Red Spider2: Exiled

About

Red Spider2: Exiled is a single player action game. It was developed by studio wasp and was released on December 9, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

"Red Spider2" is a Hong Kong Noir-themed Visual Novel. There are 6 story routes with the different characters(approximately 200,000 words in total).

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

story6 positive mentions

gameplay1 negative mentions

The writing is sharp, mature, and filled with political intrigue, making the story engaging and thought-provoking.
The characters are complex and well-developed, with significant choices that impact the narrative and player experience.
The game features a good soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere, and it offers convenient replay options for exploring different story routes.

The pacing can be slow in the middle chapters, and some dialogue sections feel overly long.
There are noticeable typos and grammatical errors that detract from the reading experience.
The game lacks traditional gameplay elements, leading some to view it more as an e-book than a game, which may not appeal to all players.

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
"Red Spider 2: Exiled" is a gripping visual novel that excels in character-driven storytelling, with a plot centered around protagonist Lily's desperate escape from a death squad after a morally complex act of violence. The narrative is enriched by meaningful choices that shape the player's experience and emotional investment in the characters, while also serving as a well-crafted prequel that deepens the lore of its predecessor. Overall, the story is praised for its maturity, depth, and the ability to leave a lasting impact on players.
- “Red Spider 2: Exiled is an intense, story-driven visual novel that kept me hooked from start to finish.”
- “The choices you make really feel significant, shaping not only the story’s direction but also how you see the characters and their motives.”
- “A compelling narrative experience with strong characters, meaningful choices, and a story that lingers long after the ending.”
- “Instead of placing more importance on the plot and overall events, the game relies on its characters (who are impressively easy to get emotionally invested in, considering the short length of each route) to move the plot forward, which makes sense since this is Lily's story and the player wouldn’t care about the story if they didn’t care about the characters first.”
- “Often, prequels don’t build on the story they’re preceding very well and there’s an odd disconnect, or they might even ruin the previous stories retroactively, but Red Spider 2 thankfully avoids this by showing how characters from the original Red Spider got to where they are (although this is sometimes indirect, as with Shawn and Luk, who are not referenced by their original names).”
- “Red Spider 2 opens up with the protagonist, Lily, killing a corrupt police officer in order to protect an innocent bystander (an event with consequences that served as the driving force for the first game's story) and the game deals with what Lily does as she tries to escape a death squad out to capture and possibly kill her - and while there are a few subplots that help reinforce the themes of the main story, that’s what Red Spider 2’s plot revolves around.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The music in the game effectively enhances the gritty tone of the story, featuring a mix of public domain tracks and original compositions by notable composers Yasunori Shiono and Yukio Nakajima. While some users noted that the soundtrack closely resembles that of the first installment, it still successfully contributes to the overall atmosphere. Additionally, the inclusion of a trivia mode and a sound test mode allows players to explore the musical inspirations further.
- “The art style may be simple, but it fits the gritty tone of the story, and the soundtrack enhances the tension perfectly.”
- “There is also a trivia mode that explains the inspiration for certain aspects of the narrative and a sound test mode to listen to the music.”
- “Speaking of the game’s music, most of the soundtrack consists of public domain tracks (which are fine and fit the tone of the story well), but there’s also quite a bit of original music, composed by Yasunori Shiono (the main composer of the Lufia series, and also a former co-worker of Motoi Sakuraba) and Yukio Nakajima (the composer for Energy Breaker and Puzzles & Dragons).”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through poorly written dialogue, which detracts from the overall experience and raises concerns about the quality of the content.
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact is largely attributed to its sharp and mature writing, which emphasizes character development over plot. Players find themselves easily invested in the characters, enhancing the overall narrative experience and making the emotional stakes feel significant.
- “What impressed me most is the writing; it’s sharp, mature, and full of political intrigue, betrayal, and emotional depth.”
- “Instead of placing more importance on the plot and overall events, the game relies on its characters (who are impressively easy to get emotionally invested in, considering the short length of each route) to move the plot forward. This makes sense since this is Lily’s story, and the player wouldn’t care about the story if they didn’t care about the characters first.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics feature a simple art style that effectively complements the gritty tone of the story, while the accompanying soundtrack heightens the overall tension.
- “The art style may be simple, but it fits the gritty tone of the story, and the soundtrack enhances the tension perfectly.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening it to a frustrating experience where progress is slowed by the need to click through text at a snail's pace. This repetitive clicking detracts from the enjoyment of the narrative, making it feel laborious and time-consuming.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its sharp wit and clever observations, as exemplified by a remark about the minimal demand for a book, suggesting a satirical take on its value. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to deliver humor that is both insightful and amusing.
- “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 4 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Red Spider 2: Exiled is praised for its monetization model, being completely free with no microtransactions, making it a worthwhile experience for players, especially those who enjoyed the original game.
- “Red Spider 2: Exiled is free (as in, there are no microtransactions) and it’s not a waste of your time. I’d recommend at least the first route if you’ve played the original Red Spider, and the other routes as well if you end up liking the first.”