#Into the Hive – Destructoid

Hen Police: Paint it Pink grabbed me with its bizarre, photomanipulated animal-people characters, however held me there with its coronary heart. It includes a storytelling that reveals a love of worldbuilding and heat characters in a noir setting. So, I’ve been tremendously anticipating the follow-up, Hen Police: Into the Hive.

It’s been given a great runway. Lots of the seeds for its occasions and characters had already been planted in Paint it Pink, in addition to the prologue side-game, Zipp’s Cafe. It was able to be greater and higher than what got here earlier than and was poised to launch a brand new chapter within the Wild Gentleman’s World of Wilderness setting. Then, midway via the sport, the wheels got here off of it, and now issues have turn out to be extra sophisticated.

Hen Police: Into the Hive (PC)
Developer: The Wild Gents
Writer: Joystick Ventures
Launched: November 7, 2024
MSRP: $24.99

Into the Hive begins in a lot the identical approach the primary recreation does. A dame walks into the house workplace of Detective Santino “Sonny” Featherland, asking for his assist with an off-the-books case. Her husband has gone lacking, or moderately, her husband’s physique. But it surely’s not a homicide that he’s attempting to unravel. None is suspected. It’s the thriller of why somebody would dig up his physique (in addition to others) and steal it.

To make issues extra sophisticated, the person was an insect, one of many oppressed residents of Clawville who’ve been segregated to part of city often known as “The Hive.” Bugs aren’t allowed out of the hive and animals, particularly cops, aren’t allowed in. Undeterred, Sonny grabs his associate, Martin “Marty” MacChicken, and so they got down to crack the case.

Issues play out similar to the unique recreation. You journey Clawville, gathering clues and speaking to folks. Often, you’ll play a mini-game. Then there are different instances that you need to interrogate somebody by asking a collection of inquiries to endear your self or annoy them sufficient to get some type of revelation out of them.

There aren’t too many surprises when it comes to gameplay; it’s nonetheless closely a visible novel with journey features, however not lots of them. One of many largest enhancements listed below are with its artwork type. This may occasionally sound bizarre, however the lipsyncing on the animal heads is approach higher. Somewhat than a generic jaw drop, they transfer in several methods to pronounce syllables. It’s such a wierd factor to focus consideration on, however it’s truly a reasonably slick and considerable change.

Additionally, in case you, for no matter cause, hated the black-and-white movie noir look from the unique recreation, it isn’t lengthy earlier than you may change it over to garish technicolor. Whereas I performed in colour for some time earlier than switching it again to monochrome for many of the recreation, the colour is effectively achieved. It’s not simply turning off a filter, as a substitute, a variety of consideration has been given to creating colour mode having as a lot of a definite look to it as the unique black-and-white. The colours are inappropriately vibrant, with even impartial colours popping off, and Characters put on garish outfits. It’s an awesome different if you get tired of the easier shading.

The narrative itself begins off extra confidently. At this level, the lore has been constructed up round it, so it doesn’t have to throw off as many off-hand feedback to attempt to set the scene. It doesn’t must make issues up because it goes alongside. It suits collectively quite a bit higher, and that comes via within the dialogue.

The primary two acts are glorious, giving items at a time and getting you to determine how they match collectively. It may be fairly heavy-handed at instances. You’ll little doubt know who the true villain is and what’s occurring to the stolen our bodies effectively earlier than the sport overtly tells you. I used to be anticipating this to result in some type of twist, however the purple herrings appear to be just for the characters themselves and gamers will get no surprises. Issues turn out to be to return undone from there.

There are 5 chapters to the sport, and you start to see issues weaken within the third. It turns into most evident when the characters know a location they must go, however are conscious that it’s harmful and can probably be a entice. Somewhat than work out a chic plan, they only do the plain and go within the again door. Then issues simply occur as a result of they’re scripted to. There’s a superb mini-game right here, however I’m wondering if the visible novel format has brought about a problem with the storytelling. It seems like there ought to have been a better quantity of motion on this scene that simply wasn’t there.

