Beholder 2 is a dark game, like a really, really dark game! The original Beholder was also dark, grim and had a really dark and dry sense of humor. In the original game (released in 2016), you played as a landlord who reported to the all-powerful Ministry. Beholder 2 (released in 2018) kicks things up a notch by having you actually working for The Ministry. The organization that has total control over all the citizens.
How to Download Beholder 2
You can download Beholder 2 from Steam or GOG.com. To commence your download, click on the link below this review. If you like dystopian games with moral choices you should also download and check out Papers, Please.
The Game Review
The Story
In Beholder 2 you play as a man called Evan Redgrave. Evan has just started working at the Ministry and he wants the top spot. You start out as a lowly intern, but getting to the very top of the Ministry is your goal and how you make Evan do this all depends on the kind of person that you are.
You see, Beholder 2 is a very interesting game in that it really does tug at your moral compass. You can move up the Ministry by working really hard at your desk, just doing your job, dealing with citizens and being a good person….. or you can just make those who work with you disappear so that you thin out the competition.
The Game Mechanics
A huge part of Beholder 2 is exploration and interacting with other people. Actually, I would say that this is what the game is all about. The dark and gloomy, dystopian world that Beholder 2 is set in looks fantastic.
The shadowy character designs and the whole general lack of color really works well. You have a list of tasks that you need to do, these tasks can be basic things that relate to your desk job at the ministry.
You will have to walk around and talk to many different people. Gather evidence of wrongdoings, help others out or you can just go for the throat and destroy people so that you can climb the corporate ladder quicker. There is even a bit of a mystery surrounding your dad that you have to uncover.
Things are actually pretty streamlined in The Beholder 2, but that is not a bad thing at all. While the gameplay is streamlined, you have a lot of choice at your disposal in how you do things.
For example you can find these letters that open up a bit of a love story that is rather moving, you can come across someone that needs a little motivation to let’s just say, help them leave their physical body and you can snoop and find evidence to get rid of other employees who want the job that you do.
You are always looking for your next promotion and how you get that promotion all depends on you.
There was one time I was chatting with this guy and at first, I chose all the “friendly” options. Then I realized that by “getting rid” of this other guys I could get promoted faster. So I stabbed him in the back, moved up and I actually felt kind of bad about it.
The save system they have used saves all the time so your actions cannot be undone so make sure you think before you act. Beholder 2 has many different endings and the game is rather short so the idea is that you will play through it multiple times, changing the way that you do so.
Beholder 2 is one of those games that is rather hard to talk about. That is because my experience with it will probably be very different to what yours was. What I can tell you is that it is a very fun game and I love the developers take on a dystopian world, a world where there is very little freedom, happiness, and hope.
