Beholder 2

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,095 reviews

story182 positive mentions

grinding82 negative mentions

Engaging story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
Dark humor and a unique art style that enhances the dystopian atmosphere.
Gameplay mechanics that allow for moral choices, adding depth to character interactions.

Repetitive and tedious mini-games that can detract from the overall experience.
Lack of clear guidance on certain quests, leading to potential dead ends.
The game can feel slow-paced due to excessive walking and grinding for resources.

story
518 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The story of Beholder 2 is a complex and engaging narrative set in a dystopian world, filled with moral dilemmas and unexpected plot twists that enhance its replayability. While some players appreciate the depth and character development, others find the gameplay tedious and the quests occasionally confusing, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the game successfully builds upon its predecessor's themes, offering a rich storytelling experience that resonates with fans of the genre.
- “Beholder 2 greatly expands upon the entirety of the series' worldbuilding and excels at pushing a rather ordinary dystopian story at first glance toward something hardly describable with words.”
- “The game excels in storytelling, offering a multitude of choices that enhance replayability and keep the plot engaging.”
- “The storyline was compelling, and ethical decision-making took front and center, which is what I love so much about the Beholder games.”
- “The story is, however, completely lackluster.”
- “The story stats promisingly enough, but the quests become a little tedious and it gradually begins to erode the entertainment value I derived from it initially.”
- “The main story also falls flat.”
gameplay
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The gameplay of Beholder 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the reliance on grinding mini-games and bureaucratic tasks. While some appreciate the new mechanics and the depth of the story, others feel that the gameplay lacks the engaging elements of its predecessor, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, the game offers a different approach to gameplay that may appeal to some, but frustrates others with its slow pace and monotonous tasks.
- “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 is fun, though tedious at times.”
- “However, the gameplay is marred by frustrating and repetitive mini-games, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.”
- “The gameplay loop can be summed up as: do boring minigame, talk to guy to get quest, run across map, talk to another guy, complete the quest, do boring minigame, etc.”
- “The gameplay is a mix of point-and-click style adventuring with light stealth and bureaucratic minigames.”
graphics
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
2%
The graphics of Beholder 2 have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style that effectively conveys the game's dark themes and atmosphere. While some players appreciate the shift to 3D graphics and the overall aesthetic, others feel it lacks the charm of its predecessor and can become repetitive. Overall, the visuals are described as clean and fitting, contributing to the game's immersive storytelling, though they may not impress those seeking high-end graphics.
- “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.”
- “With the wicked, monochrome graphics and even darker themes, players will without a doubt feel as if they have been thrown into a dystopian world of shadows and mystery.”
- “The graphics are not outstanding; however, their style is what makes them somewhat characteristic of this series.”
- “Simple graphics, bland story, and just didn't grab my attention quick enough.”
- “I found it hard to distinguish some people and see what was important or not (that said, I love the art style, it really suits and sets the overall feel).”
grinding
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
2%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the repetitive tasks and minigames to be tedious and detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the intentional design that reflects the drudgery of bureaucratic work, others feel that the excessive grinding required for achievements and progression leads to boredom and frustration. Overall, the gameplay is often described as monotonous, with a significant amount of time spent on grinding that can overshadow the engaging narrative elements.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Many achievements require excessive grinding.”
- “Instead of feeling like an active participant in a thrilling narrative, players are relegated to tedious administrative tasks that do little to stimulate interest or enjoyment.”
- “The tasks feel tedious with a lot of running from one area to another over and over.”
atmosphere
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The atmosphere of Beholder 2 is consistently praised for its dark, oppressive, and immersive qualities, effectively capturing a dystopian and totalitarian setting reminiscent of Orwellian themes. Reviewers highlight the game's unique art style, which enhances the overall mood, and commend the character depth and storytelling that contribute to a compelling experience. While some critiques mention gameplay elements that detract from the atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the game successfully evokes feelings of fear, mistrust, and despair, making it a standout in its genre.
- “Beholder 2 presents a polished adventure experience steeped in a dark, oppressive atmosphere.”
- “The story line is well done, the art is unique, and the tense dark atmosphere just pulls it all together.”
- “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.”
- “But in the end the game is quite straightforward, annoying at times, has almost no atmosphere and ... well the story is poor and basically doesn’t make any sense.”
- “A huge chunk of the game's atmosphere just vanished with this ugly, clunky, stuttering 3D.”
humor
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
7%
The humor in Beholder 2 is characterized by its dark and satirical tone, effectively blending grim storytelling with moments of absurdity and wit. Players appreciate the clever writing and memorable characters, though some find the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain pop culture references feeling forced. Overall, the game successfully navigates the balance between humor and the bleakness of its bureaucratic dystopia, making it a compelling experience for fans of dark comedy.
- “With its grim yet oddly hilarious storytelling, creepy art style, and endless ethical dilemmas, Beholder 2 makes bureaucracy feel terrifyingly fun.”
- “Great depiction of the hellish bureaucratic nightmare the Soviet Union was; the creators did a good job balancing the dark historical references with humorous moments.”
- “The characters are well written, and there's been some quality twists already, one of which initially made me angry but ended up making me laugh just a few seconds later when it backfired hilariously.”
- “The game is full of unfunny and jarring pop culture references, like the disabled scientist character named 'Stephen Dawking'—it's just not clever.”
- “The humor falls flat, relying on tired clichés and predictable jokes that fail to elicit any genuine laughter.”
- “Instead of being witty or clever, the attempts at humor feel forced and often miss the mark entirely.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and ability to enhance the game's dystopian atmosphere, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety, particularly in the main area where players spend most of their time. Despite the monotony, many agree that the soundtrack effectively captures the game's themes and emotions, contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, while the music is generally well-regarded, there is a consensus that additional tracks would significantly improve the experience.
- “The music is good, and the sometimes rough visuals are balanced by the style.”
- “The soundtrack plays well to the mood.”
- “The art and music were amazing, and the grind of the game was a welcome feeling.”
- “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.”
- “Music monotony: the soundtrack is as memorable as yesterday's lunch.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
50%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers a rich narrative with numerous choices and multiple endings that encourage replay, some players find the repetitive gameplay and lack of mobility enhancements diminish its overall value. Titles like Beholder 2 maintain a modest level of replayability, appealing to fans of story-driven games, but may not hold long-term interest due to tedious mechanics. Overall, while there is potential for replay, many players feel that the enjoyment wanes after a few playthroughs.
- “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
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Beholder 2" is mixed; while some players found the storyline touching and developed strong attachments to the characters, others felt it lacked the emotional depth of its predecessor, "Beholder 1." The game presents adult themes that can be distressing, and while it offers moments of emotional impact, the choices often feel less personal, leading to a varied emotional experience among players. Overall, it elicits a range of feelings, from attachment and sadness to confusion over its tonal shifts.
- “To sum up, I recommend Beholder 2, because it is a game with a really good, touching story.”
- “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%
Overall, "Beholder 2" has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting various glitches and bugs that detract from the gameplay experience. While some players have not encountered game-breaking issues, many have expressed frustration with the game's performance and the need for further polish.
- “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.”
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.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players have criticized the game's optimization, noting that it suffers from significant stuttering and clunky performance, which detracts 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.”