Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency
- December 12, 2019
- Neat Corporation
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency" is a first-person stealth VR game that continues the story of the original. As a spy at TransCorp, players must navigate a hostile office environment, using teleportation and stealth to evade enemy guards and complete missions. The game builds on the original with new tools, environments, and enemies, providing a challenging and engaging experience for VR players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features improved mechanics and varied environments compared to the first installment, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The addition of the bow and new enemy types adds depth to combat, making encounters more engaging and dynamic.
- The story continues seamlessly from the first game, with compelling moments and humor that resonate well with players.
- The game suffers from a lack of polish, with numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
- The final levels are frustratingly difficult, with some players feeling that the difficulty spike is unbalanced and detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- Some players found the game to be too short, feeling that it should have been an expansion rather than a full-priced sequel.
- gameplay94 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Budget Cuts 2 is generally praised for its variety and the introduction of new mechanics, such as the bow and throwing weapons, which enhance the experience. However, some players find the controls awkward and the difficulty level frustrating, with issues like glitches and a lack of depth in certain gameplay elements. Overall, while many appreciate the improvements and engaging story, there are mixed feelings about the execution and balance of the gameplay mechanics compared to the first game.
“Nice mechanics, outstanding gameplay and polished.”
“The gameplay was more challenging in this versus the first one.”
“Overall the gameplay is enjoyable, and the length is just right (but I got it on sale for 15 dollars).”
“The level design and mechanics are mediocre and the crashes make the game unplayable.”
“It's like the developers were really scared of making the gameplay too easy, so they ended up making it convoluted and unnatural.”
“Gameplay mechanics are very awkward; I should have seen an improvement from the first game.”
- story92 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Budget Cuts 2" is generally seen as a continuation of the first game, with some players appreciating the new mechanics and environments, while others criticize it for being short and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight a disappointing ending and a sense of anticlimax, suggesting that the narrative does not expand significantly on the original. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable gameplay and humor, the story is often described as underwhelming and not as engaging as expected.
“Great as the first, new mechanics feel great and the story is amazing.”
“Amazing story if you played the first game.”
“The story was nicely continued from the first game which was very neat.”
“However, I'm already noticing a distinct lack of polish and depth to the environments and story of this game.”
“The story is beyond bland with a cheesy ending and two boss fights that are the equivalent of banging your head against a wall for 2 hours.”
“Instead of expanding the world and story, seeding more mysteries, it's all just a long trail to do one specific task with a severely anticlimactic ending.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky, dark, and often deadpan, effectively balancing comedic elements with challenging gameplay and tense moments. Players appreciate the funny interactions with robotic characters and clever writing, although some feel the humor can occasionally come off as forced. Overall, the game is praised for its unique personality and engaging mechanics that enhance the humorous experience.
“It's just so quirky and funny.”
“The humor and writing feels forced, but maybe I just felt that way because I was frustrated at the game itself to begin with.”
“The whole dodging and knife-throwing stuff, the dark office humor, the terrifying showdown between you and a psychopathic manchild robot, the haunting ending theme...it was an experience unlike any I'd, well, experienced.”
- music17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in Budget Cuts 1 and 2 has received high praise for its quality, with many reviewers noting its smooth jazz influences and comparisons to the Portal soundtrack. While some players found the soundtrack to be a highlight that enhances the game's atmosphere, others expressed frustration with certain tracks becoming repetitive during challenging gameplay. Overall, the music is celebrated for its creativity and emotional impact, particularly in the ending sequences.
“I didn't say this in the other review, but the voice acting and the music are just awesome.”
“The music reminds me of a combination of smooth jazz and what one calls the soundtrack to Portal.”
“The visuals are fantastic, the mechanics are some of the most elegant VR games have to offer, the music is superb.”
“The soundtrack is absolutely awful and will probably begin to grate your nerves when you're stuck in another obtuse 'puzzle' which is usually just looking at the right spot to find a hole in the ceiling you can teleport to.”
“Budget cuts 1 and 2 both have great story, great gameplay and amazing ending song but it's bad that the dev doesn't sell those songs.”
