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Corruption of power is a common theme in many games, whether it’s killing egotistical gods, fighting against corruption in the justice system, or even sometimes the power of the player controlling the game. However, unlike most games, Sludge Life 2 is about living in a corrupt society rather than fighting it. Sludge Life 2, developed by Terri Vellmann, Doseone, and published by Devolver Digital, is a disgusting game, featuring crude visual gags, irritating songs, and a directionless world. While Sludge Life 2 has redeeming qualities, such as its sandbox open zone, distinct visual themes, and multiple endings, the game has too many annoyances to fully enjoy this experience.
The Next Day
Sludge Life 2 has little in the way of the story which makes it quite unremarkable. After a huge party, you wake up in a bathtub. You and your friend discuss how another friend, a rapper, has gone missing and you must find him to make a new rap video. Despite the simple premise, the story adds some depth with multiple endings based on your actions. However, the clues to get each ending are so vague you will most likely need a walkthrough just to finish the game. Furthermore, the game is more focused on building its world rather than helping the player.
Thankfully, the world is built to be very believable. this world is grotesque in design featuring acts such as; giving cigarettes to children, taking drugs, and police brutality. I can appreciate how well the world is built, regardless of my dislike towards its themes. Although I strongly dislike it’s crude humor and graphic scenes.
Sludging through a Sludge Life
Sludge Life 2 is a first-person 3D Action-Adventure game featuring an open zone world. The world has a lot of NPCs to talk to, secrets to find, and some platforming challenges. Unfortunately, the camera hinders the platforming experience. This is due to two things: The first-person nature of the camera and the warping on the camera. Both of the aforementioned issues make platforming extremely inconsistent. While it is an issue, thankfully you can find a double jump upgrade which slightly helps the issues presented.
Like the double jump, you can find many more secrets and upgrades as you progress through the world. There are many secrets to be found, however, none of them are necessary to beat the game, which gives the player a sense of freedom in the game. Unfortunately, just like with the main story, the lack of direction makes these secrets hard to find. Overall, while the gameplay can be fun, the issues with the camera and lack of direction within the game make it hard to fully enjoy the gameplay.
Colorful and Loud
The presentation of Sludge Life 2 is a mixed bag, much like the rest of the game. While I like its distinct retro look, I found the music to be irritating. Firstly, the game looks great, while it’s not graphically impressive, the color schemes and choices make every pop. I also found the character models to be well done, everything was clear and distinct. Unfortunately, as mentioned before I did not like the music. I found the music was way too loud and obnoxious. Also, the lyrical tracks that were played could have been easier to understand. Furthermore, the disgusting themes of the story found their way into the sound effects. The presentation, unfortunately, suffers a lot thanks to its headache-inducing soundtrack.
Sludge Life 2, Painfully Mediocre
Sludge Life 2 is painfully mediocre. While it has some good concepts, like its themes, its many secrets, and its branching story paths, that isn’t enough to outweigh its large list of negatives. While I did find some fun with this game, overall the head-ache-inducing music, the camera issues, and the lack of direction, really hurt my enjoyment of this title. Furthermore, the crude themes of the game further reduced my enjoyment of this title. Overall, while there is fun to be had in this game, you might be better off looking for something else.
