Good news: Compile Heart’s excellent dark fairy tale-themed dungeon crawler Mary Skelter 2 is coming to Steam, and very soon: January 14 (NZT)!
Mary Skelter 2 originally came out for PS4 in Japan in 2018, and then globally on PS4 and Switch a year later. Rather than a direct sequel, it’s an alternate take on the story of Mary Skelter: Nightmares… sort of. Without giving the secret away, it fits together with the first game in a way that is both fascinating and doesn’t require having played Nightmares first—and for people wanting the full experience, a remake of Nightmares is packaged in with Mary Skelter 2, too.
Both games take place in a bizarre living prison, the Jail, that feeds on the humans trapped inside it. Monstrous creatures roam the halls, and the Jail itself is a place of gruesome sights and twisted reflections of the human world. But one group of humans is fighting for a way to escape, aided by the powers of the “Blood Maidens”—familiar princesses and heroines of fairy tales and folklore, given more risque designs and powered by the blood of the monsters they kill. That sets the scene for some truly creative dungeons to explore, with an added stalker-horror twist: nigh-unkillable “Nightmares” will give chase if they catch you, bringing a layer of tension and urgency to each expedition.
Of the trilogy (Mary Skelter Finale came out last October), I’d say Mary Skelter 2 is the highlight. The way it builds upon, reimagines, and subverts the already very good Nightmares is impressive, while also remaining focused and making an impact in a way that Finale couldn’t quite match. It also introduces two of the series more intriguing blood maidens: Otsuu, based on Tsuru no Ongaeshi, and the Little Mermaid.
The PC port is in the safe hands of Ghostlight, who did a great job with the PC version of Mary Skelter: Nightmares a couple of years ago (among other games). Mary Skelter 2 will be priced at USD $34.99 / €29.99 / £27.99 (New Zealand price TBC) on Steam, with a 20% launch discount until January 20.
