It’s always heartening when a developer’s love for their medium shines through so clearly in their work, mirroring the player’s own passion. We touched on Shining Gate Software’s fondness for survival horror grandaddy Resident Evil in our review for Decay -Part 1, a fact that was subsequently confirmed in our developer interview, but it shines through even more in this Xbox Live Indie Games follow-up. Part 2 even features a piano puzzle, a nostalgic stalwart of many a survival horror game throughout gaming’s past.

The man behind the Decay experience, Fredrik Westlund, promised players more gameplay and more story exposition in Part 2, and that’s exactly what has been delivered. Taking place on multiple floors of an office building, complete with the methodical backtracking and re-examination mechanics that characterise the genre, Decay – Part 2 is a substantially more weighty offering than its predecessor. The puzzles are once again taxing without being frustrating, and are this time more varied in scope. Typical keycard and code conundrums still abound, but the afore-mentioned piano puzzle requires a different tact, and there is even time for a bit of old-school Breakout in order to progress at another point. Once again, Johannes Rae does an exceptional job of crafting a minimal, but eerie experience in the game’s art and sound design; Decay’s music is sparse but undoubtedly excellent – so much so that the soundtrack’s availability as an incentive to players who successfully complete the game is very welcome.

In terms of the story; there may be a greater unravelling of it in the second game, but it still confuses, in true horror fashion. At the end of this experience, you’ll still be scratching your head, none the wiser as to why you were trying to kill yourself in the bathroom in the opening scene of the first episode. We are given names, and a clear antagonist, but motives remain shrouded in secrecy. But we wouldn’t have it any other way – the slow unravelling of the plot is the strong thread that underpins the disparate puzzles from Part 1 to Part 2, and, should the two episodes prove successful, for the following episodes. It would be a crying shame if Shining Gate Software were unable to complete their story because of lack of interest in their titles; make sure you do your part and contribute – these kind of skilful, well-crafted experiences provide entertainment enough to demand that every indie should have his day. Recommended.