Much Better!
Having got bored with Forgive Me Father and left a negative review, I reluctantly turned my attention to the sequel. Thinking I'd simply blast through a couple of levels just so I could say I had, I was pleasantly surprised to find FMF2 a significant improvement over it's predecessor.
Retaining the gorgeous art style of the original, FMF2 adds better animations so the enemies don't seem to simply slide over the floor towards you. Where previously the levels had been almost entirely flat and mind-numbingly formulaic, now they come with ample verticality and more complex layouts, leaving you feeling like you're actually exploring a dank, fetid world that has had an unspeakable evil unleashed upon it. They even look better this time around, with the cathedral in particular being spectacular. Whilst the gameplay itself has changed very little, the original's upgrade system has also been streamlined for the better (although I still found I made very little use of the Madness ability) and the weapons are appropriately varied and fun to shoot. As with the original, the plot might as well not be there - hardly a death sentence in the FPS genre - but where the original expected you to read about a million (often very dull or meaningless) notes left lying around the place, here you can keep up with the goings on via letters that are delivered to the hub world between levels. Whilst the game at present doesn't feature any voice acting, given the appalling standard on display in the original I found this to be a significant improvement. I wouldn't mind in the least if the protagonist remained silent throughout the adventure, but here's hoping that if/when voice work is added, the script and standard improve as much as the rest of the game has.
Well done to everyone at Byte Barrel. After experiencing such disappointment with the original, I'm now champing at the bit to discover more of what Forgive Me Father 2 has in store for us.
Full Release Edit: As feared, the voice acting and script is dreadful, and I now experience a lot of graphical flickering in the asylum for some reason. Regardless, this is a really good game and the solid level design I enthused over in the first part of the review is ratcheted up even further towards the end of the game. 7/10.