Ok, I initially had no intention of playing this game since I absolutely hated the ending of the first one, but my brother bought it so I said "fuck it, let's do it."
I got halfway through and I have to say that the gameplay, level design, graphics, animations, sound design, and voice acting are absolutely exquisite. If I were to rate those aspects alone I would give it a solid 9.5/10
But when we get to the story aspect is when things get complicated; as someone who hated the ending of the first one, I actually like the route the writers decided to take; I like that every action causes a reaction and that we are able to see things from different perspectives. But the problem is that I'm halfway through and I DO NOT want to play anymore. The game is way too depressing for my taste and it has gotten to a point where it actually feels like torture-porn. It has gotten to a point where I don't enjoy the gameplay anymore because I have this unshakeable feeling that more horrible things are coming my way.
This game actually reminds me of the film Requiem for a Dream; a film that I know is an excellent movie, but one that I absolutely hated and would never watch again.
So If I had to give a final verdict (without having been able to actually finish the game) I would give it an 8/10 for the technical aspects of it, and out of respect for what the devs tried to accomplish here. BUT I totally understand why a lot of people are gonna be displeased with this game and will not be able to get past certain parts of the story.
