Hysteria Project 2 will remind you of Dragons Lair and Heavy Rain, except the latter is a really good ‘game’. There is hardly any gameplay here and requires a lot of trial and error, and has a horror theme, which should have been obvious from the title. It’s comprised completely of cutscenes and has a few puzzles and some interactivity element. Also, it’s one of the worst games I have played this year.

You start in a hospital with a Nurse doing unmentionable things to you. Not really, she is just sticking some needles into you, when everything goes wrong. I certainly didn’t expect that to happen at all. The main objective of the game is to find out why the freaky things are happening. There is a little bit of interactivity here as you can freely control the camera and all that but mostly it’s insignificant.

The problem with the game is that the narration is very poor or almost non-existent. You have to figure out everything by yourself. Even the puzzles are extremely poor and result in you dying. There should be a limit to the trial and error required in the game, but here you will die a lot and cheaply as well. It contains a collection of all the old-school scare techniques ever known to man. Yes, all the cheap ones. The first game had a forest location and here it’s some sort of a hospital, so you know which one is scary.

You will die so many times in this game that it’s just not funny at all, besides you rarely get any proper instructions, which is just poor game design. Death by electrical shock or poisonous gas, you name it, it’s there, including a maniac with an Axe. It’s a very short game as well, and will last you about 60 minutes but considering the price it’s charging you, I think that’s decent. I’m not recommending this game though. It is definitely not for everyone, and only for people who liked the first game and also like less interactivity in their games.

Once you beat the game, the experience will be completely killed. You can’t play this again because you already know what’s going to happen. Well that’s expected due to the nature of the game, as the first playthrough is extremely important. This game is a complete waste of time and money, and simply not worth it, even for people who like these sort of games.

This game was reviewed on the iPAD.

Bulkypix and Sanuk Games have announced Hysteria Project 2 on Sony’s Minis platform for PSP and PS3. Check out the press release below:

Did you think you had survived the nightmare? You were wrong! In the wake of HYSTERIA PROJECT, which received a Milthon award in 2009 for its originality, HYSTERIA PROJECT 2 pushes the thrilling experience further, with much richer and more varied gameplay, and an even more oppressing atmosphere!

The game continues where the first episode ended. You wake up on a hospital bed hazy, not remembering much of what happened to you. You are amazed to discover that you have a tattoo on your arm, a tattoo you don’t remember getting. The clash of metal stirs you from your thoughts, you hear footsteps and they are getting stronger, louder, faster. There’s a silhouette in the distance… HE is back…

With a frantic succession of filmed sequences, puzzles to solve, 360° scenes with clues to find, and life-critical threats where quick, decisive action is required, HYSTERIA PROJECT 2 takes you on a hardcore ride through laser fields, corridors of flames, and the untidy premises of an abandoned medical facility. Feel the fear from your character’s rapid breathing while descending into the heart of hell!

HYSTERIA PROJECT 2 will be released in the European PlayStation Store on August 10^th at the price of €1.99 / £1.74. It will be released in America at a later date and at the price of $2.49.