“Ending song is pretty decent though.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are characterized by a simplistic and somewhat repetitive aesthetic, primarily set in office environments with limited character models. While some players appreciate the unique art style and humor, others find the visuals dull and lacking in optimization, with occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, contributing to the game's personality but not necessarily impressing in terms of technical execution.
“The VR interactions are done well, the robots are funny, and the graphics are good.”
“The story is great and the graphics look nice too.”
“The visuals are fantastic, the mechanics are some of the most elegant VR games have to offer, the music is superb.”
“The graphics are bare; there are about 2 character models, and you get a single bow with 2 ammo types.”
“The graphics are very simplistic and feel a bit lifeless, if not dull. However, you could interpret this as a metaphor for the message the game is trying to convey: 'work sucks, I know,' to quote the famous blink-182 song.”
“Unfortunately, the graphics don't make up for their simplicity with performance, as the optimization is also somewhat lacking.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting significant performance issues, particularly in demanding areas, and a lack of adjustable settings. While some users managed to improve their experience through hardware adjustments, many felt that the graphics did not compensate for the optimization shortcomings. Despite these concerns, some players appreciated the improvements made since the previous installment, indicating potential for better performance in future updates.
“The game needs more optimization, but it could just be a problem on my end.”
“After playing the first game and coming back into the series after the performance and mutators update, I decided to give the sequel a try and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.”
“There were no performance settings in the game, so I had to reduce the resolution and overclock my GPU in order to play it.”
“Unfortunately, the graphics don't make up for their simplicity with performance, as the optimization is also somewhat lacking.”
“Performance nosedived in the final combat area.”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience, such as locomotion issues, AI problems, and graphical errors. While some users experienced relatively smooth gameplay with only minor visual glitches, others faced more severe issues like softlocks and crashes. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires further patches to address these stability concerns.
“The game was mostly bug-free during my playthrough, with only one instance of a softlock.”
“I experienced very few issues, making for a smooth gaming experience overall.”
“The stability of the game was impressive, allowing me to enjoy the experience without frequent interruptions.”
“It was buggy as hell, and the level design was so terrible it hurts.”
“Good combat and dialogue betrayed by bad checkpointing, locomotion glitches, and crashes.”
“The beta testers must have done an awful job considering I've seen other glitches like invisible walls, and doors that bug out and just instantly get rid of robots if they are closed in on the door.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, drawing comparisons to iconic works like Terminator 2 and classic horror titles such as Amnesia. Reviewers note that the environment is more engaging and well-developed, with distinct level designs that enhance memorability and immersion, while new mechanics contribute to the overall atmospheric experience.
“The atmosphere is amazing.”
“The new atmosphere is on-par with classic horror greats like Amnesia.”
“The atmosphere is better developed in this game, and the level design prevents areas from all becoming one in memory as would often happen in the first.”
“It's like the original but with more atmosphere and new mechanics like projectiles that are one-time use (yes, letter openers break on enemy contact) and the bow.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers decent replayability, with some players appreciating the updates and finale that enhance the experience. However, there are suggestions for a sandbox mode and longer gameplay to further increase replay value.
“A great finale to the series and a fantastic update that adds replayability.”
“I find it quite replayable, in my opinion.”
“Pretty good, but could use a sandbox mode to add a little replayability.”
“Thankfully, this game does have replay value, but I still would have liked it to be longer.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a blend of dark humor and unexpected wholesomeness, creating an emotional journey that surprises players. Despite initial confusion, the game's conclusion offers a heartwarming moment that leaves a positive impression, particularly through the charming character interactions.
“And the humor is even more deadpan and dark than what was in the first game, and takes a surprisingly wholesome turn at the end.”
“[spoiler]but it's immediately followed up by the aforementioned wholesomeness, and I can't stay mad when a cool-looking robot says it wants to give me a hug[/spoiler].”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extensive, often requiring significant time investment. However, the introduction of enemy marking with the magnifying glass alleviates some of the tedium associated with predicting enemy patterns, making the process more manageable.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
