Re:Turn 2 - Runaway | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

"Re:Turn 2 - Runaway" is the sequel to the psychological horror game "Re:Turn One Way Trip". Players take on the role of Saki, trapped on a haunted train with her fiancé and an evil spirit named Ayumi. The game features a tense atmosphere, character-driven story, and choices that determine Saki's fate as she uncovers the dark truth about Ayumi. Exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat are required to escape the train and free the trapped souls.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

story12 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Re:Turn 2 features improved graphics, voice acting, and a more immersive atmosphere compared to the first game.
The game successfully concludes the story of the previous installment, providing a satisfying narrative experience.
New gameplay mechanics, such as the addition of monsters and a stamina system, add a fresh layer of challenge to the gameplay.

The story is poorly written and leaves players confused, with some puzzles lacking logical solutions.
The game is significantly shorter than its predecessor, which may disappoint fans expecting a longer experience.
Gameplay mechanics, such as the stamina bar and backtracking, can feel frustrating and detract from the overall enjoyment.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
8%
The story of "Re:turn 2 - Runaway" continues from its predecessor, providing a conclusion to Ayumi's narrative and the group's journey, but opinions on its execution vary widely. While some players appreciated the character-driven storytelling and the dual endings, others found the plot confusing, poorly written, and lacking the engaging start of the first game. Overall, the sequel is seen as a decent continuation that refines gameplay but struggles with narrative coherence and depth.
- “Re:turn 2 - Runaway is the sequel to Re:turn - One Way Trip, and picks up the story where its predecessor left off.”
- “Does a good job of rounding up the story of the previous game, and having both a good end and half-good end helps you to choose whether to go with a consequential ending or a happy one.”
- “Re:turn 2 is a good sequel that refines upon the first game nicely and concludes the story that was left dangling after the first game.”
- “Not sure what happened between the first game and the second, but the story left me very confused (it's poorly written) and the controls left me very annoyed (buggy at worst, unfinished at shoddy best).”
- “Now, the big elephant in the room on why I can't recommend this game is the story or rather the ending (big spoiler ahead).”
- “The plot is a hot mess and completely unnecessary.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The gameplay of Re:turn 2 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the introduction of new mechanics and monsters that add variety, while others criticize it for being repetitive and inferior to its predecessor. The game features significant backtracking and some players found the mechanics to be poorly implemented and lacking innovation. Overall, gameplay duration ranges from 2.5 to 6 hours, depending on the player's experience with puzzle games.
- “Where Re:turn 2 is notably different, however, is in the inclusion of some new game mechanics that were not present in the original Re:turn.”
- “Personally, I thought the addition of monsters helped to freshen up the gameplay a bit - there's still a fair bit of backtracking involved as there was in the first game, but now having to contend with the occasional monster helps to make things a little bit more interesting.”
- “For the most part, gameplay has been drastically shifted to make the survival horror portion more present, whereas previously it was more outlying and scripted.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are lazy and awful.”
- “With the reused assets and very dead existence of actual gameplay.”
- “Re:turn 2 is pretty much the same as its predecessor except more inferior in gameplay with more out-of-place mechanics than you could count.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The atmosphere in re:turn 2 is characterized by a blend of colorful RPG Maker-style pixel graphics and a dark, immersive sound design that enhances its creepy horror elements. While the game features polished visuals and effective audio confinement, some players feel that the overall atmosphere suffers due to a shorter playtime and a less engaging plot compared to its predecessor. Despite these criticisms, many appreciate the game's ability to create tension and intrigue through its detailed environments and secret locations.
- “In terms of visuals and sound design, re:turn 2 is much the same as the original re:turn - a combination of colorful, RPG Maker-style pixel graphics with a grim, dark overtone and decent sound design to help set up a bit of creepy atmosphere.”
- “As for re:turn 2, this game is a great atmospheric horror game that delves into uncovering the terrible truths behind the first game.”
- “With graphics being much sharply detailed, the atmosphere is richly immersive and the darkness more waywardly insufferable.”
- “It was much shorter than the previous one, the plot is crumpled and uninteresting; even the added survival element doesn't help the lost atmosphere of the 'one way trip'.”
- “In terms of visuals and sound design, re:turn 2 is much the same as the original re:turn - a combination of colorful, RPG Maker-style pixel graphics with a grim, dark overtone and decent sound design to help set up a bit of a creepy atmosphere.”
- “For example, more polished character portraits, voice acting, creepier atmosphere, better audio confinement (like the rain and train), pop-out colors, and some brilliantly done animated CGs that got me on my toes.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics of re:turn 2 feature a blend of colorful, RPG Maker-style pixel art with a dark, grim atmosphere, effectively enhancing the game's creepy ambiance. While some reviewers praised the sharp detail and immersive quality, opinions on the overall graphics quality varied, with ratings ranging from 7 to 8 out of 10.
- “The artwork is nice.”
- “In terms of visuals and sound design, re:turn 2 is much the same as the original re:turn - a combination of colourful, RPG Maker-style pixel graphics with a grim, dark overtone and decent sound design to help set up a bit of creepy atmosphere.”
- “With graphics being much sharply detailed, atmosphere richly immersive and the darkness more waywardly insufferable.”
- “[i] The graphics are okay, would give it 7 points.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotional responses, with players reporting tears and heartfelt moments, particularly in its impactful endings. The narrative is praised for its mature handling of themes, maintaining a dignified tone that enhances the emotional weight without diluting the sacrifices made by characters. Overall, it successfully delivers a poignant experience that resonates deeply with players.
- “First time I cried this year, and it was on one of the endings.”
- “It handles that maturity in such a way that it’s dignified further, and not softening the emotional impact or sacrifices of the original.”
- “There are also two endings you can find - I only found one of them, but I got the more heartwarming ending, so I'm happy with that.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has improved significantly after addressing previous bugs, resulting in smoother performance overall. However, players with PCs older than six years may still experience performance issues, particularly in rainy conditions, despite the medium system requirements.
- “I'm glad you sorted out a few bugs this game previously had, because now it runs smoothly.”
- “The requirements for the PC are medium; in the rain, you'd notice that old PCs (older than 6 years) might have performance problems.”
- “The requirements for the PC are medium, but in the rain, you might notice that older PCs (over 6 years old) could experience performance issues.”
- “The requirements for the PC are medium, but in the rain, you might notice that older PCs (over 6 years old) could experience performance issues.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been criticized for its confusing story and buggy controls, which many users describe as either poorly executed or unfinished. This has led to significant frustration among players, impacting their overall experience.
- “Not sure what happened between the first game and the second, but the story left me very confused (it's poorly written) and the controls left me very annoyed (buggy at worst, unfinished at shoddy best).”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The credits music has received positive feedback, with multiple users highlighting its quality and appeal.
- “The credits music is very nice.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Reviewers highlight that the character development in the first installment is notably deep and engaging, allowing players to form strong connections with the characters. This aspect is praised for its complexity and emotional resonance, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly deep and engaging.”
- “I was amazed by how much the characters evolved throughout the story.”
- “The growth of each character felt authentic and added so much to the overall experience.”