The Sinking City 2 review: grotesque, gripping and human

Frogwares released The Sinking City 2 on August 18, 2026, for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game was developed and published by Frogwares with support from Amazon MGM Studios. The review was based on a PlayStation 5 key provided by the publisher.

The game places players in a flooded 1920s Arkham as investigator Calvin Rafferty. Calvin’s main objective is to care for his wife Faye’s body in Arkham while her mind remains trapped in Dreamland. Placing a mysterious mask on Faye and upgrading that mask are central to both story and player progression. The review described the mask upgrades as a tangible system that ties ability choices to the game world.

Gameplay is third-person survival horror with deliberate pacing, limited inventory, crafting and healing mechanics. The review noted the structure resembles modern Resident Evil titles. An investigation menu lets players collect and group clues, documents and radio transmissions to solve puzzles and advance the plot. Puzzle difficulty can be adjusted; higher difficulty mainly removes highlighted keywords in clues.

Levels are mostly linear with some larger indoor areas that include shortcut doors and interconnected rooms. Traversal between flooded districts is done by boat. The review characterized the boat segments as repetitive and primarily functional for moving between levels rather than offering varied encounters.

Combat pits Calvin against Slithers, fast hostile creatures that reveal cluster-like weak points when hit. Weak points can regrow, and the review highlighted that repeated targeting combined with limited ammunition often encouraged avoidance of fights. The review wrote that combat “can feel more like a war against your own ammo count than a real test of skill.”

Visuals, lighting and water effects were reported for their detail. Face models and expressions, particularly on Calvin, were described as lifelike. On PlayStation 5 the game offers Performance and Quality presets; the review favored Performance for higher frame rates and reported no crashes or major technical issues during play.

The soundtrack was described as understated, with music most noticeable during combat. Voice acting and ambient sound design were reported as solid. The review called the game “a true labour of love from Frogwares,” and noted the studio developed the title while based in Ukraine amid sustained conflict.

The review awarded The Sinking City 2 an 8 out of 10. Additional release details list standard, deluxe and premium editions at $49.99, $54.99 and $59.99, and the average completion time is estimated at roughly 15 hours.