Don't Be Afraid 2 Review

Don't Be Afraid entered the indie horror scene in 2020, bringing us clever puzzles and visceral, violent imagery as we played through the chilling story of David, a kidnapped boy trying to escape his torturer's dangerous game. Playing through the perspective of a child injected a heap of intensity into the experience, making it a solid pickup for horror fans. Now, with the arrival of Don't Be Afraid 2, we get to witness the aftermath of David’s nightmare 15 years later, solving new puzzles and facing familiar terrors along the way.

If you like the original, you’ll be happy to hear that the unnerving atmosphere (complete with maniacal laughter, gore, and mannequins) remains intact, but there is a noticeable shift in scope and gameplay style. Rather than exploring a gigantic house in an Amnesia-like way — evading enemies, finding keys, and discovering hidden secrets — Don’t Be Afraid 2 takes a more contained approach, enclosing you in much smaller rooms that you’ll have to find your way out of while also paring down the threat of enemies, so you won’t find yourself in chase sequences as much as the first game. While both have short runtimes, DBA2 gives you fewer levels and lacks memorable story beats, making it a different experience from its predecessor. If you enjoy escape-room titles and a heavy focus on puzzles, the change might not be a dealbreaker, but if you were expecting an experience closer to David’s original tale, I’d say they are most similar in terms of vibes, which are dark and sinister all the way through.

I fall into the camp that loves escape rooms, but even still, I feel mixed about the puzzles DBA2 presented in each of its levels. There is a head-scratcher towards the end that almost had me reaching for a guide, but a majority of the challenges in the game’s first half felt pretty repetitive and simple. That redundant feeling worsened once I got to the full-circle moment the game tried to have in its finale, bringing back old environments and puzzles, which, because of the short four-hour playthrough, felt more like filler to get us across the finish line. In terms of variety, it often felt like I was just gathering code after code to put into locks, such as birthdates or easily spotted symbols. If I found myself stuck, it was usually because I didn’t notice you could interact with a tiny object; I’m rather thorough when it comes to exploration, but the placement of some of these items requires you to be extremely precise. All in all, the puzzling aspect of the DBA2 leaned more on the casual side — mostly enjoyable, a bit repetitive, and not too difficult. However, considering that puzzles make up 90% of the playthrough, I do wish that the challenges were a bit more creative and intricate.

I really enjoyed the idea of revisiting David’s character as an adult and seeing how his trauma has haunted him. He’s a compelling character and is perfectly voiced throughout the game, offering us convincing reactions to the horrors and unpleasant truths we help him uncover. A majority of the experience plays with what’s real and what’s not, as David’s fraught mental state incites jumpscares and disorients us. That said, I do think there were some missed opportunities to make the player feel even more out of sorts. I can’t help but think of the way DBA had us navigate a dark section where we had to keep rubbing David’s eyes, and with each flash of darkness, a new odd or depraved scene would be presented before us. To me, that was memorable, and I wish DBA2 had similar impactful moments like that.

What DBA2 does extremely well is crafting an atmosphere on par with the first game. Each room is filled with twisted, spooky details, from literal organs to locked coffins. The mannequins will never fail to give me the creeps, managing to make me jump several times. David’s fear of darkness still plays a big part as well, but instead of carrying candles, we have a flashlight that can be toggled between normal and UV light. While the game warns early on that you’ll need to recharge the flashlight regularly with batteries, I was never in danger of running out, so it ultimately felt like an easily ignored mechanic.

If I look at it as a standalone horror puzzler, Don’t Be Afraid 2 feels like an average yet still enjoyable title to spend a few hours with, but as a sequel, it’s a slight step down from the experience of Don’t Be Afraid, which seemed like a more complete game than what’s on offer here. That said, if you’re itching for some escape-room-style gameplay and want to see the continuation of David’s story, I still think it’s worth picking up (though I would recommend waiting for a sale).