Having thick skin ought to be an essential trait for any fledgling developer, as they should be willing to act upon constructive criticism regarding how a game plays. Unfortunately, there are AAA studios that have set a rather poor example in this regard, often disregarding negative feedback and coming up with all manner of feeble justifications as to why their products don’t meet expectations. There are unfortunately even indie companies guilty of this. Ones that are liable to react in an even less professional manner, exhibiting a tendency to lash out at dissenters, argue with customers on message boards, and throw childish tantrums whenever they’re held to account. The minority, sure, and usually not the ones striving for quality and enjoyment, but it doesn’t help the overall image for developers regardless.

Indeed, it’s quite rare for anyone in this industry to hold up their hands and admit that they could have done a better job. Which is why it’s so gratifying to see Thai developer Yggdrazil take some initiative and research the comments they received for their debut title: Home Sweet Home. Because in doing so, they have managed to craft a follow-up that is irrefutably superior to its predecessor.

When we were invited to the team’s office down in Bangkok, we were immediately struck by just how candid everyone was about the original game’s reception. Not one of them shied away from the mixed reviews and they all acknowledged that there was clearly room for improvement. ‘’I read every single comment on the Steam page and categorized them [according to] what they did and didn’t like’’, said Game Designer Pongtham Nantapan. ‘’From this, we discovered that the most common complaint was that [the] balancing was unfair and frustrating at times. So we knew we had to work on this as our number one priority.’’

Having played through a good deal of the horror sequel, we can confidently attest that they have successfully pulled this off. But the refinements don’t stop there. Yggdrazil has sifted through all the feedback – both good and bad – to revamp the entire experience, capitalizing upon everything that worked before (the intriguing lore and unique Thai style) whilst fixing those things that didn’t (the lack of variety, the unusual difficulty curve and the inconsistent enemy A.I).

Right off the bat, we can tell that things have come along way, as we’re dropped into a gorgeously rendered forest that’s unlike anything that we saw in the first Home Sweet Home. Episode 1 was largely confined to barren, ugly rooms and repetitive corridors, but this new locale is far more impressive, with detailed textures and dynamic lighting effects that drench our surroundings in atmospheric moonlight. We haven’t even done anything yet and already the improvements are glaringly evident.

The next five minutes of the preview are largely used to build tension and set the mood, with us traversing eerie woodland, all whilst creepy whispering and desecrated animal carcasses alert us to the fact that something’s amiss. After a while, we stumble across a mysterious glowing light in the distance and decide to follow. Because horror has to happen somehow, right?

When we eventually catch up to the strange phenomenon, we realize that it’s our first enemy of the game: a grotesque Krasue. For those who don’t know, this malevolent spirit derives from Cambodian folklore and is basically their equivalent to a Will-o’-the-wisp. Only instead of being a pretty light, it’s a floating head with internal organs cascading from its neck! Suffice it to say, it’s is an immediately distressing image and one that marks a nice change of pace from the bog-standard ‘’creepy ghost girl’’ that dominated much of the last game.

The horrifying creature chases us through dense foliage until we inadvertently bump into the next obstacle: a pack of reanimated corpses, kind of like zombies but with slightly more human characteristics. It’s at this point that we realize there’s been another big change for the sequel, as you can now encounter multiple foes at once, leading to more intense scenarios wherein you have to think strategically in order to out-maneuver each threat.

Beset upon from all angles, we have no choice but to continue running through the tree line, which is a rather frightening prospect, given the multitude of paths before us. Thankfully, it’s almost impossible to hit a dead end, as technical artist Kittipas Klinlek explained: ‘’We want the player to worry that they could get lost but there’s only ever one route to take. It’s more of a psychological trick than anything, using visual design to make you think the levels are more [expansive] than they actually are.’’

In other words, clever level design is always shepherding us down the right path. We just don’t know it. The illusion is certainly effective, as we feel panicked by the seemingly open environments, but are never subjected to the frustration of going around in circles or having to navigate via trial and error.

With the help of this invisible aid, we soon hit the level’s boundary and are transported to a later section of the game. Here, we find ourselves scurrying around a labyrinthine temple, trying to escape the clutches of a spectral Thai dancer, who is sure to become the game’s standout villain.

