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As a continuation of the Blues and Bullets story, Episode 2 does a great job of keeping the existing narrative flowing, while also letting us in on the history of the characters we’re following. It has the same issues as Episode 1, but these are issues with the game as a whole; gameplay outside of combat is fairly slow, and the movement in combat is scripted. But the voice acting is still great, the story is still compelling and I’m still looking forward to the next episode.

Blues and Bullets, or at least the two first episodes, are certainly worth the effort if you’re into gloomy Film noirs, which combines a great detective story with a small horror undertone. Interesting narrative and an intriguing case are what drives this title and while the mechanics are somewhat on the very simple side, things stay very satisfying throughout the entire experience. Knowing whether you’re truly untouchable, will have to wait until the next three episodes are released.

Blues and Bullets, or at least the two first episodes, are certainly worth the effort if you’re into gloomy Film noirs, which combines a great detective story with a small horror undertone. Interesting narrative and an intriguing case are what drives this title and while the mechanics are somewhat on the very simple side, things stay very satisfying throughout the entire experience. Knowing whether you’re truly untouchable, will have to wait until the next three episodes are released.

Το Shaking The Hive προσφέρει πλούσια δράση, ουσιαστική κλιμάκωση της πλοκής και λειτουργεί ως άτυπη διαβεβαίωση για την συνέχεια και την ολοκλήρωση μιας εκ των πλέον ιδιαίτερων σειρών αστυνομικού μυστηρίου που έχουν περάσει από τις οθόνες μας. Πολλά συγχαρητήρια στην Crowd of Monsters και ελπίζουμε να μην χρειαστεί να περιμένουμε άλλους οκτώ μήνες για την συνέχεια της τελευταίας (;) περιπέτειας του Αδιάφθορου Ness.

All I can say is I am incredibly pleased with Blues and Bullets: Shaking The Hive. It delivers on almost all fronts. It still suffers from some technical difficulties that can at times be jarring, but the storytelling and character development is so brilliant and well done that it almost outweighs the one con it has. I hope they can use the luxury of having episodic releases to patch up some of these technical issues, especially if they’re going to take months to release them. Regardless, I can’t wait to see how this epic story unfolds as time goes on. I have nothing but faith and hope in A Crowd of Monsters at this point as they have proven they can tell a masterfully crafted story with nearly flawless execution.

El segundo episodio de Blues and Bullets se ha hecho de rogar, pero Agitando el Avispero ha merecido la pena. Son dos horas de juego que se pasan volando gracias a un ritmo mejor y una historia que se va animando bastante. Es cierto que sigue habiendo algunas pegas, como los tiroteos, que encima esta vez son más largos, o que las decisiones siguen pareciendo insignificantes dentro del argumento principal. Sin embargo, parece que A Crowd of Monsters va por buen camino, y si logran seguir sorprendiendo como en este episodio, vamos a disfrutar mucho lo que nos queda de Blues and Bullets… siempre que la espera hasta los siguientes capítulos sea mucho más corta, claro.

If you enjoyed the first episode of Blues and Bullets you’re going to enjoy this one too. The story has me intrigued and I look forward to seeing how it plays out. Hopefully the developers won’t leave us waiting quite so long between the final three episodes of the season.

Essentially, Blues and Bullets: Episode Two is just what you’d expect; more of the same. When the focus of the game is on its storytelling however, and it’s just as solid as it was in episode one or maybe even better, that’s absolutely fine.  Running a little longer than the first episode at just less than three hours, the pacing lets it down a little due to the overlong shooting scenes, but it remains an absorbing experience from beginning to end nevertheless. Adding yet more layers to the web of intrigue, episode two of Blues and Bullets offers us few answers to the questions on our lips at the end of the first episode, but it doesn’t leave you dissatisfied; it just leaves you eager for the next chapter of the chilling and mysterious tale that’s unravelling to arrive. For a story-driven experience, surely that’s the highest praise that can be given.

Como ya dije en los comentarios del análisis del primer episodio en esta casa, analizar un juego por partes me sigue resultando extraño, y es por eso que no doy mucha importancia a la puntuación de cada capítulo por separado. De momento, los dos primeros capítulos de Blues and Bullets ya me han entretenido durante un par de horas cada uno y, de hecho, he sido incapaz de dejarlos de lado hasta que no los he completado. Hay cosas que no me gustan, está claro, pero si el camino ascendente sigue en los próximos episodios, mi opinión sobre esta obra no puede menos que mejorar con cada entrega. Como jugador, espero que así sea. Y que lleguen pronto.