Nonetheless, it’s not too dangerous at that time. After that, nevertheless, I’d say it’s simply dangerous. For the ultimate two chapters issues simply transfer round in the obvious of how. The characters type a plan that even a baby may consider and band collectively. It’s exhausting to know the stakes, total motivation of the antagonist, and why many concerned would have a private curiosity. Little threads that had been left dangling aren’t tied up in any respect, however moderately simply swept apart, and they’ll by no means get correctly tied into what’s happening.

And then you definitely transfer via what seems like units that ought to have had better function and screentime, however are largely simply there to be moved via. Every little thing will get wrapped up with out a lot understanding of how something has actually been solved by the conclusion. Plainly the antagonist had every part labored out, however that they had missed one little element: gun. And that’s that. Job effectively achieved.

It’s apparent one thing went fallacious right here, however I’m undecided what. The credit start with what sounds nearly like an apology beginning with, “This recreation was troublesome to make.” It then explains that COVID-19, the business downturn, a change of publishers, and “private tragedies” had made improvement difficult. It then says, “However the story appears to have been stronger than all of those. We had no alternative however to make it, to shut this saga, and nonetheless give it a brand new starting…” That’s broad sufficient to be interpreted in several methods, however simply reads to me as a wrench acquired thrown into their plans.

The second half of Into the Hive seems like one thing that has been merely blocked out. The central plot factors and occasions are there, however you’re simply led via them with little company of your individual. No actual puzzles, simply hop on and get the place you’re going.

Past the explanations given within the credit, I really feel that a number of issues have gone unsaid. From my perspective, it appears like Into the Hive ran up towards the restrictions of the visible novel format, its personal ambition, and the common rule that one thing finally has to ship. Whether or not that final half was extra motivated by writer deadlines or improvement fatigue, I clearly do not know.

There have been quite a few scenes, particularly on the finish, that ought to have had some type of motion sequence or cutscene. Like the primary recreation, you may head all the way down to the police capturing vary for goal practive. Right here, you’re even given the chance to check out three weapons. Not like the primary recreation, which had scenes the place you set that coaching to make use of, Into the Hive doesn’t even characteristic one gunfight. I’m not saying that Sonny and Marty ought to have began mowing down foes, however the gang warfare setting would have actually facilitated it.

After which there’s the truth that, between Paint it Pink and Into the Hive, there was the standalone prologue, Zipp’s Cafe that was launched, and one other spin-off starring fellow detectives, Moses and Plato, in improvement. On high of that, there’s WILD Techniques, which appears like a much bigger manufacturing total. I’ve to surprise what number of plot factors in Into the Hive had been arrange particularly for later video games and the way a lot was tailored to accommodate. And that’s saying nothing about how busy the crew should be.

It’s all the time unusual to progress from part of the sport that appears so vivid, well-thought-out, and lovingly configured to a second half that seems like as many strings as attainable had been grabbed and tied collectively, which nonetheless left many extra forgotten and dangling. In some methods, it jogs my memory of the ending of Star Wars: Knights of the Previous Republic 2; you rapidly snap from top-of-the-line video games you’ve ever performed to a patchwork slideshow desperately holding collectively every part that wasn’t completed. It’s like ready for fireworks to go off, and somebody walks up and pisses on the fuse.

It’s going to take some time for me to course of my disappointment in terms of Hen Police: Into the Hive. Past simply being excited in regards to the recreation, I used to be excited to see how the World of Wilderness would develop past these tales of two detectives. I feel I’m nonetheless , however now, one thing’s rotting within the midst of all of it. 

Into the Hive isn’t the larger and higher follow-up that Paint it Pink deserved. It’s solely half of 1, and what occurred to that different half is a thriller of its personal. All that was discovered was an empty shell and a few bloodied stays. Not the way in which it deserved to exit.

_{[[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}