Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh

About

"Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh" is a psychological horror game that follows the life of Curtis Craig, a man who was recently released from a mental hospital and is trying to live a normal life. However, strange and terrifying events begin to occur around him, causing him to question his own sanity. The game is known for its intense atmosphere and compelling story with interesting characters, and is not for the faint of heart. Murders begin to occur and the player must help Curtis uncover the truth behind these events.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh screenshot

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews

story30 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging story that explores themes of sexuality, trauma, and identity, making it stand out in the FMV genre.
The production value is commendable for its time, with decent acting and cinematography that adds to the overall experience.
It offers a nostalgic trip for fans of 90's FMV games, providing a mix of campy fun and dark humor that can be entertaining.

The gameplay is often frustrating due to illogical puzzles and navigation issues, requiring frequent reference to walkthroughs to progress.
The game suffers from technical problems, including crashes during critical moments, particularly in the final puzzle, which can ruin the experience.
Many players find the story disjointed and difficult to follow, with a lack of clear objectives leading to confusion and repetitive actions.

story
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
9%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and filled with intriguing themes, while others criticize it for being disjointed, convoluted, and difficult to follow. Many appreciate the mature and edgy elements, as well as the character development, but note that the gameplay often hinders the narrative experience due to tedious puzzles and unclear objectives. Overall, while the story has its moments of brilliance, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of coherence, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
- “I was hooked since minute one to its disturbing story, its excellent cinematography, and its banger soundtrack.”
- “The story line is great and has multiple endings.”
- “I personally thought the story was very entertaining.”
- “So much potential lost in such a disjointed storyline.”
- “The story, however, is utterly ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense.”
- “The fact that it is the second installment of Phantasmagoria while having absolutely nothing to do with the first game, story-wise, is also a downer.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many users citing dated graphics, limited interactivity, and poorly designed puzzles that hinder progression. Players often find themselves frustrated by the lack of clear mechanics and navigation issues, leading to a tedious experience. While some appreciate the entertainment value and improved visuals, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is a significant drawback, making it difficult to recommend.
- “Plus around 10 to 12 hours of gameplay.”
- “Sure it's kind of ridiculous and sleazy, but it's very entertaining and out there in a fun way; the acting is generally actually pretty good for an FMV game, and the gameplay/puzzles are reasonably solid.”
- “Gameplay is similar to the original but with more blood, nudity, and a script that doesn't take itself too seriously.”
- “Its graphics, gameplay, and even the menu (the navigation itself) are things you can only refer to as dated.”
- “Gameplay kinda sucks though since you basically just fart around and show all of your items to your co-workers, click a random email a random number of times until the game decides it's time to progress forward; it barely has any puzzles either, which is ironic for a game that has the word 'puzzle' in its title.”
- “Gameplay is a mess; it's hard to guess where to click most of the time and it's a lot harder to progress through the story in this one since the random interactions are so badly designed that you might uninstall the game after seeing them.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, with many reviewers noting limitations due to its full-motion video format and poor emulation performance. While some appreciate the improved visuals over its predecessor, the overall aesthetic is often described as subpar, with a focus on nostalgia rather than cutting-edge design. Despite these criticisms, the game's unique style and thematic elements resonate with certain players, particularly those who value storytelling over graphical fidelity.
- “It's a full-motion video adventure game with a supernatural plot, and this is all fine; actually, FMV games carry an advantage... you can't make better graphics than the real world, after all.”
- “The graphics in Phantas2 are 'better' than its predecessor, in that all is filmed using live sets rather than the previous installment's blue-screen-based world.”
- “The use of a full digitized set versus a mix of 3D graphics with video is a much better setting to look at than the previous game.”
- “It has a dated control scheme, dated graphics, and runs poorly due to the DOSBox emulation.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “Its graphics, gameplay, and even the menu (the navigation itself) are things you can only refer to as dated.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and moody qualities, enhancing the overall suspense and emotional impact of the story. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with specific mention of the beautiful ending song and the effective use of ambient music throughout. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience, making it a memorable aspect for players.
- “I was hooked since minute one to its disturbing story, its excellent cinematography, and its banger soundtrack.”
- “The music is just so beautiful.”
- “Another thing to note is the incredible soundtrack.”
- “Oh, and the OST is vastly better than the original—very moody and atmospheric versus silly chanting/gothic notes.”
- “If you enjoy walking around in circles while ominous music plays and you have no idea why the story isn't evolving, then this game is for you.”
- “The acting, the music, the special effects, the story are all just insane and will make you wonder all the time what the hell they were thinking.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the cut scenes and character interactions entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, especially in the beginning. However, as the game progresses, the humor often devolves into a reliance on outdated tropes and awkward scenarios, leaving some players feeling frustrated rather than amused. Overall, while there are moments of genuine hilarity, the humor can be inconsistent and overshadowed by the game's darker themes.
- “The cut scenes are incredibly entertaining, and it's funny to watch our character idle around.”
- “The beginning had me laughing so much; I know this is a horror game, but its cheesiness is absolutely fantastic.”
- “Not really puzzles, more like clicking on the person you are talking to a bunch of times and seeing some terribly funny acting.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be very tedious, particularly in the point-and-click segments, which can detract from the overall experience. Many recommend using a walkthrough to avoid the frustration of trial and error, suggesting that the story may be more enjoyable when experienced through a playthrough rather than through direct gameplay.
- “Very tedious.”
- “The point and click portion of the game is extremely tedious, and you should definitely check a walkthrough to keep yourself from trying every possible thing.”
- “The first one is better; the point and click parts are really tedious.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by body-horror elements reminiscent of Cronenberg, enhanced by a moody and atmospheric original soundtrack that surpasses its predecessor. The use of real environments and competent actors contributes to a nostalgic 90s FMV charm, effectively immersing players in the story.
- “Atmospherically, it's much closer to some Cronenbergian body-horror, by way of 'From Beyond', than a soap-opera-tier CGI creature feature -- which suits me just fine.”
- “Oh, and the OST is vastly better than the original -- very moody and atmospheric versus silly chanting/gothic notes.”
- “This game does have that really atmospheric 90s FMV game charm thanks to real environments (and, to be honest, decent actors) and you do find yourself getting sucked into the story.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and widescreen monitors, which results in subpar performance on contemporary gaming PCs. Despite its engaging content and strong performances, it has not been updated to meet current gaming standards.
- “The game lacks support for any modern gaming display resolutions or widescreen monitors, and hasn't been modernized or updated to run smoothly on modern gaming PCs.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy for this game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it exploits nostalgia by re-releasing outdated abandonware on Steam without any modernization. Many believe that the developers are attempting to profit from players who may already own the original game, leading to a negative perception of the game's value.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “While DOSBox is a fine tool for those seeking retro gaming, it's not really appropriate for ancient abandonware like this to be dumped on Steam without any modernization. This is just a greedy cash grab from developers trying to get your money for dead software; they want you to pay them a second time for a game you probably already owned.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its handling of themes related to homosexuality and sexuality, which some reviewers feel are poorly executed and at times resemble soft porn, detracting from the overall impact.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game is notably strong, exceeding expectations and providing a pleasant surprise for players.
- “The character development is actually quite good and surprised me.”
- “The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the gameplay experience.”
- “I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make throughout the game.”