Mary Skelter 2

About

The Nightmare continues in Mary Skelter 2! In this first-person dungeon crawler, play as fairy tale-inspired characters called Blood Maidens, each with deeply customizable character-specific classes. Balance between power and madness in turn-based battles with a blood-fueled transformation system, and escape a living prison while indestructible Nightmares give chase in real time. This game also i…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 206 reviews

story24 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game features great design and aesthetics, with interesting mechanics that enhance the gameplay experience.
Includes a remastered version of Mary Skelter: Nightmares, providing great value and continuity in the story.
The character development and story are engaging, with memorable moments and a solid narrative that keeps players invested.

The PC port is plagued with frequent crashes, leading to significant loss of progress and frustration for players.
The game lacks proper optimization, with issues such as low resolution graphics and poor performance compared to other platforms.
Censorship and translation issues have marred the experience, with some content removed and typos present in the text.

story
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
74%
4%
The story of Mary Skelter 2 is described as entertaining and intriguing, though it lacks depth and can be confusing due to insufficient worldbuilding and missing reading materials. While some players appreciate the charm of the characters and plot twists, others find the narrative to be simplistic or cringe-worthy, with a recommendation to play the first game, Mary Skelter: Nightmares, for a better understanding of the story. Overall, the game offers a solid experience for those who enjoy character-driven narratives, despite its flaws.
- “The story might not be as deep or intense as other RPG stories, but it's entertaining and interesting.”
- “One of the best dungeon crawlers on the market, characters are amazing, the world is intriguing and the story keeps you guessing all the way.”
- “I was especially surprised by the story, which was pretty bold so far and has some good ideas writing-wise.”
- “Sadly, the worldbuilding is still not fleshed out enough in the game, and there are also some reading materials not included, so the story can be confusing at first.”
- “The overall story, the tweaks, and the new mechanics implemented were not enough to deliver a fresh experience.”
- “Story is first grader bad, maybe because they tried to 100% voice act and had to cut corners (a lot of corners, to be honest, this turns out to be a circle) to reduce voice acting costs.”
gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
74%
4%
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its interesting mechanics, engaging combat, and innovative features, making it a standout in the Mary Skelter series. However, players have reported significant issues with crashes that lead to lost progress, as well as frustrations with confusing tutorials and a challenging dungeon-crawling experience. Overall, while the gameplay offers a fresh and fun loop, technical problems and steep difficulty may deter some players.
- “The gameplay in this one is really good, probably the best out of the three Mary Skelter games, in my opinion.”
- “The dungeon crawling has a lot of quality of life features; the auto-pilot alone is a great welcome, and the game has many mechanics regarding both combat and exploration that always keep you on your toes. The exploration rewards curiosity, attentiveness, and creative use of character skills to unlock paths or get loot.”
- “Overall, I'd say to give the game a go; it's an interesting concept engaged with fun gameplay. The story is very anime, which can be a turn-off for some people, and finally, it's uncensored now, so it's a better experience.”
- “This game is a clusterfuck of every single JRPG mechanic you could possibly think of.”
- “The tutorials aren't remotely useful either; they explain basic aspects of a mechanic but not when or why anything should be used, very annoying.”
- “Gameplay is still unbearable, just like a nightmare.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the poor port quality that limits graphical options and fidelity, particularly compared to the PS4 version. While some appreciate the art style and aesthetic, the lack of customization and frequent crashes detract significantly from the overall experience. Additionally, the game is noted to run on lower-quality Nintendo Switch graphics, which has frustrated PC players seeking better performance.
- “The overall graphic quality is better than the first; one major complaint is the confusing nature of the mini map during actual gameplay.”
- “Comparing to the first game, it has improved graphics and interface.”
- “It's anime-ish enough in that some aspects lean lightly sexual, but it's usually kept tame enough that it adds to the game's tone and aesthetic in a way that's interesting and enhances the experience.”
- “It pains me to say it, but unless you know Japanese or really don't care about the broken graphics, you're better off skipping the entire series at this point.”
- “Now that I explained this, I'll explain the other reason why this game was handled badly: it's a poor port from the Nintendo Switch version, which means lower resolution for 2D elements and lower graphical fidelity in general. It also crashes pretty often and randomly. If you check the discussions, it seems like they did patch the game for a while, but then abandoned it with people still crashing. The reasons seem to be random and different between users; for example, I crashed 8 times in this title and also froze at least a couple of times.”
