Without Within 2
- November 9, 2015
- InvertMouse
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Without Within 2" is a psychological horror adventure game that challenges players to escape a series of unsettling scenarios. The game features innovative mouse inversion mechanics, where players must invert their mouse controls to progress through complex puzzles. With a focus on narrative and exploration, players will uncover disturbing secrets and confront their inner fears in this immersive and unpredictable experience.
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Reviews
- Beautiful artwork and charming character design, especially Vinty.
- The addition of real-life video footage of Melbourne enhances immersion and provides a unique experience.
- The story is heartwarming and funny, making it an enjoyable read despite its short length.
- The game lacks choices and replayability, making it feel more like a linear visual novel than an interactive experience.
- Some players found the pacing slow, with too much focus on travel and exploration rather than character development.
- The content is relatively short, leading some to feel it doesn't justify the price.
- story158 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story follows Vinty, a calligraphy enthusiast, on her journey to Melbourne, where she hopes to learn from her idol, Excelia. While the narrative is filled with charming moments and visually appealing elements, many reviewers noted that it lacks depth and alternative paths, making it feel more like a linear experience or a city tour than a fully fleshed-out sequel. Despite its simplicity and some rushed character development, the overall tone is light-hearted and enjoyable, appealing to fans of the first installment.
“However, I thoroughly enjoyed this story!”
“Vinty's story is really sweet and has a lot of silly moments that made me smile.”
“The story has a really authentic feel as the creator actually went to Melbourne and shot a few videos of the experience and then linked them in the game.”
“Excelia's behavior and its fallout are never really explained to a satisfying degree, and that feels like a lot of lost potential - the most meaningful parts of the story are kind of glossed over.”
“The only downside is there are no alternative paths, just one story and one ending.”
“Sadly, aside from Vinty's funny jokes and the gorgeous videos, this game lacks a deeper plot and can't be considered a must-play visual novel.”
- humor56 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Without Within 2" is characterized by a mix of witty dialogue, meme references, and humorous scenarios, particularly through the character Vinty, whose sarcastic and relatable nature adds charm to the narrative. While some players found it less funny than the original, many appreciated the heartwarming moments and comedic elements that make the game enjoyable, despite its shortcomings in plot depth. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted experience with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and engaging artwork.
“It's a fun read of about three hours with beautiful artwork and heartwarmingly funny writing.”
“In the first one, you get to make a lot of choices, and some choices would simply make you game over instantly, which I loved. That was hilarious; it made me want to play again and again and see what happens with every single choice.”
“Vinty is still easily depressed and quite cute and hilarious while being like this.”
- music46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a diverse soundtrack that fits various scenes and emotions. Reviewers appreciate the cute and stylized art that complements the music, creating a fun atmosphere, while the inclusion of real-life locations in the soundtrack adds depth. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
“The music and effects were very relaxing and the setting was directly based on real life locations.”
“The soundtrack changed throughout various scenes being appropriate to the environment/situation where the scene was heading.”
“The art style and music is clear and pleasant for both eyes and ears.”
“The soundtrack changed throughout various scenes, being appropriate to the environment and situation where the scene was heading.”
“The music comes along properly with relaxing, as well as emotional and funny moments of the adventure.”
“Decent music to accompany the transition of the visual novel.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their cute and charming art style, which remains unchanged from previous installments. Reviewers appreciate the beautiful artwork and clear visuals, noting that they enhance the overall experience of the visual novel. While some mention a lack of variety in images, the overall aesthetic is described as heartwarming and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“The art style and music are clear and pleasant for both eyes and ears.”
“A wonderful visual novel, the creator really put a lot into it, both the story and the artwork.”
“This is a 2-hour long kinetic novel which offers again a simple yet well-made art style accompanied by entertaining background music matching the story’s atmosphere.”
“As for the graphics... well, just look at the pics above in the store section and decide if you dig this kind of style or not.”
“The characters are really cute, though I honestly wished for an amazing story. However, it blends together and has a lot of the same pictures, and most of all, it's absolutely not entertaining me. But I like the team who made this novel, and the visuals are too cute to give this a negative review.”
“[b]Graphics[/b]: just like the first game, the art holds the adorable quaintness of it.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a visual novel experience with minimal interactivity, focusing on storytelling rather than traditional gameplay mechanics. Players spend a significant amount of time watching the character navigate various modes of transport, and while the game can be completed in about two hours, it lacks the multiple-choice elements expected from previous installments in the series. Overall, some players feel the experience is worth the low price, despite its shortcomings in gameplay depth.
“It took me around 2 hours to complete the game and I personally feel like it was worth the money (bought it on sale on the day of release, so it was only €4). At the standard price of €5, this game is about €2.5 gameplay an hour.”
“Have in mind that this isn't a game but a visual novel; a lovely story told through game software, there's no gameplay.”
“On the two hours of gameplay, you'll spend about half looking at Vinty walking, taking the bus, tram, train, or plane... and even if I have completed the game, I only have 2 of the 5 cards dropped, so I have to let the game run just to get them.”
“In my eyes, £1 should equal 1 hour of gameplay.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a blend of heartwarming, funny, and touching moments that resonate with players. The beautiful artwork and fitting music enhance the experience, making it a delightful three-hour adventure that is highly recommended for fans of heartfelt storytelling.
“The music complements the game beautifully, enhancing both the relaxing and emotional moments of the adventure.”
“The plot is really good: sometimes sweet and cozy, sometimes funny, and at times, truly touching.”
“It has a lovable main character, and I adore the art style; the story features both funny and heartwarming moments.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the kinetic novel is effectively crafted through its simple yet appealing art style and engaging background music, which complement the story well. Reviewers appreciate how the setting of the city is vividly portrayed, enhancing the overall experience despite the lack of player choices.
“This is a 2-hour long kinetic novel (therefore no choices involved) which offers a simple yet well-made art style accompanied by entertaining background music that matches the story’s atmosphere.”
“However, it does serve as a pleasing way to build the atmosphere, so I'll let it slide.”
“The atmosphere of this wonderful city is portrayed quite well.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be significant by some reviewers, while others criticize it for being slow and lacking depth in both character arcs and plot progression. This mixed feedback suggests a disparity in player experiences regarding the effectiveness of character growth throughout the game.
“The character development is the most impressive I've ever seen.”
“The growth of the characters throughout the game is truly remarkable.”
“I've never experienced such profound character development in a game before.”
“It was very slow and not much character development or plot.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its nature as a kinetic novel with no choices, which contrasts with its predecessor. Players feel that incorporating a few meaningful choices could have enhanced the replay value.
“This is a kinetic novel with zero choices and limited replayability, unlike the first one.”
“A few choices in the correct places would have made this replayable.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the monetization strategy feels heavily influenced by promotional partnerships, likening it to a tourism advertisement for Melbourne, which may detract from the overall gaming experience.
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report a stable experience with no glitches, highlighting the game's cute and bright drawing and anime style. Overall, the stability aspect is positively received.
“I have to say, there were no glitches; the drawing and anime style were cute and bright.”
