Forgive Me Father 2 Is a Lovecraftian Boomer Shooter With Overly Restrictive Gunplay (Review)

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The recent surge in retro-style ‘boomer shooters’ has successfully given players something to fill the void left by big-budget shooters focusing on multiplayer experiences. However, there are now *so many* of these retro games that they don’t feel as fresh as they used to. *Forgive Me Father* originally stood out with its striking visuals and commitment to the creepy world of Lovecraftian horror, complete with slimy tentacles. The sequel, *Forgive Me Father 2*, improves on that base, but doesn’t quite reach the high expectations set by the first game.

The gunplay is a strong point in this game. Weapons feel powerful thanks to impactful sound effects and visual details, and a driving metal soundtrack enhances the intensity of combat. Players need to master each weapon because ammo is limited, forcing them to constantly switch between their arsenal to survive – a rewarding design choice similar to what’s found in games like *DOOM Eternal* and *Metal Eden*. This limited ammo keeps players actively engaged, preventing them from relying on just a couple of favorites. Even with the addition of reloading, shooting still feels precise and satisfying, with each shot providing clear feedback.

Rating: 3/5

Pros Cons
Bold, colorful visual style and weapon design. Combat is decent yet overly punishing and a little repetitive.
Pulsing metal soundtrack. Upgrade system is incredibly limiting.

Forgive Me Father 2’s Inventive Guns Can’t Fulfill Their Potential

This holds true for all the unusual types. While it features typical weapons like pistols, automatic rifles, rocket launchers, and shotguns, each one also has bizarre, alien versions. For example, a pistol might become a strange sea creature that reloads by absorbing blood. Or an automatic rifle could transform into an eye-covered blob that replenishes ammo when the player character… well, interacts with its posterior to eject a magical tablet.

In *Forgive Me Father 2*, each weapon has a couple of unusual variations, which really fits the game’s Lovecraftian theme. These different forms have unique abilities and cool, distinct designs. The detailed reload animations are a highlight, and while the in-game shop descriptions aren’t always clear, the overall attention to detail helps make up for it.

Comparing the different weapon upgrades in *Forgive Me Father 2* is tough because the game doesn’t offer clear stats or tutorial videos. However, that’s just one of several issues with the upgrade system. The biggest problem is how limited it is – you can only equip one weapon variant or alternate fire at a time. Similarly, while there are 40 unique passive skills and special abilities you can use during gunfights, you can only have a total of three active at once, not three of each.

It’s annoying when you have great options available, but can’t easily access them. The idea of quickly swapping between different shotguns during intense battles sounds fun, but the game doesn’t really let you do that. Plus, a lot of the upgrades feel wasted because you only have a few slots to try them out, making it hard to move away from the same reliable choices.

Forgive Me Father 2’s Frenetic Firefights Are Sometimes Limiting and Cheap

The combat, while generally good, becomes a bit repetitive after a few hours. Adding more weapon options or alternate firing modes could have kept things fresh, especially since the game already has resources for these features. The special abilities gained through the Dark Tome aim to add variety, but they’re limited by a small number of upgrades and don’t offer enough strategic depth.

Forgive Me Father 2 is a challenging game, and simply giving players more perks or weapons wouldn’t have made it easier. Death comes quickly – a single mistake can wipe out your health. While the difficulty can be exciting when facing waves of enemies, the game often feels unfair. You might suddenly find yourself in a room full of explosives with enemies throwing grenades, or be instantly killed by snipers who can see you through walls. Although frequent checkpoints and the quicksave feature offer some relief, they don’t completely fix the frustrating difficulty, which stems from the game’s tendency to put players in overwhelmingly difficult situations.

Forgive Me Father 2‘s Comic Book-Like Visual Design Is Eye-Catching

Unlike many games in the ‘boomer shooter’ genre, *Forgive Me Father 2* doesn’t rely on a pixelated look. Instead, it features a striking comic book-inspired style with bold outlines and vibrant colors. This art style perfectly complements the game’s diverse settings, from realistic city streets and greenhouses to bizarre, otherworldly locations. The game’s strong overall design ensures that even the more grounded environments feel just as engaging as its supernatural ones, proving that a unique visual approach can really make a game stand out.

While *Forgive Me Father 2* has exciting, fast-paced gunfights with over-the-top gore and a rocking soundtrack, these moments are often hampered by frustrating design choices. Many of the game’s unique weapons and upgrades feel inaccessible or go unused due to limited perk slots. This is especially disappointing because these improvements could have fixed the game’s tendency to become repetitive and unfairly difficult later on. Though boomer shooters don’t need to be easy, *Forgive Me Father 2* shows that restricting player power too much can ultimately hurt the experience.

A review copy for PS5 was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

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2025-09-23 14:11