[Review] – Hector: Badge of Carnage – Episode 2: Senseless Acts of Justice

Developed by: Straandlooper, Telltale Games

Published by: Telltale Games

Platforms: PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad

Players: 1

Rated M for Mature by the ESRB

After the cliffhanger of an ending from the first game, Detective Inspector Hector is back at it again. Going in to confront the terrorist, Hector finds himself staring down the barrel of an automated sniper rifle connected to a laptop, from which the terrorist's voice is coming. The terrorist was never there to begin with. Now Hector has to find a way out of his precarious situation and track him down.

Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 2: Senseless Acts of Justice has Hector once again trying to figure out just what's going on in Clapper's Wreake. This time though, instead of following the terrorist's demands, Hector will follow leads on pieces of evidence he found in the industrial building where the terrorist was thought to be holed up and the hostages were supposedly stored. It turns out that there were no hostages to begin with, and now Hector is on the hunt for the real identity and location of the terrorist.

All of the crude humor is intact, from church-themed strip clubs, to French restaurants with questionable hygienic practices, putting unidentified objects on your face to emulate having a beard, and many other uncomfortable scenarios. If you enjoyed the first episode, you will most likely enjoy this one. However I couldn't help but feel that the first game was funnier. Episode 2 still has its moments, but it almost felt like it was trying too hard.

One important thing to note is that the length of the episode is about twice that of the first. This is good, as it means that the you're not as likely to complete the game in one or two sittings, effectively increasing the value of the game. There are enough locations to explore and people to talk to that the game has a fair length to it this time around.

I seldom play many point and click games, but I managed to get through the first game without using the hint button. This time around, some of the ways to advance the investigation seemed a bit more obscure. This is good for fans of the genre who like a good puzzle. I myself had to look at the hint page a few times. It was fun to read since I missed it the first time around. You are greeted by a condescending text that will answer your general questions, or give you a step by step walkthrough if you choose the option. The menu is reached by talking to Lambert to get clues on the case and choosing the option, "I need a proper hint". You can teleport to Lambert by pressing the Hint button in the bottom right corner.

In the end, I'd say that Hector Episode 2 was a fairly fun second episode to what looks to be an amusing trilogy. Fans of crude humor and point and click games will likely enjoy it, and at the new season price of $20 for all three episodes, it seems to be a worthy purchase. As of this writing, the pack is on sale on Steam for only $15. The third and final episode will be released sometime this Fall.

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