El episodio 2 de Blues and Bullets constituye una continuación interesante, intensa y que no pierde el ritmo del primero, sino que añade algún elemento no visto hasta ahora, y esto resulta de agradecer. Un juego pausado, pero tenso, y una experiencia muy cinematográfica.

Blues and Bullets sigue por el buen camino y nos presenta un nuevo capítulo –de 2 o 3 horas de duración- que sigue haciendo las cosas francamente bien. Su mezcla de géneros nos gusta, su historia nos tiene atrapados y su magnífica puesta en escena audiovisual no hace más que redondear lo buen juego que es. No es un juego perfecto, ni mucho menos. No profundiza en ninguna de los géneros que toca (aventura point and click, tiroteos, etc.) y tampoco los resuelve de forma brillante, pero consigue que el jugador no pueda soltar el mando mientras dura y, lo más importante: que se divierta. Y eso es lo mejor que se puede decir de un videojuego. Nuestra enhorabuena para A Crowd of Monsters por su Blues and Bullets. Ya tenemos ganas del tercero.

Este nuevo episodio de Blues & Bullets posiblemente no nos dejará tan impacientes y sorprendidos como sucedió con el primero. Aún así quieres continuar con la historia para conocer qué va a ocurrir. Eso sí, para eso habrá que tener paciencia y esperemos que esta vez el tiempo entre episodios sea menor que la última vez. A Crowd of Monsters está haciendo un gran trabajo con esta aventura y seguramente lo que resta seguirá siendo así. Una lástima que su duración sea tan corta y su rejabilidad nula. De lo que estamos seguros es que todos los jugadores que disfrutaron de la primera entrega, lo harán con esta. Aquellos que aún no lo han hecho ya están tardando, merece la pena.

En definitiva, un segundo capítulo que nos deja con ganas de más, de ver evolucionar la historia, y de comenzar a ver un rayo de luz a esta interesante y triste situación narrativa que este Blues and Bullets nos propone.

En resumen, una aventura imprescindible si te gusto la primera parte, o bien te encandila los juegos visuales al estilo Sin City, y que deja con ganas de más gracias a su narrativa y trasfondo realista de la historia. Cierto es que hay algunas aventuras mejores en el género, como el reciente Life is Strange o The Walking Dead pero la aventura española de A Crowd of Monster puede considerarse única. Por el momento este segundo episodio está disponible en PC (versión que hemos analizado) y Xbox One, aunque se espera que llegue en un futuro a PlayStation 4.

So there are noticeable dips in the experience, and the game remains a little jagged in technical terms (Capone still looks like a half-melted waxwork of himself). Ness and the world he inhabits resemble history less than ever here, too; the episode would work just as well with a cast of entirely fictional characters. The story nonetheless remains intriguing, and we’re keen to see how things develop. A Crowd of Monsters’ ferocious determination to set the game apart in terms of style also, again, benefits the experience greatly. The mostly black-and-white presentation still looks cool, and one section that breaks from form for overtones of horror is tense and memorable. The decisions we made in the post-credits sequence were quickly regretted, and we’re eager to see what consequences, if any, follow. Let’s hope it’s not another seven months before we can find out, eh?

The difficult decision is whether Blues and Bullets can be recommended yet. Shaking the Hive is a good follow up to The End of Peace, but the recommendation really lies on the future release schedule. There can’t be another eight month wait between this and episode three, otherwise all the story building done here will be forgotten. As an experience Shaking The Hive does well to continue the story and does so with better pacing. The shooting sections are good, but do take more time than seems right in what is primarily an investigative title. Blues and Bullets is shaping up to be an intriguing game, but it may be worth waiting for the complete package.

So is Blues and Bullet’s Episode 2 worth your time?  The majority of you reading this will have already played Episode 1, in which case you pretty much know what to expect from Episode 2.  The story, having been laid out so well  in the first episode, does start to pick up momentum here, and some of your earlier choices do begin to have an impact, but many of the problems that were apparent in the first episode still remain.  The game does benefit from a few quicker, more action oriented set pieces, which does serve to counteract the games overall pace problems, and as such Episode 2 does improve (slightly) upon what came before.  Hopefully these improvements will continue to be made by the time Episode 3 comes out later in the year.