Like the Krasue, the Dancer is a refreshingly unique enemy with singular behaviors and abilities. Programmer Nuttawut Yamee clarified that this was very much the intention of the dev team, who ‘’tried to make each character feel different from one another [with] their own specifications’’. For the Dancer, this translates to her being able to appear randomly at any given moment – using puppets made in her likeness as spawn points – and having an unscripted patrol route that you cannot predict.

She also has graceful movements, in the form of authentic Thai choreography, that you need to memorize in order to stay out of sight. This injects a much-needed twist into the increasingly stale ‘’hide-and-seek’’ formula we’ve grown so accustomed to in horror titles. Basically, you’re trying to move in tandem with her various poses and twirls, almost like a stealth version of a rhythm-action game. It’s really intense!

All these idiosyncratic qualities help distinguish the Dancer as one of the best stalker enemies we’ve seen in recent years. However, the fun is regrettably tainted by those pesky balancing issues that plagued Home Sweet Home: Episode 1. In particular, the A.I’s erratic behavior can easily force you into a no-win scenario. For instance, at one point I stealthily made my way into a room, only for the Dancer to materialize right in front of me, facing the doorway. Likewise, on another occasion, her unscripted roaming positioned me in a spot where I was effectively cornered and there was nothing I could do about it. And to make matters worse, this whole portion of the demo was set in pitch-black darkness and whilst our vision was impaired by this, her’s seemed to be totally unaffected.

Consequently, there were quite a few bits in this demo where we were discovered through no fault of our own. This would be untenable, were it not for the fact that the dev team have done away with those infuriating insta-kills and have thus mitigated the impact of the problem somewhat. Instead, there’s a much better system in place, where you have a health bar that can be refilled via generously dispersed consumables. Of course, it would still be nice if Yggdrazil ironed out the kinks in their stealth mechanics, but at least you can now withstand a few attacks and live to make a break for it.

Following a lengthy game of cat-and-mouse with the Dancer, we are finally given some reprieve in the form of an elaborate puzzle. Programmer Anucha Tuntiyawongsa emphasized the importance of sections like these in terms of pacing, asserting that: ‘’If people are subjected to horror for too long then it starts to lose its power. That’s why we use puzzles in our game, to break-up the tension so that our players don’t get bored.’’

Yet this particular conundrum is more than just a token stopgap between frights. On the contrary, it’s a really meaty challenge that requires us to interact with mannequins, rotate mirrors, and generally do a lot of outside-the-box thinking in order to activate a series of teleportation gateways. We won’t spoil the ingenious solution here, but it involves a clever perspective trick that will bring a smile to your face once you’ve figured it out.

Finally, we’re taken to one last area (which we can’t discuss in much detail, but it represents another massive change in scenery) so that we can test out Home Sweet Home: Episode 2’s most exciting new feature. Combat!

That’s right, Yggdrazil have taken a leaf out of RE:7’s book by introducing the ability to fight back against your aggressors. Essentially, you have a throwing knife that you can lob at certain enemies to temporarily stun them. Once you’ve done this, the monsters are then vulnerable to a special finisher attack, whereby you jam a nail into their head, decommissioning them for good. Sure, it’s hardly Dark Souls, but it’s a welcome addition that gives the sequel an extra bit of flavour.

And in case you were worried that the game would become too action-oriented as a result of this, or that it would detract from the scares, rest assured that the new mechanic is faithful to old-school survival horror design. In other words, it’s impossible for you to go full Rambo here, as the throwing knife has a strict cool-down timer and there’s only a limited number of nails at your disposal. Because of these restrictions, you’’ll have to select your targets very carefully and weigh up the pros and cons of engaging each one. More often than not, the smarter move will be to just try and sneak past them, so you’re not going to be overpowered.

To wrap up, Home Sweet Home: Episode 2 is a testament to what creators can do when they engage with feedback. Rather than simply pretending that the flaws didn’t exist or matter much, and letting them continue to fester, Yggdrazil has pulled out all the stops to please their fans. Beefing up the puzzles, tweaking the stealth, adding new mechanics and significantly bolstering the enemy/level variety, this is a sequel that truly improves upon its predecessor in every conceivable aspect. Meanwhile, the few blemishes that do remain are simply holdovers from before and at the very least they’ve been reduced.

Based on this evidence, we’re very impressed with how the game is shaping up and can’t wait to see what else is in store. As long as there’s more crazy shit like that Krasue, it’s gonna be very special indeed.