Hello Neighbor 2

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,148 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Hello Neighbor 2 Game Cover
Hello Neighbor 2 is an improvement over the earlier game but still has a few issues to work out. That being said I did find it to be an enjoyable and challenging experience.
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In "Hello Neighbor 2", players step into the shoes of an investigative journalist named Quentin, seeking clues and evidence in the strange occurrences of Raven Brooks. Explore an open world with multiple suspicious characters, and unravel the mystery that unfolds after the events of the first game. The Deluxe Edition offers additional neighbors, multiple DLCs, and advanced investigative tools for a richer experience.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,148 reviews
story51 positive mentions
stability73 negative mentions
  • The game features improved graphics and a more engaging art style compared to the first installment.
  • Puzzles are generally well-designed and provide a fun challenge, making the gameplay enjoyable.
  • The game has received multiple updates that have improved performance and added new content, showing the developers' commitment to enhancing the player experience.
  • The AI is often criticized for being predictable and not living up to the promised neural network capabilities.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to concerns about its value for the price.
  • Several features that were heavily marketed prior to release were either removed or not implemented, leading to disappointment among fans.
  • story231 mentions

    The story of "Hello Neighbor 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it vague, underdeveloped, and lacking coherence. While some appreciate the intriguing lore and character backstories, others criticize the narrative for being cryptic and unsatisfying, often ending on cliffhangers without resolution. Overall, the game seems to prioritize gameplay and puzzles over a compelling story, leaving many players disappointed with its narrative depth and clarity.

    • “The game introduces you to a mysterious town filled with secrets, and the storyline does a great job of pulling you in right from the start.”
    • “I thought it was a fun story to play through and has been a fun game to come back to every few months and burn through again.”
    • “The story itself is very short and unfortunately like the first game, is still extremely vague and ends on an irritating cliffhanger that makes no sense.”
    • “As for the story, I don't even know what I am supposed to understand; maybe I'm missing something, but nearly every scene and story piece made absolutely no sense whatsoever to me.”
    • “The story itself is very short and unfortunately, like the first game, is still extremely vague and ends on an irritating cliffhanger that makes no sense.”
    • “The story in of itself is a joke.”
  • graphics132 mentions

    Overall, the graphics in the game have received significant praise for their improvement over the original, with many users highlighting the beautiful art style that blends realism with a cartoonish aesthetic. While some players noted minor issues such as frame rate drops and occasional bugs, the majority found the visuals to be stunning and a major enhancement to the gameplay experience. The game's atmosphere, characterized by its engaging and eerie visuals, has been described as a key element that elevates the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, love the cartoonish art style, it leads the game to being extremely distinguishable and left me constantly admiring the game in all its glory.”
    • “A vast improvement from the first, in graphics, gameplay, story (kinda), and overall quality, this game is a moderate horror game without all that blood and gore some of the others have.”
    • “The new art style has been improved and mixed with a realistic art style, and makes the whole game amazing.”
    • “I have a Radeon RX 5700 XT which is very capable of running this game, yet it only ran at 30 FPS on max graphics.”
    • “The graphics are bad, not like what they showed us in the Twitter pictures and the trailer.”
    • “An extremely high-end PC is required to have a smooth experience at max graphics; I was forced to turn the majority of my graphics down to medium despite my PC being fairly high-end (luckily, despite being on medium graphic settings, the game still looked stunning).”
  • gameplay126 mentions

    The gameplay of the latest installment has received mixed reviews, with many noting improvements over the original in terms of mechanics, puzzles, and overall fluidity. However, several players expressed disappointment over missing features that were showcased in trailers, as well as bugs and AI issues that detracted from the experience. While some found the core gameplay loop enjoyable and appreciated the art direction, others criticized the game's short length and lack of depth, leading to a perception of it being overpriced for the content offered.

    • “A big step up from the original in terms of gameplay, visuals, and sound.”
    • “The core mechanics just work much smoother, which is what the first game needed.”
    • “I truly enjoyed the core gameplay loop, breaking in and finding items; I also really enjoyed the art style, which is a major step up from the first game.”
    • “I liked the art direction and the character designs, but the puzzles and the gameplay just suck.”
    • “The game is missing mechanics from the trailers and presentations.”
    • “None of the features/mechanics shown in the marketing for this game are here.”
  • stability76 mentions

    The stability of "Hello Neighbor 2" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many noting that the game launched in a notably buggy state, leading to frequent crashes and glitches. While some players report improvements over time and find the game enjoyable despite its issues, others express frustration with persistent bugs that can disrupt gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed bag, with a blend of fun experiences overshadowed by technical problems that still need addressing.

    • “This game is not buggy, runs very smooth, and feels very rewarding when you finish a day.”
    • “I did see that a lot of the bugs are platform specific, so I guess the Steam version just isn't as buggy as the others, especially after the newest updates.”
    • “The term 'not that buggy' applies only after nine patches and numerous hot-fixes.”
    • “When Hello Neighbor 2 first launched, it was a buggy, incomplete mess, which over updates got better and better!”
    • “The game is buggy and just too hard.”
    • “But in short, the game is a buggy mess, with a price tag that's too high, depressingly bad DLCs, bad AI, and overall this game makes me want to cry over the fact that I spent over 50 euros on it.”
  • grinding31 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious and time-consuming, often likening it to needing "a second life" to manage the repetitive tasks involved. Many find the game loop buggy and frustrating, with poorly placed items and unengaging puzzles that detract from the overall enjoyment. The requirement to repeatedly redo large portions of the game after being caught further exacerbates the grind, making it feel more like content farming than a rewarding experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Buggy and tedious game loop”
    • “Maybe I'm just really blind and don't observe my surroundings, but when stuff is just in the most unnecessary and random places, then the game stops becoming fun and starts getting tedious.”
    • “It's not just a feeling - whenever you get caught, large chunks of the main puzzle get reset, forcing you to go through the tedious process again!”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality, creativity, and the effort put into the soundtracks, which enhance the overall experience. The diverse range of tracks, including specific favorites like the bakery soundtrack and chase themes, contributes to the game's atmosphere, making it feel both nostalgic and engaging. While some users noted minor issues, the general consensus is that the music significantly elevates the gameplay and complements the improved visuals and art style.

