Alright. SKYHILL: Black Mist has all the hallmarks of a good game. The first game was really cool I thought, so I was interested to see how the sequel played out. As a stealth shooter type game, it's pretty cool. It takes some inspiration from The Last of Us in particular. However, despite the maps and gameplay being sensible, there are some design decisions that don't make a lot of sense. Like the mysterious cultist leader deciding to toss you in a mazes where if you don't complete the sequence before a timer winds down to zero, you die. Which under normal circumstances would be fine, but the mazes are specifically designed to mess with you, which makes the whole thing kind of not fun at all. And the story itself doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. As far as I've gotten into the game, it just seems like some individually fun ideas mashed together in a "let's see how this turns out" kind of stew. The timer thing isn't exclusive to the mazes. Ohhh no. The maze timer is separate. There is also an infection timer. Which is a hassle more than anything else, since it is the overarching nemesis in the game.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3247462753

So, while I have been enjoying the core gameplay aspects, the experimentation by the devs fell flat for me and I find myself just not really wanting to keep playing despite being pretty decent way into it. Easily thirty percent of the way through. But the timers in particular, and certain items being gated pretty heavily, plus the disjointed story (intentional or otherwise) just lost me eventually. Although it is told in comic book frames and notes, which is a cool combo. And the game is pretty cool looking if somewhat spartan, offering an isometric view and some interesting assets, admittedly reused often throughout.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3247462746

I will note that this is not a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination. Ammo is plentiful, key resources outside of the one you need to craft the item that can extend your timer are readily available. Stealth is pretty powerful to the point of kinda being funny. Some enemies have eyesight detection cones and all enemies can hear you if you aren't creeping around. However, their aggro range is pretty limited and their ability to detect you is more about your willingness to be patient than their AI, which is mostly scripted and predictable. In other words, you ain't getting caught unless you really just don't care, and even then, you can by and large just run away from danger easily, or kite one or two enemies at a time to clear them out.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3247462761

All in all, I think it was a fun experiment by the devs, but one that fell short of being enjoyable for me. It's been about five years since this released, and while I would be interested in seeing another SKYHILL game, it feels unlikely. Should you try this one out? I think for a heavily discounted price, it is worth checking out, but will you actually like it from more than just a philosophical perspective? 50/50 chance. I'm not recommending this game, but at the same point, it is interesting. I will be giving it an informational rating via curation though.