Kathy Rain 2 Review – The Gritty Return of a Cult Heroine

Back in 2015, Kathy Rain emerged as an under-the-radar gem in the modern resurgence of point-and-click adventure games. With its retro pixel art, layered storytelling, and a sharp, no-nonsense protagonist, the game garnered a loyal fanbase despite flying under the mainstream radar. A few years later, a remastered Director’s Cut in 2021 reminded players why this bike-riding sleuth was worth paying attention to.

Now, in 2025, Kathy returns in Kathy Rain 2, a brand-new entry from Clifftop Games and publisher Raw Fury. Set in the same moody town of Kassidy and packed with the same dark mystery vibes, the sequel doesn’t try to revolutionize the genre—but it absolutely nails what fans of the series were hoping for: a smart, stylish, and emotional investigation that lingers long after the credits roll.

A New Case with a Familiar Edge

Kathy Rain 2 picks up several years after the events of the original. The setting is the mid-1990s, a time of grunge rock, payphones, and VHS tapes. Kathy, now a full-fledged private investigator, hasn’t mellowed with age. She’s still riding the Katmobile, still dressed in her signature leather jacket, and still wielding a wit as sharp as her instincts.

However, life hasn’t exactly been kind. Struggling to keep her detective agency afloat, burdened with unpaid bills, and disillusioned by the world around her, Kathy finds herself at a crossroads—until she’s drawn into a chilling case that might just be her salvation.

A serial killer known only as “The Harbinger” has been terrorizing the town, leaving a trail of bodies and cryptic clues. With a reward on the table and her agency on the brink of collapse, Kathy dives headfirst into an investigation that quickly spirals into a deeply personal journey. What begins as a pursuit for justice turns into an exploration of trauma, guilt, and the long shadows of the past.

Classic Point-and-Click with a Modern Sheen

If you’re familiar with the point-and-click adventure format, you’ll feel right at home in Kathy Rain 2. The game stays true to its roots, offering a blend of exploration, inventory-based puzzles, and dialogue-heavy progression. It doesn’t aim to reinvent the genre—it refines it.

Gameplay is structured across multiple in-game days, each broken into daytime and nighttime segments. Completing objectives during the day transitions the story to the next phase, keeping pacing brisk but natural. You’ll visit various locations—from grimy alleyways to local diners and eerie woods—piecing together clues, interviewing locals, and solving puzzles that, thankfully, err on the side of logical rather than obscure.

The game’s interface includes a helpful notebook divided into three main tabs: topics for conversation, a contact list for phone calls, and a daily objective tracker. This setup keeps things clean and digestible, even for players who might be new to the genre. However, veteran players might find the guidance a bit too heavy-handed at times. There is a setting to reduce hints, though it still doesn’t fully eliminate the hand-holding.

Smooth Sailing… with a Few Bumps

One area where Kathy Rain 2 deserves praise is its puzzle design. Most challenges are intuitive, rewarding lateral thinking rather than sheer trial and error. You’ll rarely find yourself combining random objects in your inventory in frustration—solutions make sense in context.

However, this logic sometimes swings too far in the other direction. Experienced players might find the puzzles a tad predictable, occasionally solving them mentally before the game allows Kathy to catch up. A small example: Kathy examines a flowerpot looking for a key and finds nothing—until, moments later, a conversation unlocks the ability to search the same flowerpot again, magically revealing the item. It’s a minor immersion-breaker, but enough to raise an eyebrow.

There’s also a known bug in the French version of the game that affects one particular puzzle. While not game-breaking, it does require switching to English to progress. Hopefully, a patch is on the way.

The only real gripe lies in the game’s tendency toward backtracking—a trope that’s all too common in the genre. Repeatedly moving between familiar locations can feel tedious, especially when paired with a destination map screen that feels sluggish and slightly unresponsive. It’s not enough to derail the experience, but it does slow momentum in a few spots.

Visuals, Atmosphere, and Performance

Graphically, Kathy Rain 2 continues the series’ love affair with pixel art, but the improvements are significant. The game now supports high-resolution displays, resulting in cleaner character sprites and sharper environments. This isn’t just nostalgic pixel art—it’s lovingly detailed, with dynamic lighting and reflection effects that breathe life into nighttime scenes and tense interiors.

The mood is further enhanced by the game’s sound design. From ambient rain to crackling neon signs, the audio landscape helps build a haunting atmosphere without ever becoming intrusive. The voice acting, still English-only, features returning cast members who deliver their lines with warmth, grit, and nuance.

Localization is mostly strong, with well-translated French text—aside from the aforementioned puzzle glitch. The soundtrack, meanwhile, plays its role perfectly: subdued, melancholic, and appropriately eerie when the moment calls for it.

Length, Replayability, and Storytelling Depth

One of the promises made by Clifftop Games ahead of launch was that Kathy Rain 2 would be their longest and most ambitious project yet. While the increase in playtime isn’t dramatic, the game clocks in at a respectable 7–8 hours, depending on how thoroughly you explore each area and how quickly you solve puzzles.

It’s a comfortable runtime—long enough to tell a layered story without overstaying its welcome. While replay value isn’t particularly high in terms of branching choices or hidden endings, the emotional richness of the narrative and the subtle character interactions might warrant a second playthrough just to catch what you missed the first time.

What sets Kathy Rain 2 apart, ultimately, is its emotional core. This is not just a story about catching a killer. It’s about grief, regret, forgiveness, and the long, winding road to healing. Kathy is a complex protagonist—tough but vulnerable, skeptical yet hopeful. Her growth across the game feels earned, and the supporting cast adds both depth and texture to the town of Kassidy.

Final Verdict – A Moody, Meaningful Mystery

Kathy Rain 2 doesn’t try to be flashy or revolutionary, and that’s exactly why it works. It knows what kind of game it wants to be: a tight, emotional, and beautifully crafted mystery adventure that respects its audience’s intelligence and nostalgia in equal measure.

Sure, it stumbles occasionally—predictable puzzles, UI quirks, and the dreaded backtracking syndrome—but none of these flaws are enough to overshadow the game’s strengths. At its heart, Kathy Rain 2 is about human stories, told through the lens of a murder mystery, and that’s what makes it resonate.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or someone looking to get into point-and-click adventures, this is a ride worth taking. Fire up the Katmobile and get ready to return to Kassidy. It’s colder, darker, and more haunting than ever—but it’s good to be back.

Score: 8/10

A heartfelt, atmospheric mystery anchored by smart writing, stylish visuals, and a compelling lead. A worthy sequel that sticks to its strengths.

Pros:

  • Engaging and emotional story

  • Strong continuity and character development

  • Intuitive puzzles with satisfying logic

  • Gorgeous high-res pixel art and lighting

  • Atmospheric sound design and voice acting

Cons:

  • Occasional pacing and UI hiccups

  • Predictable puzzle solutions

  • Backtracking wears thin

  • Puzzle bug in French localization