Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator

Cyber Manhunt 2: New World (CM2) is the sequel to the comprehensive internet sleuth game from Chinese developers, Aluba Studio. Whilst being still in Early Access (EA) there are three complete chapters readily accessible with a total of 8-12 hours playtime. This sequel is a significant improvement to the original, with better fluidity, improved visuals, added cutscenes, further interactivity, unique minigames and puzzles and most importantly, excellent English translation, which was my biggest criticism in the original game.

Pros

• Extensive chapters that are cleverly intertwined
• Many aspects are significantly improved from the original game
• Simple user interface
• Cunning plot and unique puzzles

Cons

• Sometimes information would be discovered that exposed other important data, but this data could not be collected until undergoing the designated plot path

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Story

CM2 does have an overarching story that is connected with the first game, however it is lenient and will often remind players of specific scenes. Characters resurface and there are many Easter eggs to find if you are familiar with the original games setting and characters. I recommend playing the titles in sequential order.

You play as an AI assistant to a Titan Corporation staff member named Ashley where you help uncover the truths about murders, corruption and more. Delve deeply into topics such as the ethical discussion around use of AI, bullying, scams and the dark side of large corporations.

The game is split into different chapters that centre around a specific case. The cases are long but can be saved and paused at any time. Ranging from an alleged corrupt nun to a ring of fraudulent scams targeting victims trying to rid their debt, the cases are from a broad range of topics and typically encompass many sub-plots to explore. The writing is excellent with an array of characters to examine where you really have to leave no stone unturned in your search for the truth.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3255618373

Gameplay

CM2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, but manages to upgrade and improve on almost every aspect of the game. For those unfamiliar, it is similar to the Orwell games where you are combing through online data to deduce answers to questions, particularly about crimes. There are many minigames, puzzles and simulated hacking which at the end of Chapter 3, definitely steps up the difficulty!

You start each case with minimal information, usually the name of a character and then you are left to your own devices. Google their name and find their social media accounts. Extract important information by hovering over target sentences to collate them into a characters’ target profile. Google any locations or phrases to find articles and webpages of interest. Locate an individuals personal details to be able to crack their password and search their email or messenger accounts etc. Whilst the basis for each case is the same, the order is varied and sometimes it is not clear what to do next. Comb over the evidence, the text chains, sending phishing emails for more information and so much more. Cases are spotted with minigames that help to break up the routine of the online sleuthing and although they can feel a bit difficult or RNG based, they were intuitive enough for me to get through without frustration. A minigame returns from its predecessor where news must be altered to sway public opinion to a more favourable stance and to remove negative press about a particular topic from public attention. Hack into mobiles by typing in codes to deduce the right path to bypass the firewall and so forth.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3256783864

I greatly enjoyed the gameplay and it felt like a significant improvement on the original. Cases are complex, with the overarching story neatly tying them together. It felt like a very satisfying, large jigsaw puzzle to slowly piece together. Plotting my next steps and remembering to come back to specific tidbits to expand on the data. Uncovering the truth has never been so addictive! I appreciated the challenge this gave me, as opposed to the more well-known Orwell games. My only complaint was that sometimes I would find a clue that would give me a characters name in that clue, but the game acted as if I had not located their name yet, as I did not find the specific data that was expected to be located first. This was frustrating as I already had the data but could not progress until I found it in the spot the game designated necessary.


Upgrades and improvements
I was impressed at the improvements and changes developers Aluba Studio made to this sequel. The game feels much more modern with improved graphics and visuals, added cutscenes, fresh new puzzles and minigames and a vastly improved English translation. While there are certainly parts that feel a tad strange to read as an English native speaker, the translation is near perfect. Something the original was extremely far from. The first game felt extremely clunky with spelling errors galore, misused words where they did not make sense in the given context with many sentences being laughable as while they made sense, they sounded robotic as no one would naturally speak in the manner being depicted. I can happily say that each of these errors are removed from the dialogue in this game. Perhaps, ironically, AI was used to better the translation, but regardless, it’s a significant positive.

Visuals & Sound

As aforementioned, the visuals are greatly improved in this game. There are small cutscenes, recordings that are voiced, frequent calls from Ashley and a brighter, more modern looking interface.

There are more voiced lines when comparing with its predecessor, but these are perhaps the weakest part of the game. Listening to the voice memos was admittedly, a bit painful as they are very fake sounding and over-acted. Luckily, these are quite rare in the game.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3257487229


Playtime: Around 9.5 hours for my one playthrough of the current chapters, Prologue – Chapter 3 (accidentally left the game running a few times, hence my slightly longer Steam playtime listed). The store page recommends 8-11 hours, but this does greatly correlate to your speed in solving the cases.

Controller Recommended? No

Replayability value: For achievements and finishing up missed data collection only. There is a chapter select but the chapters are exceedingly lengthy, so if you need to replay a minigame from the last quarter of a chapter, be prepared to slog through that chapter again.

Conclusion

Cyber Manhunt 2: New World is an excellent sequel that builds upon its predecessors success whilst acknowledging its shortcomings and making the effort and necessary changes to improve. Combining the enhanced visuals and cutscenes, unique puzzles and a much more sensible and coherent English translation with the continuing clever plot of the first game, this is a fantastic game for those looking for a challenging and engaging internet sleuthing experience. Despite being in EA, the three chapters are complete and extremely fleshed out, well-worth the asking cost of $AU14.50. I look forward to the release of the final chapters and to see what surprises Aluba Studio have in store for us next.

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So, I'm putting this as a No SPECIFICALLY for those hoping to play this on Steam Deck. The reason is, while you can play basically all of the game, the final mission is literally impossible to complete. The game requires putting a file onto the desktop of your computer, however due to the way the Steam Deck works, that is impossible. This means that the final mission, the last mission before you complete the game, is impossible to complete on Steam Deck. If the Steam Deck is your only computer, then you can basically say goodbye to being able to complete it.

It really sucks that this happens, and it sucks that I have to give this amazing game a "Not recommended", but if you have a regular PC, yeah, it's definitely recommended. If you only have a Steam Deck? Nope.

so far I am really enjoying the game. It's a clear leap in the right direction from the first game, the art style has drastically improved, the story telling feels way more solid, there is heaps more interactivity and unique game mechanics introduced, the UI has been polished and improved and the look and feel of everything is just better in pretty much every way. good job guys!