When I originally finished Red Ego Games’ Re:Turn - One Way Trip back in 2020, I truly felt that the game had really done me dirty by not fully tying up the story, using an ending that sequel-bated to no end. You’d imagine my excitement when I’d heard that Red Ego was returning (pun intended) with a sequel for Saki and co. Re:Turn 2 - Runaway was recently released and while it’s definitely much shorter than the first game, it also manages to pack quite a bit in while also finishing off the story in an impactful way.

Story

The game’s story picks up directly where the first one left off. Saki and her fiance Sen are on their way off of the abandoned train when things don’t pan out the way they’d hoped. I don’t want to spoil anything about the story as it’s pretty light this time around but the themes manage to do a decent job if not as strong as the ones from the first title.

There’s a “new” enemy pulling the strings and many different secrets that’ll be uncovered throughout the mystery Saki comes to know as she tries to escape the nightmare she'd found herself in. Though I didn’t enjoy this game’s story as much as the last one, I still liked seeing everything come together in a way that tied the whole story together in a pretty satisfying way.

Gameplay

Jumping into this game felt like returning home after going away to college, everything was just how it was left. The train unsurprisingly makes its return for players to scavenge through yet again but it feels warranted and fun. I actually liked going through places I’d been before only to look at them in a whole new light. It’s also worth noting that the devs actually made the save spots feel meaningful as when you die, you start back at your last save.

The gameplay itself is also another place that felt like home, because the controls are just about the same, save for the sprinting and hiding functions that have been implemented in the game due to the new roaming enemies. I found these enemies pretty daunting at times as some just appear at random but I felt disappointed at the fact that they weren’t around too much. I liked this layer of gameplay.

There are many a puzzle to solve in this game with the various environmental ones strewn throughout but I did find some of the gameplay to feel a bit lighter this time around which made it feel even shorter. Again, I thought the first title was short but somehow this one feels even more so, which is a shame. I think giving this title another hour of gameplay and mystery would’ve served it well.

Audio and Visuals

The game’s audio and visual presentation manages to outdo the original with some truly awesome scenes and great voice acting. The enemies and more gruesome scenes in-game were pretty terrifying. This time, it felt like the crew really found their element and it paid off fantastically. It’s a truly engrossing world from start to finish.

Replayability

Just like the first game, this one doesn’t seem to offer much replayability aside from playing the games back to back every so often. They aren’t incredibly long so doing so could be done in a day or two.

What It Could Have Done Better

I think the story this time around could have been approached in a way that could’ve made the game a bit longer. I also found the gameplay a touch more shallow than the first one too. Though it wraps up everything in a pretty good way, I think the journey from A to B in this title could have been tackled better.

I’ll also be factoring in the fact that this game was near-unplayable on the Switch for the first month as we weren’t given the proper version of the software. This resulted in saves not working and death scenes resulting in you having to start the game over. The game works fine now but it was s a trainwreck to get here.

Verdict

Though I have a couple of gripes when it comes to the game’s length and so forth, I do believe that it is definitely worth a playthrough and I truly enjoyed myself getting to visit this world again. It’s also worth noting that the game is very cheap, only costing $7.99 which is a steal. If you enjoyed the first one, you’ll enjoy this one too. The story pays off well and the environments are just really fun to explore.