With Eyes Closed Season 2
Don’t Actually Close Your Eyes Silly…
After Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, I was actually interested to see where Season 2 would take things. Unfortunately, the first part of the season had plenty of potential, but the game ultimately feels like it was rushing toward the finish line.
Don’t get me wrong…the visuals are still excellent, the characters are attractive and there are plenty of choices and branching paths. But the story, which was one of the major reasons I enjoyed the first season, does not get the satisfying conclusion I was really hoping for. 🙁
The game takes around 3.5-4 hours to finish it. A bit too short in my opinion.
About This Game
Storyline
Season 2 picks up where the previous season ended and continues the MC’s story after the events of Season 1. If you haven't played S1, luckily there is a recap that helps you catch up, although I'd still recommend playing the original if you want the full context.
On the bright side, the entire premise remains interesting. You're dealing with the aftermath of being kidnapped and find yourself trapped in the prison town known as the Boiler, where escape isn't exactly part of the welcome package.
For the first three quarters or so, I was actually sorta invested. There are new characters, new relationships, secrets to uncover and plenty of situations that make you curious on what happens next.
The problem is just how quickly everything starts wrapping up. The later part of the story feels noticeably rushed, almost like the developer suddenly realized there was a finish line and decided to sprint toward it. Big reveals arrive without quite enough buildup and some relationships don't even get the development they deserved.
The journalist storyline in particular feels a little strange compared with the relationships involving the main characters. Some connections feel like they develop naturally, while others seem to jump ahead several steps.
And then there's the ending. This is easily my biggest problem with the game. With several endings available, you'd expect at least a few of them to provide a satisfying payoff for everything you've been through. Instead, the endings can leave you feeling like you're missing a final chapter.
I wouldn't say the entire story is bad. Far from it. There was clearly a good idea here and Season 1 plus the earlier portion of Season 2 had me interested. It's just disappointing to see that potential not fully pay off.
Gameplay Mechanics
The choice system is one of the better parts of this season. Your decisions continue to influence the story, relationships, scenes and eventual outcomes, with multiple endings available. The game covers Chapters 6 through 11, and after each chapter you get a sort of progress overview showing the results of your decisions and some things you may have missed. That's a nice feature because it gives you an idea of how your choices affected the journey.
There are around five endings, with several of them being relatively easy to reach depending on your final decisions. So there is a bit of a replay value if you want to see how different choices play out.
The downside is that the game doesn't always make its progression particularly clear. The built-in walkthrough helps a lot, and honestly, I think it should be even more detailed. You also can't simply rewind a choice and change your mind. Saving before important decisions is basically your best friend here.
So while I appreciate having meaningful choices and multiple endings, the system could be a little more user-friendly.
Visuals & Audio
Visually, this is easily the strongest part of the package.
The renders look excellent, the character models are sexy and the overall visual quality remains consistently high. The game also runs at a solid 60 FPS.
The new characters also fit nicely into the existing cast, and there is enough variety that the game doesn't feel like it's simply recycling the same handful of models.
The animations are another highlight. They add plenty of life to the scenes and help maintain the cinematic presentation the game is going for.
There's not much for me to complain about visually. If anything, the visuals make the rushed storytelling more frustrating because you can clearly see the potential for something much better.
The presentation is strong enough that I kept thinking, "This looks fantastic; now please give me the ending this deserves".
Pros-
Clearly better than Season 1
Interesting characters and relationships
Strong first portion of the season
Season 1 recap for newcomers
Chapter outcome summaries are useful
Gallery allows replaying discovered scenes
Over 100 animations
Works on Steam Deck
Excellent visual quality with attractive and varied character designs
Plenty of choices and branching paths that lead to multiple endings
Cons-
Story feels rushed toward the end, which makes the ending disappointing and unsatisfying
Some major reveals lack buildup
Certain relationships develop too quickly
Progression can be confusing
Built-in walkthrough feels almost necessary
Limited ability to correct choices without reloading saves
Feels like the series ended before reaching its full potential
Conclusion
Season 2 of this game is a frustrating case of great potential not getting the conclusion it deserved.
The visuals are excellent, the choices are plentiful and the first part of the season is genuinely intriguing. But the rushed final stretch and unsatisfying endings drag the whole experience down.
I don't regret playing it, especially since I wanted to see how the story from Season 1 ended, but I definitely expected more. The developers had something interesting here, and it's a shame the final chapter feels like such a sudden wrap-up. Playtime: 3-4hrs
Rating: 5/10
We can say, this is not really a “happy ending”. 🫠