- “There are no graphics options (such as to disable the forced TAA, enabling/disabling motion blur, disabling depth of field and chromatic aberration), which are used quite liberally in most of Compile's games to the point where it gets obnoxious.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The optimization of the Steam version of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues and bugs, particularly related to stuttering and graphical settings. While some players found the performance acceptable, others expressed disappointment, noting that the game remains poorly optimized compared to other ports, leading to accessibility concerns for those using different platforms. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a major drawback, overshadowing its otherwise enjoyable gameplay.
- “Random encounters were one-shotting me and I was not under-leveled; I was fairly optimized.”
- “The performance is good for me at least and I really enjoyed it so far.”
- “There is also a bug with stutter and MSAA somehow being enabled on 2D elements, which results in performance and rendering-related problems when running through Proton.”
- “Great game, but optimized very poorly on PC.”
- “I had hopes this new PC release would fix the issues with that release and make it more accessible to those who don’t have one or want to deal with the mediocre performance, and that Ghostlight would break the curse of mediocre (or borderline awful) PC ports from Idea Factory.”
- “There is also a bug with stutter and MSAA somehow being enabled on 2D elements, which results in performance and rendering related problems when running through Proton (and is why the game wasn't verified for Steam Deck support) as well.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its design and find it enjoyable, others express disappointment over the heavy reliance on remixes from previous titles, with only a couple of new tracks. Additionally, issues with audio mixing, such as muted sound effects and erratic volume spikes, detract from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but it falls short for those seeking original compositions.
- “I personally really like the music, design, and gameplay in this.”
- “Music is also great, it doesn't get old.”
- “Overall, I love it; the character, soundtrack, and the story, even though the dungeon crawler gameplay makes my head hurt a lot, but I still love it.”
- “Music: kind of disappointed that the music is kind of a remix and reuse from Nightmare; there are just two real new BGM for the new area. It's bad because I want to hear some original songs.”
- “Not to mention the audio mixing is really bad. Some sound effects don't play, some sounds are extremely muted, and during my playtime of 1 hour, I've had 3 random spikes in the volume where the music plays normally and then all of a sudden it's blaring in my ears, which is super aggravating.”
- “Music: kind of disappointed that the music is kind of a remix and reuse from Nightmare; there are just two real new BGM for the new area. It's bad because I want to hear some original songs.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be tedious, especially on higher difficulties, there are engaging elements like story progression and character development that help alleviate the monotony. Some features, such as blood farming for upgraded equipment, are seen as unnecessary by some, yet the game provides various incentives to revisit dungeons, making grinding feel more rewarding. Overall, the grinding can be a significant issue, particularly since it has not been addressed in updates since the game's initial release.
- “Other than that, this game has a debilitating issue with grinding that was never patched since the Switch/PS4 release.”
- “Both games have parts in the mid-game that drag, but there are always important plot reveals being doled out, which is good because dungeon crawling can be tedious (still fun, but tedious), so you need a decent story and characters to make for a good break/reward from completing a dungeon or hard floor.”
- “[Still way too many factors to keep in mind while playing, grinding can be a pain.]”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and issues that detract from the overall experience. Many feel it is a poorly executed port, leading to disappointment among fans who had high expectations. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," indicating significant stability problems.
- “This isn't a review; this is to inform you that the game, as it currently stands, is a buggy mess and an overall horrid port of one of my favorite series of all time.”
- “In conclusion, I really was excited for this, and I'm sad to see this come in a buggy, half-hearted release.”
- “However, from my experience, this one is just as buggy as the previous one.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the quality of enemies, clothing, dungeons, and overall ambiance, which contribute to an engaging experience. The combination of story, characters, and music further enhances the immersive environment, making it a worthy sequel and prequel bundle.
- “Enemies, clothing, dungeons, and the atmosphere are great.”
- “The game itself (story, characters, atmosphere, music, etc.) was all great, just like the first game. Here you get the sequel and prequel bundled together, so it's a good deal.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in Mary Skelter 2 is noted for its intriguing premise and strong character design, contributing to an engaging experience within the dungeon-crawling gameplay.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the wholesome representation of the relationship between Otsuu and ningyo-hime, which has been praised as one of the best portrayals of lesbian characters in gaming.
- “Otsuu and Ningyo-hime are probably the most wholesome lesbian representation I’ve seen in gaming.”