Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Town with No Name builds upon the foundations laid in The Curse of Midnight Manor by expanding both the physical space and the depth of investigation. You navigate Delaware in a first-person perspective through a series of interconnected locations, switching seamlessly between the eerie Big Story segment in the abandoned movie theatre and the chilling House of the Damned chapter in the orphanage. Exploration remains central to the experience, encouraging you to revisit previous areas once new clues emerge and hidden passages unlock.

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Puzzle design continues to shine, combining classic inventory-based challenges with environmental codes and occasional timed sequences that keep tension high. Whether deciphering a ghostly cipher scrawled on a tattered wall or racing against a spectral force to insert a forgotten relic before it vanishes forever, each task feels purposeful. The VIC (Voice/Imagery Communicator) system also returns, displayed unobtrusively in the corner of the screen, allowing Kelly Bradford to analyze recordings, offer cryptic hints, or examine photographs of paranormal phenomena.

One of the most welcome additions is the introduction of rudimentary dialogue trees. While these branching questions do not alter the main storyline, they lend a sense of agency and deepen Delaware’s interactions with the unseen inhabitants of the town. Combined with a slight increase in map size and additional back areas, this volume entrusts players with more freedom to chart their own investigative path, only occasionally nudging them back on track when they stray too far from the narrative’s core.

Graphics

The Town with No Name employs pre-rendered 3D backgrounds that evoke a sense of uncanny stillness, perfectly suited to the game’s haunted small-town setting. Textures are richly detailed for the era, with peeling wallpaper, weathered wood floors, and flickering neon signs creating an immersive backdrop for your ghost hunts. The developers have clearly focused on atmosphere, using subtle lighting effects and dynamic shadows to heighten suspense as you venture deeper into each scenario.

Cut-scenes switch to a third-person camera, showcasing Delaware’s spectral interactions with trembling ghostly apparitions. While character models can appear slightly blocky by modern standards, their expressions and animations convey enough emotion to sustain the narrative’s emotional weight. The visual fidelity in certain close-ups—especially during possession sequences or when examining crucial artifacts—remains surprisingly polished.

Occasional load screens between rooms are accompanied by thematic artwork that ties into the broader mythology of The Destroyer and The Protector. These illustrations add a graphic-novel flair and offer brief respites from the main exploration, giving players just enough time to absorb the next twist. Overall, while the graphics engine may not break new ground, it succeeds in creating a hauntingly beautiful environment that lingers long after you turn off the game.

Story

Picking up directly after Midnight Manor’s finale, Volume 2 thrusts Delaware St. John into a brand-new mystery centered on an uncharted town that appears only in arcane atlases. From the moment Kelly’s book falls to his feet, you’re drawn into a narrative that balances personal introspection with Gothic horror. Delaware’s internal struggle—questioning the origin of his visions and the cosmic purpose behind them—adds depth to what could otherwise be a straightforward ghost-hunting adventure.

The dual-structure storyline—first in the derelict movie theatre (“The Big Story”) and then in the forsaken orphanage (“House of the Damned”)—provides a two-act theatrical experience. Each chapter serves its own thematic purpose: the theatre delves into collective fears and heretofore unseen historical tragedies, while the orphanage confronts the innocence lost to time and offers poignant revelations about Delaware’s own childhood. Completing the first segment unlocks the second, creating a satisfying sense of progression.

New character Simon Foss makes his debut here, sowing the seeds for future encounters and underscoring the series’ ongoing struggle between The Destroyer’s malevolence and The Protector’s safeguarding presence. Although all other inhabitants are ghosts, their individual stories—often recycled through VIC’s photographs and voice recordings—are richly layered. Tragic backstories, unresolved regrets, and subtle ties to Delaware’s past weave together in a tapestry that keeps you invested from the first lantern-lit hallway to the climactic confrontation.

Overall Experience

The Town with No Name stands as a strong follow-up to Volume 1, preserving the slow-burn intrigue fans love while adding new mechanics and locations that feel fresh. The game’s pacing is judicious; it alternates between tense exploration, heart-wrenching ghostly encounters, and momentary lulls for atmospheric reflection. Even seasoned adventure gamers will find a few surprises here, especially in the timed sequences that require quick thinking under pressure.

Audio design further elevates the immersion. Subtle ambient noises—creaking floorboards, distant whispers, the crackle of old film projectors—blend seamlessly with a haunting score that ebbs and flows with the narrative’s emotional beats. Voice acting, particularly Kelly’s calm yet urgent guidance through VIC, never feels overplayed, and Delaware’s own narration adds a compelling layer of dramatic gravitas.

While a few puzzles may require pixel-perfect precision or backtracking due to spatially evasive clues, these minor frustrations are outweighed by the game’s strengths. For those craving a cerebral, atmospheric romp through spectral mysteries, Delaware St. John: Volume 2 delivers an engaging, story-rich odyssey that will leave players eager for Volume 3 and beyond.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10