    • “The soundtracks are really good, and clearly had a lot of effort put into each piece of music (my favorite was the bakery soundtrack).”
    • “I'll admit it's not scary but it makes for a great adventure puzzle game with minor horror elements, its graphics are beautiful, its music is astonishing, its aesthetic is eerie, its story is puzzling and fantastic.”
    • “Great music: intense and almost better than the game lol.”
    • “This game is not stopping menu soundtrack including in gameplay, please fix this bug!”
    • “They've replaced the classic sound effects when the neighbor was chasing you; now there is some random weird music.”
    • “The only improvements over Hello Neighbor 1 are its polished art style and music.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability has been a contentious topic among users. While recent updates have improved the experience and added some replayable elements, many players still find the game linear, lacking in creative puzzle-solving opportunities, and hindered by unfinished storylines and repetitive AI behavior. Despite some positive changes, significant concerns about the overall replay value remain.

    • “Amazing game with amazing replayability.”
    • “Edit from February 5th: these updates have improved the game quite a bit and it's kind of replayable now, the DLCs save now and have endings.”
    • “Update: while the game has improved, it still lacks the eruption of replayability, sense of story, and a good amount of characterization that is still being left out of the game. The new content update will fix it, which is something I am delighted about.”
    • “The game is linear, with no real chance to be creative with your puzzle solving (except for in the forest to a degree), and little to no replayability when you solve the side quests; the AI does the same few things over and over.”
    • “There is nearly no place for replayability.”
    • “The game is barely replayable, and as of writing this review, the DLC content can't even save, and one of them doesn't have an ending at all.”
  • monetization9 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users feeling it amounts to a cash grab due to misleading advertising and a lack of promised features, such as advanced AI and open-world elements. While some improvements have been noted since launch, players recommend waiting for substantial discounts before purchasing, as the current price is considered too high for the content delivered. Overall, the game's marketing has been described as scummy, leading to disappointment among players.

    • “At the beginning it was promising, but later on it just became another cash grab for the developers.”
    • “Definitely felt like a cash grab.”
    • “The advertisements showed off so many neat/cool things which weren’t present in the full game, sadly.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in "Hello Neighbor 2" is largely derived from its glitches and bugs, which some players find amusing despite the game's more serious narrative focus compared to its predecessor. While the first game offered a chaotic and funny experience through its unpredictable mechanics, the sequel is criticized for its limited interactions and simplistic puzzles, leading to a less enjoyable and less humorous gameplay experience. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some players still finding moments of humor amidst the game's shortcomings.

    • “The glitches are funny.”
    • “I recommend this game because it is so funny and mysterious!”
    • “Funny bug sim game.”
    • “30€ for this trash is some sort of unfunny joke.”
    • “The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced.”
    • “I expected a lot more laughs, but the jokes are stale and uninspired.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy and engaging qualities, complemented by a unique art style that heightens tension. While many appreciate the immersive environment and creative puzzles, some express disappointment with the overall experience and narrative resolution.

    • “The game’s atmosphere is both creepy and engaging, with a distinctive art style that enhances the tension.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is amazing, as well as the puzzles, which are creative from my point of view.”
    • “I really like the atmosphere, characters, and idea of Hello Neighbor and Hello Neighbor 2 in general.”
    • “I really like the atmosphere, characters, and idea of Hello Neighbor and Hello Neighbor 2 in general, so it's even more unfortunate to have such a disappointing experience.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting severe lag and performance issues even on systems that meet the standard requirements. While some players acknowledge ongoing improvements, the overall sentiment remains that the game is currently poorly optimized.

    • “Ok, so I had a problem with lag, but they are working on performance, and man, this game just gets better and better!”
    • “In fact, I was very disappointed with the game's performance, which is why I'm going to ask for a refund. I can barely manage to move around in a chase because it's so laggy. My PC meets the standard requirements, but it doesn't perform as well as I'd hoped.”
    • “The game is also terribly unoptimized.”
  • character development2 mentions

    While the character designs and art direction received praise for their aesthetic appeal, the overall character development was not highlighted, suggesting that the focus may have been more on visual elements rather than depth or growth in the characters themselves.

    • “Character design is great, music is great, and everything for the most part is very nice to look at.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the poignant relationship between the characters, particularly the neighbor's emotional damage and the touching moment when the child offers him a hug, symbolizing hope and redemption. This depth adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, making it more impactful despite concerns about the game's commercial direction. Overall, the emotional moments resonate well with players, enhancing their engagement with the story.

    • “I was convinced to buy it because the music from JT Music and The Living Tombstone was great. After witnessing the ending fully instead of just a brief summary, I can say that TinyBuild is a company willing to milk Hello Neighbor until people stop buying their games. However, it has a nice touch knowing that the neighbor is just emotionally damaged, and the kid comes up, gives him a hug, and helps him escape. I thought that was pretty well thought out.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

58% average critic score

Buy Hello Neighbor 2

Play time

7hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
5-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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