Title: Party Hard 2 Developer: Tiny Build Publisher: Pinkohl Website: https://www.partyhard.game/ Genre: Stealth Available On: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch Release Date: September 8, 2020 (Switch) Version Tested: Switch
We’ve all been that person who simply cannot stand our noisy neighbors anymore. It’s a good bet that at some point, you’ve had some rather murderous thoughts. Party Hard 2 takes those thoughts and makes them a reality, in a way of speaking.
Tiny Build’s latest arrival for the Nintendo Switch puts you behind the mask of a killer who has lost all his grip on reality. In order to finally get his revenge on the people who are partying entirely too hard next door, he decides to end their lives.
While the character looks a bit like Michael Myers from Halloween fame, he isn’t to be quite a straight forward in his mission. There is quite a bit of stealth involved in Party Hard 2. Think of this as Hitman, only substitute knives for guns.
There is also the fact that the art style is quite retro. Party Hard 2 shouldn’t look all that good, because of that retro style, but the game manages to take a look that is well known and make it, it’s own. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some problems with that appearance. It can be hard to see your targets. It can also be hard to see where the doors and windows are on the map. Both of those things are quite important.
Much like Hitman, this isn’t necessarily a game where you kill indiscriminately. Most of the maps will have missions you need to pull off. Perhaps to make players feel better about what they’re doing, most of your targets are bad people.
Careful Killing in Party Hard 2
Unlike Hitman, you aren’t penalized in Party Hard 2 if you kill innocent bystanders. At least as long as you are careful about your killings. The point of the game boils down to one thing. You need to kill dozens of people without anyone seeing you. There are warning systems out there that will allow you to know if you’re being spotted. It’s best to be extra careful and only take people out one-on-one when you’re alone.
Party Hard 2 gives you plenty of chances to do this as the partygoers are constantly on the move. You can follow your targets into dark alleys, or even the bathroom and take them out while the room is empty. You can then hide the body in various places to make sure no one sees any evidence.
There are some drawbacks to this kind of system. At times, it feels like bystanders see through walls. Other times, it seems like you should be spotted for sure, but no one notices.
Still other times, it seems as though you got away with your dirty deeds, only to have police arrive and finger you as someone who needs to be arrested. Once the handcuffs appear over your character, it’s time to hide or to run. Neither works all that well. It’s always better to just not draw the cops’ attention at all.
Not For The Impatient Among Us
The biggest thing to know about Party Hard 2, is there really isn’t a way to brute force your way through the game. Yes, technically, if you were fast enough non the trigger button, you could stab people until no one is left to notice what you’re doing.
The reality is that a witness is always going to run away and call the police. Once they’re called, you have a very, very slim chance at escaping. That means that you’re going to have to be careful when you decided to take a victim. At times, if you’re like me, that can get rather frustrating.
There are times when I simply wanted to clear the level and move onto the next one. This game is made to be difficult. It’s difficulty levels are “medium,” and “hard.” It revels in the fact that there isn’t an easy.
There is a cast of characters you can choose from. Some of them have special abilities that will make your tasks a bit easier. For the most part, though, the differences in who you choose are largely cosmetic. Because of the art style, those cosmetics aren’t different enough for it to matter much.
Verdict: Party Hard 2, like its predecessor, is a simple game at first glance. You can kill people up close and personal with your knife, or you can use tools (and cars) to take people out in large groups. The game is plenty of fun and it’s plenty hard. There’s a lot of replayability, as long as you don’t allow how many times you’ll have to try a map before you advance to frustrate you too much. This is likely one of those games that requires you to set it down for a bit and come back to it later.
Party Hard 2 Review For The Switch: A Killer Good Time
Art style stands out.
Indiscriminately killing has never felt so therapeutic
The art style makes picking out details like where a door is, more difficult.
Witnesses noticing you start to feel random.
