In Hello Neighbor 2, what are the cops really doing here?
Hello Neighbor 2 is the sequel to the very popular game Hello Neighbor. It claims to be just as good as the first game, but with better AI, a bigger map, and even more secrets. This time, as the reporter Quentin, you have to look into a lot of strange things happening in the town and save Aaron from the bad guy Mr. Peterson.
But, like most games, there are parts that make no sense no matter how long you play or how many threads you look through. Often, you have to play along with the game’s logic and suspend your disbelief, but some things are just too big to ignore.
Police Ignore Everything
In Act One, Quentin goes straight to the source, and as you look for hints in Mr. Peterson’s house, a familiar story plays out. This time, it’s already a crime scene, so there’s police tape around and a grumpy police officer walking around.
Even though a lot of evidence has been sorted and there are big padlocks on many doors, the police officer doesn’t seem too interested in solving the case. If you, a skinny reporter, can find the keys to these hidden places, why haven’t the cops just used bolt cutters? A child has been taken, and it’s likely that a known thief did it. At the crime scene, there’s only one person eating donuts.
In the beginning of Hello Neighbor 2 game, you crash into a barn and pass out. But for the rest of the game, your van will be stuck halfway in a building, and no one seems to care that you’ve been attacked after an accident that could have killed you. You’re not exactly innocent, though, because the game has you sneaking into people’s homes and playing with their kids’ toys in plain sight. Again, it doesn’t seem to bother the cops that you spend all your time breaking into private property.
No Consequences Of Trespassing
Then, if you get caught by an NPC, whether it’s the only police officer, the owner of a bakery, or the real mayor, the worst that can happen is that you get kicked out. Every character seems to have big secrets they don’t want you to find out. But they don’t call the cops, take their things out of your bag, or walk you back home. When Mr. Otto pulls out a shotgun, which is a big step up in terms of effects. That will be the worst trouble we can get into.
Well, it would be if getting shot really did anything to the player. Instead, if you get hit by five shots, you take damage from falling. Which means you have to get back up and walk a little slower. This is very annoying when you’re trying to get around in the old man’s house, but it’s not really dangerous. All of this means that getting caught by an NPC doesn’t mean much. It’s just annoying and you have to start over on some puzzles. For people who keep kids locked up and beat up innocent people, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.
You Wake Up In Bed
Some people think that Quentin is suffering from PTSD because of the crimes he did in Hello Neighbor. This is something that conspiracy theorists might argue about. But if you finish an Act or get beat up by Mr. Peterson, you will wake up in your own house and bed. Quentin doesn’t seem to know how he got back there. And sometimes he has scary memories or dreams about Mr. Peterson.
Let’s think about how most of the time, if you’re found snooping, you’re just kicked out without a chance to fight, ask questions, or explain yourself. At this point, any progress you’ve made on puzzles inside the building is lost. And some of the things you’ve collected go back to where you found them in the first place. So how does Quentin get to bed after certain things happen? In the beginning, you get hit with a shovel, but when you wake up at home, everything is fine. Are you being dragged back there by Mr. Peterson? If he is the one taking the kids, why not tie you up with them?
No One Ever Checks The Closet
So, you just found out that someone has been sneaking around your house, cutting up your blankets. And messing up your puzzle trap system. You chase them up the stairs, where you know they can’t get away. Then you give up because you can’t see them even though they are right in front of you. Every building has at least four closets, and most of them also have lockers in each room and along the hallways. But an NPC will never look in one of these empty rooms unless they saw you go in. They also don’t look under their beds, behind their doors, or behind the table from which Quentin is looking out.
Every character seems to be hiding something bad, or maybe the whole town is involved in this strange chain of events involving birds and lost children. Basket Random game says that it is a horror-themed tactics game. But unlike other games in this genre, where enemies try to find you, drag you out of hiding, or dole out justice. These NPCs don’t seem to care if you solve the mystery or not.
Where’s The Horror
As was already said, there are no penalties for sneaking around. And the NPCs look like they were made for kids’ shows. Since it is possible to begin again, there is no need for a frantic pursuit. And the other characters don’t seem to mind if Quentin wrecks their houses. All you’ll get from them is a non-threatening growl or a gun like the kind you’d use to shoot coconuts at a funfair game.
Even the music isn’t scary or tense, so the game feels more like a frustrating puzzle journey. You just run away from the NPCs if you can or go outside. Wait for them to start over, and go back to what you were doing. The game that came before Hello Neighbor 2 felt much creepier and disturbing. But in this one, you jump on a trampoline on a sunny fall day while butterflies fly around you. After how well Hello Neighbor did in the neighbourhood, it doesn’t make sense that the whole tone would change.
