Review - White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies

Developer: Rootnstudio Ltd.

Publisher: PQube

Available On: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC

Reviewed On: PlayStation 5

WELCOME TO YEONDU HIGH!

Contrary to popular belief, White Day isn’t a poorly shot movie with a terrible plot. No, it’s a video game that falls under the horror umbrella and follows the formula pioneered by old-school Resident Evil. You know, a walking simulator where you waltz through creepy locales with a lone light source. Yeah, it’s like that, and through the years, we’ve seen lots of takes on the genre, from Fatal Frame to Tormented Souls. You could say that it’s facing a revitalization of sorts, with PQube leading the charge. From those that I’ve tried in their catalog, they’ve been nailing it thus far, and after several hours, I have thoughts about their latest offering.

White Day 2: The Flower that Tells Lies is a sequel to the equally as wordy White Day: A Labyrinth Named School. It initially released last year for PC, doing so episodically, but the reception it received was pretty lukewarm. That didn’t stop a console port, however, and having been delighted by the first, I ignored the many criticisms - if that bites me in the butt or not is the question.

FIND ME IN THE SHADOWS!

When a title opens with a warning about the content within, shit is about the get real. White Day 2 doesn’t pull any punches, doing its absolute best to make the player uncomfortable. It succeeds, as well, because it has no filter. There’s zero fear in getting disgustingly detailed about the self-mutilation of students or their brutal fates. It’s visceral with the wording and while I never felt nauseous, there was a feeling of unease in my stomach. The raw emotion evoked as I read, be it grief or insanity, helped immerse me in this hellscape of a school. Sure, the exposition is primarily sealed to notebooks I have to purposely find, but it’s worth that effort.

It should be noted that those same notebooks house a bulk of the lore. To truly get into this authentically creepy romp, I’ve got to make the conscious choice to seek them. That isn’t to say that the actual plot is horrible because the mystery it tells is intriguing but it’ll require patience. Essentially, I was fully prepared to lambast the writing after a couple of minutes into my session, only for that opinion to shift, just like the perspective does, as I jumped into Episode 2. Every narrative gap I noticed slowly filled. I began to see an alternative angle to the story - dimension was added to make it feel robust. Yes, this method can be a risk, but in this case, it paid dividends as the breadcrumbs piqued my curiosity.

HOW’S YOUR LITERATURE!?

The gameplay philosophy behind White Day 2 can be easily summarized with explore, explore, and explore. It’s important, no, vital to make any kind of headway. See, a cornerstone element of this genre is puzzles. I have to use the environment and the hints scattered about to hopefully arrive to the solution. These often are hidden on paper that I’ll discover while I carefully search. I’m not being hyperbolic, either, as I do mean you’ve got to be thorough. Missing a single piece can be the difference between running aimlessly through the halls, swearing profusely, and knowing where the next destination is. Luckily, the clue quality is usually superb.

However, it isn’t perfect. For every concise example, I encountered a handful that I found obtuse. In fact, I had an instance where the singular form of a word is used when in actuality, it should be plural. Thankfully, it’s easy with the context cues surrounding the area. I eventually do finish the vast majority, but did give up once. The phases of the moon were referenced but it wasn’t accurate to reality. The in-game designs were ambiguous at best and even after googling what the disparities between waning and crescent were, I was still a lost puppy. Again, the bulk are quite clever, but some falter.

YOU’RE NOT ALONE!

If you’ve indulged in the first White Day, then you’re acquainted with the janitor character. His purpose is to act as an obstacle. If ever our paths cross, then he gives chase. As odd as it is, the issue is his stellar A.I. It ensures that he’s relentless, staying on my ass for a while. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to shake him, but in doing so, I get further from the goal, meaning I’ve got to retrace my steps. Sadly, White Day 2 maintains the threat, although it gets saucy. Instead of a janitor, it’s ghosts and the cops. Unlike its predecessor, though, it won’t use a visual tell to warn me if they’re nearby. My only option is to listen, and frankly, it caused one or two headaches.

My main annoyance is I never knew how far or close the police were. Yeah, I could hear their radio but the closed doors keeping me hidden muffled the noise it made. My spatial awareness was handicapped, which meant when I assumed I was safe, the truth ended up the opposite. To be clear, I do actually celebrate how tightly responsive the A.I is. What has my knickers in a knot is the trek back to the objective. It’s tedious to have to repeatedly do it, especially because it wasn’t guaranteed I wouldn’t be immediately caught due to my assumptions, starting the cat and mouse charade once more. If the previous system is restored, I won’t have complaints.

I‘m obligated to highlight the trial and error nature of White Day 2. There are sections, be it questionnaires or boss fights, that require specific steps be taken to emerge victorious. To learn what they are, I’ve got to intentionally commit suicide. It’s a puzzle in itself but the resolution of it comes from memorizing patterns, not wit. That said, there’s a semi-generous auto-save function that prevents a substantial heft of progress from vanishing to the ether. If that doesn’t sooth any fears, maybe the ability to manually do so whenever I please might - Rootnstudio did fabulously to cushion the process.

DID YOU HEAR THAT?!

It’s no secret that I prefer dubs and will choose them if available. Yeah, that’s a false statement with White Day 2. There’s no sugarcoating how bad it is. None of the lines were emoted - anger and panic is delivered in a lacklustre manner. Lil and body syncing were just atrocious in English. As a European, we tend to speak with our hands. Having that mismatch was jarring to me. Then I made the off-brand decision to jump over to Korean - it’s night and day. I don’t know how else to say it other than it clicked. To illustrate how much of a game changer it is, I’m giddy to replay the game for a better experience.

Don’t get me started on the OST because bluntly, it’s incredible. You probably thought I hated it but nope, I found it wonderful. It boosted the eerie atmosphere. Now pair that with the creaks, chalkboard scratching, and the sudden bangs, and I had chills rolling down my spine. There were moments I was hesitant to turn around in fear of what was there. For a horror title like White Day 2 to thrive, it has to invoke tension and I’m confident in saying that it did. Of course, there’s still a caveat because if I wasn’t in total darkness, I reckon I wouldn’t have these reactions. I know that I wouldn’t because the magic only reveals itself in a pitch-black room.

WAIT, IS SHE UNDEAD?!

White Day 2 is ditching the cartoonish graphics of its predecessor for a realistic approach. It harnesses the power behind the PS5 to output some impressive 3D models. They’re crisp, with chairs looking sturdy, the foliage looking green, and the blood splatter looking deliciously brutal. A teeny tiny hiccup I did see won’t relate to appearance, though. See, in the first, items I could grab announced their presence with a beacon. A quick flash caught my attention. For some reason, that’s been switched to a static arrow. It’s less likely to attract me over and makes missing it a shoo-in. I know I did, and by proxy, that had the nasty effect of stalling progression.

AND THE SPOOKY VERDICT IS…

White Day 2: The Flower that Tells Lies is a very solid entry into the horror sphere. Sure, it isn’t flawless and has trouble articulating a slim margin of puzzles, but it isn’t widespread. It’s quickly overshadowed, too, by the sheer euphoria I felt upon completion. My body was swallowed with bliss. I felt smart; it was like I could take on the world. I felt proud, and crucially, I also felt skilled. It was the motivation I needed to go forward. I don’t think the negative facets I listed are enough of a stain. The most egregious one can be addressed by a patch. Perhaps I’m a baby but White Day 2 is far scarier than White Day.