Why not try a different genre for a change? Frogwares' 2019 game, The Sinking City, was an open-world detective game set in a Lovecraftian horror universe. Its sequel, however, is taking a different approach, presenting itself as a classic survival horror game.
Unlike the first instalment, The Sinking City 2 takes more inspiration from Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The game no longer features an open-world setting. The focus on detective work has also been scaled back in favour of a more linear, classic survival horror approach with typical components such as limited resources, crafting, safe rooms and restricted inventory space.
The game is set in a Lovecraftian reimagining of 1920s America, focusing on the city of Arkham. Following a supernatural flood, all but the most deranged residents have fled, leaving decay and eldritch horrors to roam the streets. Players take on the role of Calvin Rafferty, an occult adventurer whose actions have had tragic consequences. After a dreaming ritual goes wrong, his girlfriend, Faye, becomes trapped in a mysterious sleep in the lovecraftian Dreamlands. Now, he must venture through the flooded streets to save her. During his quest, he comes face to face with a plague of otherworldly creatures known as the Slither, who possess and twist the dead into lethal walking puppets. Although the title features a '2', this is not a direct sequel: players control a new protagonist in a different city.
The Sinking City 2 © Frogwares
Once again, the surreal, scary and threatening world has been brought to life particularly well, creating an intense atmosphere. The flooded Arkham and the sound design evoke a dense, cosmic sense of dread without resorting to cheap jump scares. Players can explore the haunting environment on foot or by boat in third-person view. As the game progresses, the water level rises, transforming the world along with it. Compared to the first game, combat has improved, especially the gunplay, although it still feels somewhat clunky. Furthermore, there are too few different types of monster, which repeat quite often. While the Cthulhu creatures look and move eerily well, the human characters are somewhat lacking, particularly in terms of facial animations in cutscenes.
Although the detective work has been simplified, players can still examine their surroundings, collect clues and decipher journals. Those who keep their eyes open will be rewarded. While completing these optional cases will never block progress, it can unlock safer routes, supplies and upgrades. Compared to its predecessor, this game feels more focused and better paced, even if it has lost some of its uniqueness. The game takes around 15 hours to complete. Overall, it's a good game, but it doesn't quite live up to major Capcom or Konami titles.
The Sinking City 2 © Frogwares
The Sinking City 2 is being developed by Frogwares, an independent game development studio that was founded in 2000 and has offices in Ukraine and Ireland. The studio is best known for its Sherlock Holmes series, including titles such as Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) and Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One (2021). The first instalment of The Sinking City series was released in 2019, but it subsequently made headlines due to a legal dispute with its former distributor, Bigben/Nacon. This dispute was resolved in early 2024, after which Frogwares became the sole publisher of the game on all platforms — a status that extends to the second instalment.
Development of The Sinking City 2 began in January 2023, with most of the team of over 90 people based in Ukraine. The project was also funded through a Kickstarter campaign, with 6,181 backers contributing €554,002. The announcement of a release date marks a significant milestone for the team. From the outset, the developers have been clear that the game was created amid the war in Ukraine and the challenges it entailed, ranging from fear of attacks and lack of power to freezing temperatures and the enlistment of team members.
The Sinking City 2 © Frogwares
The Sinking City 2 is the most ambitious game we've ever made, built under circumstances most studios never have to plan for by a team working remotely across Ukraine and beyond. Even now, with around two months till launch to go, we made the call to move the entire project over to Unreal Engine 5.8 because we believed the performance gains were worth the effort for our players. Our pricing follows the same philosophy. While most survival horror games today launch at $60 or more, we're launching at $49.99 because we want to be fair and give as many people as possible the chance to step into Arkham with us. - Sergiy Oganesyan, Publishing Director, Frogwares.
The Sinking City 2 launched on 18 August 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99 / €49.99 / £41.35. A Deluxe Edition containing the base game, the Chthonic Arsenal pack and the Arkham Field Kit is also available for €54.99. A Premium Edition containing the base game, the Chthonic Arsenal pack, the Arkham Field Kit, Holloway Manor and 24-hour advanced access is available for €59.90. The Chthonic Arsenal pack includes weapons such as the 'Shale Mary' handgun, the 'Breakwater' shotgun, and the 'Tektite Tommy' submachine gun. The Arkham Field Kit adds three outfits for the main character: “The Anatomist”, “The Witness” and “Heretic Heraldry”. It also includes three Dream Essences to unlock an early Talent, as well as a Resource Pack containing various ammo, healing and crafting items. Holloway Manor is an optional side mission on the cliffs outside the city of Arkham. Compared to the main game, this mission focuses more on investigation.
In The Sinking City 2, detective work (Frogwares' USP) is swapped for a struggle for survival with a Cthulhu feel. Despite its familiar mechanics and a few rough spots, it’s an intense nightmare that’s worth playing.