Blues and Bullets souffre de défauts techniques qui auraient pu lui porter préjudice si ce dernier n’arborait pas cette robe noire et blanche du plus bel effect, sans oublier ses teintes de rouge, lui offrant une certaine originalité qui, certes, ne sera pas du goût de tous. Son gameplay hybride permet pourtant d’accrocher le joueur et de sans cesse renouveler l’intérêt porté au titre. Rencontrer des personnalités aussi célèbres sur fond de musique bluesy offre à la production de A Crowd of Monsters une aura unique, qui, on l’espère, saura perdurer à travers les épisodes suivants.

En general nos llevamos una buena sensación de este segundo episodio de Blues and Bullets, aunque no tan positiva como con el primero. Técnicamente no ha experimentado mejorías, aunque tampoco ha empeorado, y lo mismo podemos decir de la trama principal. Innova ligeramente, y el ritmo mejora, pero no sabemos por qué, el resultado final no nos resulta tan redondo como el del primer episodio. ¿Tal vez haya sido por la larga espera, que nos ha enfriado los ánimos?

There’s brilliance here, to be sure, but it comes in momentary spurts, and it lets itself be too often interrupted by uninspired gameplay and unnecessary flashbacks. If you enjoyed the first episode, then the second is an easy recommendation. But for those still thinking about diving into the series, Episode 2 suggests a bit of movement in the wrong direction. A few minor tweaks for the next episode can easily right the series’ course, and I look forward to jumping back into Ness’ shoes again to see where this ride is taking me.

So it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me, really. I found the tone was dropped a touch due to the shooting sections, and some of the more frustrating dialogue and choices created a rather chaotic experience. It’s also a damn shame that the game holds back on the investigations. I’ve said this once already, but it bears repeating: they are the best thing about the game.

The second episode of Blues and Bullets falls short in enough ways to make it easy to recommend staying away from it at this point until all five episodes are out in the wild. First and foremost, not enough consideration was given to the fact that it’s tough to dive back into a narrative-heavy episodic title after eight months, even with the sequence at the beginning of the episode depicting some of the major story beats. There is simply far too much assumed knowledge necessary to dive back into Blues and Bullets and feel totally at ease with the proceedings, which is sad considering that a line of explanatory dialogue here or there would have completely solved this issue. Add in the fact that the shooting sequences are far too long and mundane for their own good, and Shaking the Hive feels more like a slog than the thrilling entry it clearly had the potential to be. On top of all of this, several unnecessary scenes and a general feeling of sterility from some of the most potentially powerful moments make Shaking the Hive a missed opportunity. With that said, Blues and Bullets still boasts an interesting premise and the potential to right the ship after its weakest entry to date, but the current path its on doesn’t necessarily bode well for the future.

Overall, episode 2 does well with representing the classic noir theme. If  you’re into Telltale games and episodic storytelling, definitely take a chance on Blues and Bullets. You will not be disappointed.

“Agitando el avispero” no se desvía apenas de lo que pudimos ver en “Se acabó la paz”. Para los que ya estamos enganchados a la trama y la ambientación de Blues and Bullets, y somos capaces de disfrutar de lo bueno que puede ofrecer un videojuego perdonando sus fallos (que se centran básicamente en la jugabilidad) es ya un imprescindible. Los que no disfrutaron del primer episodio no encontrarán aquí nada que ahora los motive a continuar con el resto de entregas. Y a menos que esta tendencia cambie radicalmente, que no lo parece, tampoco lo harán de aquí en adelante.

No suelo comentar estas cosas porque me resultan irrelevantes, pero algo me ha mosqueado mientras jugaba a esta entrega, algo que ya estaba en la anterior. Hace seis meses escasos me he comprado un nuevo ordenador, de sobremesa, un titán. He movido todo tipo de juegos, actuales, en calidades demenciales. Blues & Bullets, sin embargo, me ha dado problemas de rendimiento. Tirones, caídas de frames. Situaciones donde el rendimiento parecía desfallecer.

Dejando esto aparte, que se puede deber a mil motivos distintos, el juego cumple en el mismo sentido y de la misma manera que el anterior. Esta neo-aventura gráfica para aquellos encantados con la anterior entrega.