Playing History 2 - Slave Trade | Game Brain

Playing History 2 - Slave Trade Game Cover

About

"Playing History 2 - Slave Trade" is an educational video game that transports players to the 18th century as a young slave steward on a slave ship. Players must serve the captain while dealing with the moral dilemma of their sister being captured by slave traders. The game aims to provide an immersive and historically accurate experience of the transatulantic slave trade.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Playing History 2 - Slave Trade screenshot

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game provides an educational experience about the transatlantic slave trade, making it a useful tool for learning.
The storytelling is immersive, with well-developed characters and a narrative that engages players with historical themes.
Visually, the game features a beautifully crafted art style that authentically reflects the time period.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, including audio issues and crashes, making it difficult to play on high-end PCs.
Many players found the gameplay to be simplistic and lacking depth, with minimal replayability and short playtime.
The removal of the controversial 'Slave Tetris' mini-game disappointed many players who were expecting that feature.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its simple yet effective mechanics and innovative storytelling, particularly for a younger audience. However, many critics highlight issues such as poor graphics, a clunky interface, and a lack of engaging content, describing it as sparse and lazy. Overall, while it retains some elements from the first game, it struggles to stand out as a compelling experience.
- “The game mechanics are also impressive.”
- “Its innovative approach to storytelling, engaging mechanics, and commitment to education make it a must-play for anyone interested in history.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are simple but effective.”
- “The substandard and disrespectful content combined with poorly optimized gameplay = not recommended.”
- “There's about 30 minutes of gameplay, very poor quality graphics, a clunky interface, fixed resolution; it does not survive on its own merits as a video game, so I can't recommend it.”
- “The gameplay is sparse, lazy, and boring.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautifully crafted art style and detailed environments that authentically reflect the time period, while others criticize the simplistic, cartoonish visuals and technical issues like freezing when adjusting settings. While some players find the graphics breathtaking and comparable to high-end titles, others deem them poor quality, especially in the context of gameplay length and overall execution. Overall, the art style is seen as a strength, particularly for a younger audience, but it may detract from the game's intended emotional impact.
- “The art style is beautifully crafted, with detailed environments that reflect the time period authentically.”
- “The graphics in the game are simply breathtaking, on par with the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 - but much easier running on my Intel Pentium Alienware PC.”
- “I like the art style of the game and I would say it's the game's biggest strength.”
- “I just had to reboot my computer because changing the graphic settings froze my entire computer.”
- “There's about 30 minutes of gameplay, very poor quality graphics, a clunky interface, fixed resolution; it does not survive on its own merits as a video game, so I can't recommend it.”
- “When you give it cutesy graphics and make a game out of it, you lessen the impact of what you're trying to say.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's storytelling is highlighted as immersive and engaging, with player choices significantly influencing the narrative and creating a sense of urgency. While the depth of the story may not be profound, it effectively conveys themes of resilience and unpredictability in life. Players encounter various scenarios, including a poignant moment involving a suicide intervention and resource challenges during a voyage, which add to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “One of the standout features of the game is its immersive storytelling.”
- “Players are tasked with making decisions that impact the course of the story, which creates a sense of responsibility and urgency.”
- “Awesome story and just enjoyable game overall <3 10/10”
- “As with the other two games, the story isn't too deep.”
- “On the ship to the new world, there is a story playing out during which the ship is notified that they do not have enough food/water to get to the new world.”
- “- Memory games - there is a story event during which you talk a woman out of actually killing herself by making jokes like 'white people can't dance' and 'why is a nine-tailed whip called that if they don't look like tails?'.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the emotional depth of the narrative and effectively set the historical tone, with a mix of engaging soundtracks and ambient noises. Players find the soundtrack both relaxing and addictive, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and experience. However, some users noted issues with voiced audio, although the background music and sound effects remained impactful.
- “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, enhancing the emotional weight of the narrative.”
- “The soundtrack and sound effects effectively set the tone, further drawing players into the historical atmosphere.”
- “Amazing soundtrack, very addictive and intriguing puzzles, so original.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “For example, I couldn't get any voiced audio in the game to work; the background music and various sound effects can be heard just fine.”
- “That happy music at the start.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotionally impactful narrative, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack that deepens the player's experience. It explores heavy themes, particularly the historical context of slavery, requiring players to engage with the material thoughtfully. Overall, it is described as an emotional masterpiece that combines educational elements with a heartfelt message, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, enhancing the emotional weight of the narrative.”
- “It is crucial for players to approach the game with emotional preparedness and maturity.”
- “Brilliant game with a lovable cast of characters and a heartfelt message for young ones.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of hilarity and discomfort, featuring unsympathetic and unrealistic elements that evoke both laughter and pain. While some aspects, like the quirky characters and absurd scenarios, are reminiscent of a South Park episode, the overall comedic effectiveness varies among players.
- “Hilariously unsympathetic, unempathetic, uncompromising, and unrealistic.”
- “Some of it is incredibly funny and some of it is just painful.”
- “That was the only funny part of this game, which could have been taken straight from a South Park episode.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players find the game enhances replay value and deepens understanding of its themes, others feel there is little incentive to replay after the initial playthrough. Overall, the game is seen as having high replayability for some, but lacking it for others.
- “This design not only enhances replayability but also deepens the player's understanding of the complexities surrounding the slave trade and its repercussions.”
- “Great game, high replayability... one of those games that just get better and better the more you play it.”
- “No real replayability here.”
- “Apart from the one playthrough, there is next to no replay value.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs, glitches, and broken achievements, which detract from the overall experience and indicate poor programming quality.
- “This game is bad, buggy, boring, and worst of all, achievements are broken.”
- “There are glitches and lazy programming all around.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized for being substandard, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience that many users do not recommend.
- “The substandard and disrespectful content combined with poorly optimized gameplay makes this game not recommended.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times.”
- “Despite its potential, the lack of proper optimization results in a frustrating experience with constant lag and crashes.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The game's soundtrack and sound effects are praised for their ability to create an immersive historical atmosphere, enhancing the overall player experience.
- “The immersive environment and attention to detail create a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
- “The lighting and visual design contribute to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack and sound effects effectively set the tone, further drawing players into the historical atmosphere.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it difficult to immerse myself in the world.”
- “Despite the beautiful graphics, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”