around you.”
- “With its grim yet oddly hilarious storytelling, creepy art style, and endless ethical dilemmas, Beholder 2 makes bureaucracy feel terrifyingly fun.”
- “The setting of the ministry captures the Orwellian atmosphere of a dystopian totalitarian government brilliantly, and the writing does a great job of crafting interesting characters and injecting some humor into this very bleak world.”
- “The game is full of unfunny and jarring pop culture references, like the disabled scientist being called Stephen Dawking. It's just not clever.”
- “The humor falls flat, relying on tired clichés and predictable jokes that fail to elicit any real laughter.”
- “I found the attempts at humor to be cringeworthy, with jokes that feel forced and out of place in the game's context.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its haunting and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall immersion and mood. However, some players noted the repetitiveness of the soundtrack, particularly a single droning track that plays frequently, which detracted from the experience. Overall, while the music is generally well-composed and fitting for the game's themes, a desire for more variety in the soundtrack was a common critique.
- “The soundtrack deserves praise — haunting, atmospheric, and masterfully timed to enhance the feeling of paranoia.”
- “The music with that piano and violin helps hit home the sadness of how 'life in this world sucks!' I'd totally recommend going through at least once.”
- “The soundtrack is moody and oppressive, filled with haunting ambient tracks and industrial sounds that reflect the ministry's cold, emotionless efficiency.”
- “There is one song that repeats throughout the ministry (the place where you spend 99% of your time in the game) which is dark, droning, and dreary.”
- “Seriously, adding an extra 4 songs for the ministry would make it so much more of an experience.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
50%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers a rich narrative with multiple choices and endings that encourage replay, some players find the experience repetitive and frustrating, which diminishes their desire to replay. Titles like Beholder 2 maintain a modest level of replayability due to engaging stories and characters, but many players feel that the enjoyment wanes after a few playthroughs. Overall, while there is potential for replay, the execution and certain gameplay elements can detract from the experience.
- “The game excels in storytelling, offering a multitude of choices that enhance replayability and keep the plot engaging.”
- “It's replayable, has a great story, morbid characters and choices, a visually appealing art style, and it makes you think all while still being fun.”
- “Really interesting concept, mechanics, characters, story, a lot of replayability with numerous endings and ways to get to them.”
- “As the game goes on and on, the lack of any mobility boost keeps bugging you to the point that the replayability value of the game drops to zero, and this game has a lot of story branches, meaning the developers expect you to replay over and over.”
- “Without this issue, I would give this a major thumbs up, but getting such a detail awfully wrong will earn it another thumbs down for wasting my time and making the game un-replayable.”
- “But (yes there is a 'but'), the replay value is not too high, so after playing it a couple of times you really don't want to play it anymore since you know it means hours and hours of extremely boring stamping of mindless documents.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of "Beholder 2" is mixed among players; while some appreciate the touching storyline and character attachments that evoke strong feelings, others feel the game lacks the depth and resonance of its predecessor. The decisions players make are central to the emotional experience, yet the protagonist's detachment and the game's sci-fi elements dilute the emotional weight for some. Overall, the game elicits a range of responses, from deep emotional engagement to frustration with its narrative execution.
- “The real challenge lies in your decisions — not your reflexes — which gives the game its powerful emotional impact.”
- “I found myself with an emotional attachment to most of the characters in the game and I went back more than a few times to try and get the best end for them all.”
- “Absolutely brilliant, I loved this game and became so emotionally attached... seeing the final ending honestly moved me to tears.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of Beholder 2 has been criticized for its numerous glitches, which detract from the overall experience, although some players report not encountering game-breaking issues themselves. Many users feel the game needed more development time to address these problems and improve the gameplay loop. Overall, the consensus suggests that while it is playable, the presence of bugs has led to dissatisfaction among players.
- “I enjoyed the few hours I played of Beholder 2, but it's a game that could have used a lot more time in the oven to improve on its glitches, make the core gameplay loop more interesting, and remove the parts like running from end to end of the map all the time that drag it out.”
- “While I've not run into any specific glitches that break game progression, I've heard many complaints about it.”
- “No refund after only 101 minutes of buggy gameplay.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing significant performance issues, including clunky visuals and stuttering, which detract from the overall atmosphere and experience.
- “A huge chunk of the game's atmosphere just vanished with this ugly, clunky, stuttering 3D.”
- “The optimization is so poor that it feels like I'm playing a beta version of the game.”
- “Frequent frame drops and long loading times completely ruin the experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development is praised for its unique design, particularly highlighting the beholder character, which stands out as a creative and distinctive element in the game.
- “I love the beholder character design; it's simply unique.”