Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer – A Superb Sequel that Was Worth the Wait

“The justifications of men who kill should always be heard with scepticism, said the monster.” – Patrick Ness

Overview

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is the long-awaited sequel to the 2016 game Kathy Rain. The titular detective returns with a sinister serial murder case to solve. Can she find the killer in time, and does this sequel live up to its predecessor?

Narrative

Set in 1998, a few years after the original game, Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer sees Kathy set up in her own struggling PI business. To earn a hefty reward and save everything she has worked for, she must track down the elusive ‘soothsayer’ believed to be behind a string of recent and violent murders with some strange similarities. Approached by a former mentor hoping to team up on the case, she decides to go it alone and must visit multiple locations and speak to an array of different NPCs in order to deduce what is going on and why. The narrative is well-constructed and engaging from the start, creating intrigue and suspense with lots of drama and unexpected twists.

Kathy remains her feisty, funny, and somewhat cynical self, minus a few vices such as her smoking and excessive drinking. Her distinct personality is a highlight of the game, and it is good to see that while she has matured slightly, she has not fundamentally changed. The supporting characters have equally unique personalities with their own interests and back stories, often interwoven in some intriguing way. This provides context in a satisfying and not overwhelming way, enhances the storyline, and makes for a well-rounded and fulfilling narrative experience. A selection of recurring characters adds some fun familiarity and feels rewarding for players of the first instalment. Additionally, the dialogue is skillfully written, giving a good sense of the characters and varied situations, and progressing the narrative in an entertaining and organic way.

As with the previous game, the narrative touches on some quite heavy subject matter and mature themes, such as drug abuse, suicide, mental health, and death. Things get increasingly dark and mysterious as the player advances through the game, but comedic touches and some lighter moments provide balance and prevent the experience from feeling too intense or serious.

Gameplay

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer plays as one would expect, like a typical classic point-and-click adventure in terms of both mechanics and gameplay. The controls are highly intuitive as they are fairly standard for the genre. The player must explore the various scenes, interact with different objects, and converse with a range of NPCs. Kathy is equipped with a sizeable inventory in which to store a vast array of items, but begins the game with her familiar and sentimental lighter, a fancy new camera, and her trusty notebook. A handy recap of the first game is available at the start, a welcome addition given the 9-year gap between the initial game release and this one.

Given the number of locations, there is a degree of going back and forth between them throughout the game; however, travel is facilitated by Kathy’s motorbike and is fairly quick and easy. Additionally, if a location is not currently available (such as the library, which is closed at night) or if there is nothing more to learn or gain from a location, it will be greyed out as a travel location option. This prevents time from being wasted by returning to locations unnecessarily.

As expected, the game boasts a number of immersive puzzles. These have logical and satisfying solutions that make them a lot of fun to solve, adding an extra layer of fun to the already entertaining gameplay. The puzzle types vary; Kathy will need to hack into computers, impress at a poetry open mic night, cross-reference information at the library, and decode pager messages, amongst other tasks.

Styling

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer stays stylistically true to the original game, maintaining the same art style but offering some improvements in terms of the level of detail in both the environments and the character art. It is presented in beautiful pixel art with atmospheric and often moody lighting, the colour palette favours muted and darker colours, with selective pops of vibrancy. The character art is much more refined than seen previously, especially in the avatars used during dialogue. There is a wide range of locations to explore, including a psychiatric hospital, a church, downtown, and the library. In each, the scenery is meticulously crafted to have depth, detail, and variety.

The soundtrack is highly varied while maintaining consistency, making it feel cohesive and well-suited to the game’s storyline and gameplay. The music uses different energy levels and overall sounds and fits each of the scenes perfectly. It draws on metal and rock genres, amongst others, to create tracks that can range from dramatic to upbeat, or conversely, quite eerie. The music often has a typical ’90s gaming vibe and matches the visuals perfectly. The voice acting is very impressive and really helps to bring the characters to life. It conveys just the right amount of emotion and is very believable.

Summary

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer is a fantastic sequel and an excellent example of a point-and-click detective adventure. It will take around 10-14 hours to play, and really lives up to the first game. Subtle improvements are well implemented without being detrimental to the original tone and style of the series. As with the earlier instalment, Kathy’s character, her sceptical nature, wit, and energy give the game a modern noir feel and a distinct personality that make it stand out amongst similar titles. Additionally, the game boasts stunningly detailed pixel art, immersive sound design, stellar voice acting, varied and satisfying gameplay, and a twisting narrative that will have players intrigued and engaged from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to the Kathy Rain series, and I would highly recommend both games to fans of both point-and-click titles and detective games.

Looking for more detective games with great pixel art? You may also enjoy these reviews:
The Beekeeper’s Picnic – A Heartfelt Adventure for a Beloved Detective – Detective Dotson – Murder, Mini-Games, Mystery, and Mediocrity – Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death – A Thrilling Sequel