Demo offers glimpse into future of Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Sequel to Clifftop's popular 2016 mystery adventure unveiled for Windows, Mac and Linux

In 2016, Clifftop Games wowed us with an impressive debut named after its eponymous "sassy rocker chick" Kathy Rain, then made a good thing even better five years later with an expanded, enhanced "director's cut." Soon we'll get even more of a better good thing as the indie Swedish developer has unveiled the first look at an upcoming sequel, Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer.

The follow-up adventure takes place three years after Kathy reluctantly returned to her hometown to investigate the mysterious death of her grandfather and finally confront the demons of her own troubled past. It's now 1998, and things are not going well for Kathy and her private detective agency Rain Investigations in the city of Kassidy. She is "utterly broke, the Katmobile is running on fumes, the fridge is nearly empty, and an eviction is looming close." Her only hope for cash is the reward money offered to anyone who can solve the mystery of the serial killer known as the Soothsayer, whose latest victim was the renowned celebrity author Debra Sinclair, stabbed to death in her iconic wood cabin. Kathy's pursuit of the killer will prove to be her "most dangerous case yet" and will ultimately be the one that either "defines Kathy’s career" or ends with her being the Soothsayer's next victim herself. 

Despite the change in locale, fans of the original game will feel right at home in Kathy Rain 2, though as a brand new urban thriller it needs no prior familiarity. The presentation will once again be in hi-res pixel art, looking better and more detailed here than ever. There will be a variety of locations to explore (reached by motorcycle, of course) and many unique characters to interrogate in and around Kassidy, all of them fully voiced, including Arielle Siegel returning in her role as Kathy. The point-and-click interface allows for simple navigation as you scour crimes scenes (once you're able to get in), search for clues, collect inventory items (both for use in the environment and dialogue inquiry) and solve puzzles in a story that promises to be "as hard-hitting as [it is] emotional." There will be a lot to keep track of in Clifftop's longest game yet, but Kathy's notebook will let you "log interesting findings ... refer to them in your investigation," and even "connect narrative threads for surprising and satisfying outcomes."

There's no target release date for Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer, but you can check out the start of the game right away as a playable demo (unlike the final version, not fully voiced) is available to download on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux. (And still leaves you plenty of time to play the original game while you wait, available on Steam, GOG, Humble, or the Nintendo eShop for Switch.

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